How to Easily Deal with Weeds in your Garden

Grow Food For Free, Out on the 27th Feb 2020, Get your copy now at geni.us/grow-food-for-free (If you're in the US, this special link will take you to the US edition, out March 3rd 2020) Last year I set myself a challenge - to grow my own fruit and veg for free for a year. It turns out that it is much easier than I thought, and now I want to help you do the same.
Here is the first of a year-long new series of sustainability videos linked to my new book Grow Food For Free, in which I hope to share with you the inspiration and practical advice you need to start, grow, love, propagate and harvest your own fruit and veg organically and at zero-cost.
This video is all about how to deal with weeds in your vegetable garden or allotment. They are such a pain but fortunately, there is a simple strategy you can use to stay in control. This video covers why weeds occur in the first place, then what to do in late winter, spring and summer and then autumn so you will never get overrun by them :)
#vegetablegardening #growfoodforfree #organic
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HuwsNursery is a channel that dedicates itself to teaching you how to grow an abundance of food at your home. Videos are uploaded every week and cover a vast range of subjects including; soil health, sowing, transplanting, weeding, organic tips, permaculture, pest control, harvesting and low maintenance growing to name a few.
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[@HuwRichards]

Thank you so much for watching! Make sure you pre-order your copy of Grow Food For Free today: geni.us/grow-food-for-free I hope you enjoyed the video😀

[@scottcraig77]

I’ll put a link on the Wee Hooses page :) enjoy your videos- they inspire me to get on

[@siobhandetwiler4869]

Just bought your book 😊

[@ShushLorraine]

I asked my grandmother how did she have such a beautiful weed-free garden? Her answer was like all her answers. Simple. "Well, if I see a weed, I just pull it up!" :-) She had a good half acre garden well into her 80s. She was out there every morning at 6, so I didn't often get to see her working in it because by the time I got around, she had finished and was cooking me breakfast. Ah that generation!! She was born in 1902.

[@berniecelee5062]

😂😂😂 yes ...that generation ....they don’t have social media , TV, etc to chew up their time. They are up early and work. Their distractions are a minimum ....just take care of family and home with love and care . Then into bed early. And do it all over again. They enjoy the simple joys of life, have no envy of what you don’t have, practical people.

[@jerricroft937]

Me too. My grampa born in 1897 leshara nebraska. His love of gardening skipped a generation.

[@getrelaxed3848]

God bless her

[@carriageofnoreturn.1881]

Thank you for this. I have recently moved into a house with 8 large raised beds in the garden, which are overfacing me with weeds. I have cardboard boxes in abundance, and will get out tomorrow afternoon and cover the beds (it's something that even this novice can manage!)

[@HuwRichards]

You are so welcome and thank you for watching! That is a great plan and I hope the weather is kind! Remember to weight down the cardboard to stop it blowing away

[@FrankEdavidson]

System: Mow Monday, Trim Tuesday Weed Wednesday Feed Friday Sow Sunday

[@sirBrouwer]

Thursday Thirsty/ water (if needed)

[@FrankEdavidson]

Thurdays I tharpen my thears

[@ShushLorraine]

@@FrankEdavidson 😄

[@jerricroft937]

Rest sunday

[@jessievanswaaij2971]

and have to go to work on????

[@charlenenagel7962]

Great tip Huw! Last year I transformed a large open garden (48' x 24') into 8 large raised beds with wood chip pathways. Having had a lot of weeds in the past, including a lot of bind weed and mint that was out of control, I was determined to stay ahead of it. SO, every morning, I did a quick walk thru, first scouring the paths for anything green, and then the beds for weeds. It really took only a few minutes, but some days I so enjoyed the wander through my nearly weed free garden, that I lingered longer. It was also a great opportunity to assess things that needed doing going forward. By fall, I got lazier as the weed growth slowed, so I really like your suggestion of catching up with it during the winter. Even that should not take long. What a difference from before! Thanks for all the videos you make. I really enjoy them and have learned so much!

[@johnford8973]

Wow it must be nice to have no or very little snow. Here in Maine USA we have snow until April. I have enjoyed watching you over the years from your 1st video👍

[@HuwRichards]

Thank you so much Charlene! Wow that sounds like quite the project! Yes that little and often works so well and working with the seasons is so important. Thank you so much for watching and commenting! :)

[@HuwRichards]

@@johnford8973 Thank you so so much for your continued support! I miss snow actually, it has been too warm this winter!

[@kikik5266]

@@johnford8973 I'm in alaska. I'd have to dig through snow and chip through ice to weed. Lol we don't even get through our last frost until late May. Lol

[@danielanadaban9330]

Hello, I am a psychotherapist with gardening as a hobby, and I want to thank you for your inspiring videous. And also telling you that everyone can use your example of speecking freely about procastinating and guilt coming from it, and how to over come it. Well done and thank you again

[@lorraineowen7978]

I've done the no dig approach for 3 years and can honestly say I hardly ever weed 😁

[@Matrix2458]

Great video, good to see you're books being released, congratulations!! Cover crops are also a great way to prevent weeds from growing in, all while covering the soil and feeding mycorrizae. I love strawberries, clover, rye, and even chickweed for ground cover.

[@HuwRichards]

Thank you so much! Cover crops and going for more perennials are two fantastic options when it comes to reducing weed issues. There is only so much I can put in one video.

[@emkevanwijlen8055]

I was so impressed with your last book, that I immediately pre ordered this one 😃 thanks for all the inspiration you provide!

[@HuwRichards]

Thank you so so much!

[@onedollaradaygardener4337]

Hi Huw, I've done 3 things to make it as easy as possible, 1. When I'm in the garden, everyday that is, I'm always weeding as I go, about 10 minutes a day, 2, I'm also no dig and that has reduced the weed growth amazingly well. 3 Multi Cropping, inter Cropping, Under Cropping, Anywhere there is open soil gets a seed, seedling or plant put in the soil to fill the space, basically leaving no room for the weeds to grow. A great way to companion plant almost everything

[@rosea830]

I live in an area where the crabgrass has thick rhizomes and for the first few years I tilled my plot gardens to make pulling them up easier. Now I cover them with leaves in Fall and chicken coop waste all winter. I let the Henbit grow in the spring here because it acts as a natural mulch and the summer heat kills it off when the crops come into their own. I love dandelions and what they do for my plants, so I just pick their flowers so they don't take over. Thank you so much for your video on the ducks, we bought some and found they also eat mosquitoes. I will be buying your book as I love your garden tips, even though we grow in completely different growing zones.

[@autumnleaf5127]

Love your gardening style! You simplify the basics and I’m looking forward to starting my garden this year with the help of your videos and your book I’ve just preordered 🧑🏻‍🌾

[@thesketchingsisters]

Thanks for the helpful video Huw! I have most of my beds covered so I’m hoping it will be a good start come the spring. Book pre ordered! Can’t wait to get it 😊

[@keeksputels1851]

Ill be buying the book. Love your channel and your style of teaching, and it's nice supporting you in doing what you love

[@HuwRichards]

Thank you so much that is so kind of you! :)

[@janetwinslow2039]

Thanks again Huw. (He's lovely isn't he?)

[@cek7940]

Hi Huw! Blessings to you and your new book!

[@piacharlotteteien3802]

Thank you for VERY helpfull and informativ and interesting gardentips and teaching.👍 You have always shown your love for gardening in a thankful and calm way and I aleays enjoy your videoes 🤗 Pia from Denmark

[@ukdirector85]

You've gotta love this channel - inspiring!

[@lazygardener6278]

I received your book "VegInOneBed" last christmas as a present, the date of publication of your next book perfectly fits to my birthday... :-) greetings from Germany, Andreas

[@HuwRichards]

Awh yay that is amazing! Thank you so much and for watching too :)

[@annmatthews3579]

Great tips Huw. I weed little and often, then it’s never overwhelming

[@Asdfbedffhdsxe345]

Such a great video Huw, thanks so much, its jam packed full of amazing info

[@HuwRichards]

Awh thank you so much Andrew!!

[@kosmosjk]

Hi Huw, another really useful video packed with great tips and advice. Thanks for sharing experience with us :-)

[@andrewt9016]

Great tips, thanks Huw. I gave up my first half plot because every visit I was faced with too much mare's tail and brambles... and had tried to plant too much amongst them. I took on a new plot last year, and started small... Concentrated on the polytunnel for my chillies, dug over and covered up much of the outside beds. This year, I'm ready to spread out a bit more..

[@lkywyfable]

Lovely, concise, informative, well spoken. Thank you 😊

[@jessyzunega2815]

Thank you for this! Love from the Philippines. ♥️

[@HuwRichards]

Thank you so much! :)

[@nywvblue]

Love the cardboard-as-slug-trap system! Now I must wait for the snow to melt. Thanks!

[@minikorsi]

👍 book ordered, can’t wait to read it! In the meantime I’m out in my garden pulling a few weed out 😄

[@JanesGrowingGarden]

Fab. Now I'm off to procrastinate as to when to start!

[@LivingRedefined]

Looking forward to the new book!!

[@charzsalcedo9538]

I love all your video's about gardening verry good job for that

[@JT-wj9jr]

Great Tips! I am in New York and its pretty darn cold today. I have been a fan for years and have implemented many of your methods in my back garden raised bed, my fruiting borders and my seeded fruit tree sections, (some are even in containers). My question: Any advice for dealing with other vermin, apart from slugs?I am tired of the birds, squirrels and opossums.It feels awful throwing mesh or bird nets over my fruiting areas. I can't enjoy the beauty. Sorry my question is not about weeding. I will be getting the new book !!!!

[@FarshidBehroozianFB]

Would it be possible to have a video, especially, on the gardening kit, and their usages?! Thank you

[@stargazerbird]

We have deep rooted perennial weeds - bindweed, mares tail, brambles, nettles. They will take over so fast and you can’t pull them up. My neighbour sprayed a total weed killer on his turf and then covered with plastic for six months to control his. You also need a margin to the veg patch which you can mow to stop the perennials growing through from a field. It’s not always the easy seeded weeds that ruin your year.

[@sirBrouwer]

something you could also do (if available) is to have a few chickens on the weed bed if it is just to overwhelming. they will just eat everything and tilt up the land. it can be done in about a day or 2 (depending on the amount and size) you will have to remove after that the exes chicken poo. after that it just the same way you pointed out.

[@tairanisa]

"Weeds grow to protect the soil".....oh god now I feel bad for pulling them up.... they were just trying to help!!!! 😭

[@wendyread1183]

Love this. Our biggest gardening challenge is how to keep weeds under control.

[@DigwellGreenfingers]

Nice one Huw. Most of my beds were carded over at the start of the month. Steve

[@HuwRichards]

Thank you so much for watching Steve! That is great!

[@soultrekcentral]

Great I'm not alone. Procrastinate and overwhelmed. That where I'm at right now!

[@patriciavincent5076]

Beautiful raised beds.

[@maxa1304]

just might have to buy that book seeing how long you have done this for

[@HuwRichards]

That would make my day ;)

[@PeterMaddison2483]

Got your book 'Grow Food For Free' AND 'Veg In One Bed' from Amazon last Sun/Mon. They're the new Gardening 'Bible' Your books helped me understand why my lettuce has bolted, due to under-watering.

[@yadiralopez8197]

Thanks so much for the information is very important 👌🏼👏🏼😁

[@Lou-yn7vz]

Is the book available in hard format eg book? I don’t have a kindle. Love your videos and your accent!! I live in Australia and growing veggies is so difficult with the heat. We’ve had temperatures at high 30-40 celcius. Everything just burns, weakens the plant and then pests get in.

[@bio_arka3228]

We try not to have bare soil - we use covers of plants or cloths. We also invite our chickens to our raised beds! They are really useful with weeding :)

[@feathernow]

Huw, this was very helpful. I have a couple of questions relating to your video Hope you can help with. 1. I have a flower bed that has been over run with couch grass, is there any way of easily getting rid of the grass, it's hard to put cardboard down as the bed is quite tightly packed with shrubs and plants? 2. Can I put cardboard or membrane over beds covered with manure rather than compost? Thanks for any help and I'm looking forward to your new book eagerly, hope it does well and thanks for tackling this important topic.

[@LittleJordanFarm]

Great advice..be blessed

[@HuwRichards]

Thank you :)

[@ecocentrichomestead6783]

Weeding in the little and often style is one place permanent bordered beds are a big help. Because you can go out and weed one bed and feel you have completed a task. So that would be my tip: size your garden beds so that you can complete the weeding of at least one bed per weeding session.

[@wvindependent1464]

That's a clever idea, putting down cardboard I winter. Thank you for the idea.

[@CardsbyMaaike]

I gave up my allotment after 15 years, the first 10 were good, but then I got5 new neighbours adjacent to my plot and they didn't have the same ethic, so bindweed started to creep in frome every angle and also marestail, ikeptpulling and pulling, but if your neighbours don't dothe same, you've lost already, espbindweed that nestles in rootballs and you can only get rid of it by digging it all up,I never digged except in an effort to get rid of bindweed..gave up when my health got worse

[@moonshinepz]

Close enough to my birthday to get the book on my wanted list 👍

[@toneyjohnson8910]

Weeds drive me crazy but I am going to stay on top of it this I hope.

[@simonequentindemanson3809]

Thanks, got a few ideas here... How do you feel about cover crops and digging them in, vs covering the soil with fabric? I have read that this keeps the organisms in the soil fed, and if its either chopped and dropped (ready mulch) or dug in, then you are loosing very little to no nutrients in the soil - or even gaining some. I tried this on a new bed that was previously clay/silty soil with grass, then sent in the chooks.. then planted out. So far 'weeds' are pretty minimal (i'm not overly fussy about weeds... in fact i eat or make tea from quite a few). I mainly weed on my way in or out from school drop off (schools 5 minute walk away) for like 1 minute here or a minute there. I intend to try the cover crop for all "resting" beds over winter. I call it my busy parent garden method. The odd day of planting out and mulching, pruning... making compost etc... but mostly its watering and eating. :) In all honesty the new beds will need a few more years of compost and care to be hugely productive. But I am getting some good veges out of it... with not too much attention.

[@jozefdebeer9807]

Hey, first time viewer here. What are your thoughts on stale seed bedding and mulching to keep weeds under control? I have had some success with mulching and will try stale seed bedding this spring. Great vid though. You covered some good points. Edit: My punctuation has been off lately

[@growsoilbiology]

Every time I visit my no-dig allotment the first job is a walk around with a bucket. Most days you pull out one weed and some days if unlucky you pull out two! (It takes 2 mins)

[@HighlandHedgehogHomestead]

Love your vids. We are across the pond trying to get a homestead and channel started!

[@HuwRichards]

Thank you! I have just subbed and good luck with your channel :)

[@HighlandHedgehogHomestead]

Huw Richards - Grow Food Organically thanks so much! Keep it real and keep this great content coming!

[@craftypam9992]

My allotment neighbour has a 900 square foot section of the plot which has never been weeded. Often it is hip high, thistles, willowherbs, dandelions, all sorts of weeds, covering the plot and creeping into the paths. They faff about with a few metre square beds at one end of the plot, and don't even keep that part reasonably weeded. It's really annoying to get your own plot weeded, and work to keep it clear, then look over to a mass of seeding weeds ready to sow themselves on your plot.

[@danennis3078]

Can you explain why you don't use mulch to suppress weeds? I'd like to hear your thought process on that. Thanks!

[@HuwRichards]

Yes in the UK we have big slug problems and organic mulches only contribute to that :)

[@davidthescottishvegan]

To avoid weed growth plant some plants and some seeds so your plants take over the space.

[@HuwRichards]

Great tip David! I may do a part 2....

[@feathernow]

@@HuwRichards yes please!

[@barbaracarreon9758]

Thank you 💚💛

[@scotchcrofter9964]

Mmmm procrastination. It always so tempting.

[@HuwRichards]

I know what you mean!

[@eternallearner4753]

An inspiring video for one whose raised beds are a weedtopia! Don''t feel so desperate now. But may I ask what you do with your weeds? Many thanks, and I look forward to harvesting your new book!

[@eternallearner4753]

Sorry for the repeat. My original comment wasn't registering and I did want to thank Huw for his good advice.

[@HuwRichards]

That is great news! With the weeds I will compost them :) Thank you so much!

[@feathernow]

@@HuwRichards even mares tail, couch grass, etc?

[@davelawson2564]

@@feathernow feed to chicken , pig. goat or burn them

[@kitdubhran2968]

Grass is my most annoying weed. I generally, when planting something, put down a thick layer of wood chips around it, to keep the grass from choking it out. Working so far. I just keep laying down a ring of deep wood chips around it further and further as the plants I plant get bigger. I am planting directly into my yard, however, to get rid of the grass one spot at a time. So most people probably won’t have to worry quite that much about grass. 😂

[@beccogiallo]

Hello, I've watched several of your videos this morning and find them very interesting. Do you have a video in which you discuss garden tools?

[@HuwRichards]

Hi Anna, and no I don't but there will be a video next week that covers 2 tools I use for weeding :)

[@beccogiallo]

@@HuwRichards wonderful, thank you.

[@stellaluuk2713]

Hi, love you videos, what is the difference between your UK and US book editions?

[@akhilrawat7039]

Mulching your soil beds with grass will give you more efficiency in reducing weeds.

[@wendyread1183]

Very inspiring video. One question, though. How do you keep the grass in between your beds mowed and relatively weed-free (just GRASS and not becoming WEEDS)?

[@PeterClarke55]

Oh, I forgot another reason why gardens or allotments have a feast of weeds is usually down to your neighbour who seems to love letting their weeds flower and set seed...

[@Bentonendflowerfarm]

Also, be careful when purchasing compost, I purchased a lovely looking compost 4 large builders bags online with 5-star reviews...Omg! its a nightmare, wherever I lay it, it grows a ton of weeds! it's a complete pain in the A...! Our no-dig beds we laid it on will need weeding consistently until eventually they are all removed. So anyone out there...beware!!! lol great video Hue and well done on the book. Jo and Dave from Applewood Acres Market Garden, feel free to check out our journey as first-generation, 1st-year farmers on our channel!

[@yorkshirecoastadventures1657]

I rotate my chicken run over my raised beds seasonaly. For a spring planting set of beds ill have the chickens on it in winter,for a summer planting set of beds ill have them them on it in spring,so on and so forth. My little weed n feed machines.

[@maxa1304]

i remember you using hay/straw to starve weeds of light. what plants enjoy that kind of thing. im very new

[@HuwRichards]

Yes it works for me because I can control slugs effectively using many strategies but unfortunately in the UK slugs are just too much of an issue for so many gardeners when they use organic mulches so I don't mention it as much.

[@frikandelspeciaal1431]

Good video, greetings your over sea neighbor 🇳🇱

[@emmarumsby]

I grew potatoes and a few other things last year and I had lots of weeds but I just left them and my veg was fine.

[@janethambly5927]

What do you do with the slugs you find?

[@sherylwoodham8730]

Hiw, I am new to gardening in zone 6b. I planted a cover crop of white clover and then straw for winter months. How could I apply your weeding method effectively before spring?

[@OBLIVIONevolvedurbex]

Hi Huw I have a problem with tiny slugs I cant grow anything in the soil I mostly grow my veg in containers a lot of containers im just starting up really done two years container growing and green house growing tomatoes go well as does French /runner beans want to grow new potatoes any tips advice?

[@inekedusseljee3093]

What do you with the weeds after pulling them out?

[@artaizen1613]

I stumbled on one of your videos thanks to KZbin quirky algorithm, and I'm not even mad, I have this small dream that I want to like buy a small patch of land when I grow old and just be self sufficient and live along with nature something a bit like this, but I am really bad with insects and stuff, do you have any tips on minimizing weird insects from infesting your garden? I don't really mind bees and such, but I really can't stand centipede, roaches and such (maybe they normally are not a problem to worry about?). Thanks

[@cah4947]

Do you ever use a cover crop to enrich the soil and protect from weeds?

[@HuwRichards]

No I don't and I will explain in a video soon as to why :)

[@marcmillet906]

Hi there Huw. From what I can see in your videos it looks like you have beautiful countryside all around you. Say hello to a beautiful view for me. Have a wonderful day.

[@jeannine9066]

Does covering the beds with dark plastic kill the microbes and such if it gets hot from the sun?

[@veemcg3682]

How do you keep the grass paths between the beds so neat and weed free?

[@HuwRichards]

By strimming and that's it :)

[@AnnaLilleyify]

Really good video again huw.thanks.Will action asap.

[@HuwRichards]

Thank you so much Anna :)

[@malcolmwilcox8921]

Just been given your latest book for my birthday. I have raised beds on my allotment and year by year it's becoming more productive. One question, what type of hoe is that you're using for the weeding?

[@zizamuzlan8034]

Nice

[@silverhermes]

I covered my bed with dead leaves, it looks better than cardboard but probably encourages slugs ?

[@AnnaYAH5315]

Do you put those weeds you pull from the garden in the compost pile?

[@keeksputels1851]

Have you ever considered keeping some rabbits in your garden. You could make a rectangular run and slide it around the paths to mow the grass and get food/company. Or have some bantams free ranging or something

[@keeksputels1851]

Plus an easy place to put all the weeds you pull up

[@HuwRichards]

That is a really great idea - although I would have to be certain they couldn't escape ;)

[@PartTimePermies]

Weeds, what weeds? I either eat them (75% in my garden are edible like dandelions, chickweed, sorrel, lambs quarters, purslane, etc) the rest go to our chickens or are chop and dropped.

[@phillywister9957]

i let some weeds grow on purpose like red deadnettle or wild carrots. hardly a weed if you can harvest it, right?

[@PeterClarke55]

Hello Huw, just to let you know I enjoy your videos and learn something new each time . However, your second explanation of why weeds appear on bare soil is not a "conscious " move by the soil to attract weeds for protection! Surely weeds will grow more profusely on bare soil because there is no competition for the weeds and this explains why so many varieties of weeds will populate bare soil.Otherwise you may have to believe in the twilight zone for any explanations. But despite this I will look out for your book as a way of saying thank you for the excellent videos you post.

[@cassianyhvh7220]

what is the difference between the UK and USA versions? I'm guessing you have to use smaller words for the "muricans"? I am one BTW, so take it easy on me.

[@Max-pb8vf]

Get your weeds nice and early.

[@HuwRichards]

100% Max!

[@natalie_tn]

Just knowing you are a forgetful procrastinator makes me feel alot better :)

[@HuwRichards]

That's great 😉

[@richardrobinson4869]

Possibly your most important video yet?!

[@HuwRichards]

I have no idea hehe. Thank you for watching :)

[@miamianz]

#1 enemy iin my garden / yard "spanish needle" here in florida. its the rabbit of weeds.

[@nathanmakin710]

You said free i want the book free and seeds lol

[@JohnSmith-us9fv]

What's the benefits of having weeds?

[@OlivierCombe]

it covers the soil which means that the water won't evaporate as much, it can also make food for slugs and things like that (although they seem to always prefer your salads), you can turn the weeds into nutriments for your soil (just like grass) the main downside is that when it's growing, it takes the nutriments from the soil and your vegetables get less

[@joshtosh6058]

I pull weeds and feed them to my chickens.

[@JohnSmith-us9fv]

@@OlivierCombe thanks for the inside. Appreciate it :D

[@joannepiasecka8449]

What a lovely looking fella you are. Sorry someone had to say it😉

[@CEOAMARU]

Can't be that cold in Wales that you have to grow facial hair🤔

[@anthonys2895]

I find it funny most of those "weeds" he named are free, healthy, work free vegtables.