Organic weed control

I know it’s not yet officially spring and weeds are something you are only dreaming about in the long hot summer to come – yes, I can dream too – but it’s best to be prepared. Healthy eating is dependent on healthy food and using organic methods to keep the garden under control is easier now than ever. Scientists at the US Agricultural Research Service have a new one way for you, they are suggesting you use white mustard seed.

It contains a compound called sinalbin; that’s the one that gives the mustard its bite and they think it could be just the thing for killing off or suppressing particular weedy grasses and annual broadleaf weeds

The scientists turned the mustard seed into a sort of mulchy meal (no I’m not a gardener but that’s what it looks like to me) and spread it thickly over a trial area and found that two weeks after application it reduced common weeds by up to 90 per cent. However, don’t apply it round your vegetables, particularly onions until they are past the two leaf stage as they didn’t seem to do too well. If you don’t fancy mulching the plants why not just plant some around the bed as it ought to at least have a deterrent effect and the strong aroma will certainly keep the neighbourhood cats away