4 Best Practices for Weed Control in Your Landscape

What to Do About Weeds: 4 Smart Landscaping Strategies to Keep Them Under Control

Sorry to say it—but weeds are here to stay. However, with a few expert tips and the right design strategies, you can manage them efficiently without feeling overwhelmed by your garden. At EarthWorm Landscape Design Co., we’ve put together 4 best practices to help you enjoy your outdoor space without the constant battle against weeds.

1. Fill the Space

You’ve heard the saying: “Nature abhors a vacuum.” If you leave areas of bare soil, loose rock, or bark mulch uncovered, weeds will inevitably grow there.

Our prairie planting designs aim to space plants so they have room to grow and mature while still filling in the beds quickly enough to minimize weed opportunity. It’s not an exact science, but with yearly pruning and proper placement, we ensure that beauty outweighs the weeds.

2. Use Good Plant Competitors

Some plants are garden extroverts—they take up space and crowd out weeds with dense foliage and strong roots. In larger areas, bold and broad-leafed plants can act as natural ground cover.

Your EarthWorm designer can help create a balanced planting plan that uses weed-suppressing plants to fill gaps and reduce maintenance long-term.

3. Build Boundaries and Barriers

Nature is persistent, but smart boundaries can help. While concrete is effective, it’s not always the most beautiful.

Instead, we design with bark mulch, softscaping, and functional dividers to manage tricky transitions—like where the forest meets the backyard, or where dogs roam near garden beds. Custom solutions are always part of our process.

4. Be a Good Gardener

Even with great design, weeds will still show up—and your job is to outsmart them:

• Weeding: Don’t just pull off the tops! That’s just free pruning for your weeds. Use a durable digging tool (like those from Lee Valley Tools) to extract the entire root.

• Watering: Stick your digger 4–6 inches into the soil to see if moisture is reaching the plant root zone. Thirsty ornamentals can’t compete with drought-hardy weeds.

• Fertilizing: Feed your plants properly. Healthy plants are strong competitors and naturally suppress weeds by dominating their space.

At EarthWorm Landscape Design Co., we understand that weeds can be frustrating—but we also know that smart design and ongoing care can make a big difference. Book your perfect garden solution today!