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Flower Care

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About the most important element in flower care is weeding. People complain about weeding, but it can be very satisfying. I think that when people complain about weeding, they have let it get out of hand.

Let's face facts. Weeding is not optional. Weeds deprive the garden of nutrients and damage the flowers. Make it part of your gardening routine. I don't pick days to do gardening, like every second day or every Saturday. I let nature dictate the weeding. If it is a sunny day, I weed. If it rains for days, weeds will flourish and you may have to go out on a dreary sunless day because you should be weeding at least once a week.

If you are not constantly on top of the weeds, they will take hold and spread and drop seeds so that more weeds will grow. I have seen people attack their beds with a hoe, chopping out the weeds but this is too risky for your flowers. The hoe does not distinguish between a weed root and a flower root.

Hand weeding is the best way. It is also satisfying. Get comfortable. I have a kneeling mat and gloves…well, kind of gloves. I don't like gardening gloves because they make my fingers feel awkward. Also, they get all caked with soil and when they get wet, so do my fingers. I got a box of surgical gloves and put them on. You can reuse them a few times and dispose of them when they get ripped.

I do a rotation around my beds, starting in one area and weeding for 15 or 20 minutes. I would rather weed for 20 minutes a day every day than spend the entire afternoon playing catch up. If it has been particularly rainy, I might do a longer session or I might just walk around and see where the worst parts are.

Last year, I bought myself a tool that is my favorite. I call it my speedy weedy. I think that is its real name. It has little prong on the end which is about a couple of inches in diameter. You poke it into the weed, twist it, pull up the weed and hit the plunger on top and poof, out goes the weed. I drag a container around and pop the weeds into it. It's amazing with dandelions.

Flower care begins with soil care. Keep the weeds back and you have conquered one of the biggest problems in gardening. The good news is that once you start a weeding program, the weeds will diminish.