water and care blog3

How to Weed Your Garden and How Often

Whether it's a dandelion in your planter or grass creeping into your raised bed, weeds compete for light, water, and nutrients. And in the heat of the Kingdom, every resource matters. Here’s how to weed efficiently and how often to keep your garden under control.

Gardener weeding a garden in Saudi Arabia

What Exactly Is a Weed?

Simply put, a weed is any plant growing where you don’t want it. Even a tomato seedling is a weed if it pops up in your lettuce patch. Some are familiar troublemakers like crabgrass, while others may look harmless — until they take over.

How Often Should You Weed?

In Saudi Arabia’s sunny climate, weeds can grow fast after watering or rare rainfall. You should check your garden every few days and pull new weeds before they flower or spread. Smaller spaces may only need attention once a week, while larger gardens require quick daily checks during active seasons.

Gardener laying mulch to suppress weeds Botanvia

Tools for Smart Weeding

  • Forked weeder or Hori-Hori knife: Great for dandelions, dock, or anything with deep roots.
  • Garden hoe: For clearing surface-level weeds quickly in open soil.
  • Mulch and fabric barriers: Dried straw, bark, or Weed Shield fabric blocks new weed growth.
  • Vinegar solution: Use a 10% vinegar mix for walkways and hard-to-reach spaces.

How to Weed Effectively

After rain or watering is the best time. Soil is soft, and roots slide out easily. Always pull from the base and get the whole root — especially for weeds like thistle or Bermuda grass, which regrow from fragments.

Preventing Weeds in the First Place

Weed prevention is half the battle. Use these strategies:

  • Dense planting: Fill in space so weeds have less room to sprout.
  • Mulching: Apply 3–5 cm of natural mulch after planting.
  • Ground covers: Try low-growing herbs or edible covers like purslane around taller crops.

Are All Weeds Bad?

Some weeds reveal valuable info about your soil. For example:

  • Clover: Appears in nitrogen-poor soil — but helps improve it
  • Crabgrass: Grows in compacted, dry soil
  • Plantain: Indicates heavy clay and poor drainage
Others, like purslane or dandelion greens, are edible if harvested clean and chemical-free.

 

Natural weed control in Botanvia garden

Final Thoughts

Weeding is easier when it’s part of your routine. Combine smart planting, the right tools, and regular attention, and you’ll enjoy a beautiful, balanced garden — without getting overwhelmed.

Green Starts Here.™