Hi hoe, it’s off to weed we go

A weed is simply a plant growing in the wrong place and, although I do enjoy eating my fair share of them, a bountiful harvest of vegetables far outshines the joy of fooling around with fat hen and chewing on chickweed salad.

Clearly, weeds or wild plants growing in a field, hedgerow or forest are part of the natural vegetation, but if left to grow in the middle of a veggie plot, they will compete for water, nutrients and light, three essential components of good plant growth.

Any cultivated plant can become a weed if it grows in the wrong place, like rogue potatoes popping up in salad beds or mint going mad and taking over a whole bed or garden. As competition leads to lower yields, if left unattended, weeds can take hold and stifle crops completely. This is particularly so in crops with sparse foliage such as onions, carrots and leeks who really cannot stand the competition, literally, from the start. Weeds also harbour pests and diseases, which will in turn spread to your crops, like flea beetle, carrot root fly and broad bean blackfly. Weeds cause a smothering effect and the lack of air circulation is the perfect breeding ground for fungal diseases, like mildew on onions.