10 Ways to Keep Weeds Out of the Garden, According to Experts

Weeds are one of the biggest nuisances in the garden. Not only can they make your outdoor space look messy, but they also compete with desirable plants for essential nutrients. While there are plenty of ways to kill weeds once they arise, keeping them from popping up altogether is much more effective. To help, we spoke to experts who shared their tips and tricks for keeping weeds out of your garden before they have a chance to take over.

Lay Down Mulch

Mulch will give your garden a uniform, aesthetic appearance, all while keeping weeds out—a win-win. "Mulch helps suppress weed growth by acting as a physical barrier to weeds emerging from the soil and by blocking sunlight from reaching the surface," says Damon Abdi of the Hammond Research Station at Louisiana State University's agricultural center. "When placing mulch, make sure that it is spread evenly to a desired depth sufficient to suppress weeds without applying an unnecessarily expensive amount."

Pull Weeds By Hand

Be diligent about pulling weeds by hand as they arise in your garden, which prevents them from going to seed and spreading throughout your yard. "Hand-pulling weeds is effective because it allows you to remove the entire weed, including the roots, thereby preventing regrowth," says Alex Betz, landscape designer Plant by Number. "This method benefits small gardens or areas where weeds are sparse, ensuring they don't have a chance to establish themselves and spread."

Plant Ground Covers

Keep weeds out of your garden by planting cover crops like clover or rye. "Cover crops are effective because they outcompete weeds for light, water, and nutrients," says Betz. "Establishing a dense cover of beneficial plants can smother weeds and prevent them from gaining a foothold. Additionally, cover crops can improve soil health by adding organic matter and fixing nitrogen."

Use a Weed Barrier

Weed barriers, such as landscape fabric or black plastic, physically block weeds from emerging and wreaking havoc on your garden. "By preventing sunlight from reaching the soil, weed barriers inhibit weed germination and growth while still allowing water and nutrients to reach garden plants," says Betz. To use a weed barrier, simply lay it over the soil surface and cut holes for each plant.

Add Soil Amendments

Many weeds thrive in poor soils where desirable plants struggle to grow. "Adding soil amendments is effective because it improves soil structure, fertility, and health, creating an environment where desired plants can thrive and outcompete weeds," says Betz. "Healthy, nutrient-rich soil supports vigorous plant growth, which can shade out and suppress weeds."

Conduct a soil test to determine what amendments your soil needs. This will tell you what nutrients your soil is lacking. For example, if your soil is low in nitrogen, consider adding nitrogen rich amendments, like compost. Additionally, if your soil doesn't drain quickly, add amendments that will make it more porous.

Avoid Tilling

While tilling is useful for breaking up compacted soil, it can bring buried weed seeds to the surface and allow them to germinate and grow. "Reducing soil disruption lowers the likelihood of weeds sprouting and spreading," says Betz. To avoid this common gardening practice, consider practicing no-till gardening and planting directly into undisturbed soil.

Add Raised Beds

Raised beds give you more control over growing conditions. "By having the bed above ground, weeds may be less likely to spread onto the raised bed surface versus ground level beds where weeds may creep in," says Abdi. "Furthermore, hand weeding becomes less troublesome with raised beds, as you would not need to bend over to pluck the weeds."

Deprive Weeds of Water

Like any plant, weeds need water in order to survive. Depriving them of this resource will cause the weeds in your garden to die over time. You can prevent weeds from accessing water by using targeted irrigation to provide water only to your desired plants, says Abdi. "Irrigating the entirety of a garden, bed, or plot could create conditions for opportunistic weeds to grow; precision irrigation can limit the extent of these conditions," he says.

Water With Soaker Hoses

One easy way to deprive weeds of water is to use soaker hoses, a type of precision irrigation that allows you to apply water to a specific garden area. "Soaker hoses are effective because they deliver water directly to the base of your plants, minimizing water waste and reducing the moisture available to weeds," says Betz. "This targeted watering method helps dry the soil surface, making it less hospitable for weed growth." Just make sure that the soaker hose isn't left on for too long or the water will eventually run off to undesirable areas, Abdi says.

Cut Off Weed Heads

Cutting off the heads of weeds prevents them from flowering and setting seed, which is the primary way many weeds spread. "By regularly removing the flower heads, you interrupt the reproductive cycle of weeds, reducing their numbers over time," says Betz.