Organic Weed Control Around Garlic Plants

Leaf Litter

• It is often best to use what you have, and most people have dried leaves in abundance in fall. Fall is the best time to plant most garlic, but it needs a layer of organic material to protect it from winter temperatures and keep competing weeds from taking over the bed. Leaves can be raked up and spread as they are, or mowed to chop them up. Spread the leaves around the garlic bed in a thick 3- to 4-inch layer. In spring, you can work the leaves into the soil in between the plants if there is ample room.

Straw

• Straw makes an excellent mulch and has the additional benefit of keeping pathways free of mud. Straw takes longer to compost into the soil but it leaves the soil textured and broken up to increase air and nutrient circulation. An organic mulch will also help keep weeds from taking hold, but the area should be weeded before laying the mulch. Straw can be expensive and has to be replaced as it breaks down, but is a long lasting form of organic weed control.

Grass Clippings

• Grass clippings add nitrogen to the soil when used as a mulch. They also are cheap and readily available. The Virginia Cooperative Extension recommends a 2-inch layer around garlic. It needs to build up gradually, however, or you will end up with a thick stinky grass mat. Thin layers of grass should be allowed to dry for a few days and then a bit more grass added. In this gradual manner, the clippings will build up but not stick together, and they will form an excellent weed barrier. Springtime will have you removing the mulch from over the bulbs to make way for the shoots of garlic. The grass can be layered on top of itself beside the plants or worked into the soil.

Compost

• Compost is easy to get a hold of and many gardeners have their own compost pile. It is useful at protecting the crowns of garlic in the winter since it holds a lot of heat. The organic process in compost produces heat as soil microbes do their work decomposing the material. There are numerous nutritional advantages to compost and it acts as a fertilizer to the garlic. A layer of 2 to 3 inches of organic compost acts as a suitable weed barrier for the garlic bed.