How to get rid of onion weed
There is nothing worse for the keen gardener than an attack of noxious, onion weed, otherwise known as Allium triquetrum, Asphodelus fistulosus and Nothoscordum inodorum. It is a perennial species of weed that can take over both your lawns and flower or veggie beds and gardens. As more and more gardeners become conscious of organic and non-toxic ways to eradicate weeds, we’ve found a simple and spray-free solution.
What is it?
First things first, it’s important to know exactly what you’re dealing with. Onion weed is a relatively fast-growing perennial meaning it stores its nutrients within its bulbs to continuously generate growth. This can cause issues for the keen gardener when it comes to removing the weed from garden beds as yanking it out will cause the primary “parent” plant to release tiny little “baby” bulbs at its roots which will then mature leading to a multiplied problem
How do you get rid of it?
There are a couple of different ways to rid the weed from your garden.
For your lawn, keep your grass growing vigorously and keep it in top condition. Healthy grass will out grow and “cut off” onion weed so if you’re seeing it growing through your turf, it’s time to invest some time and TLC.
Eradicating onion weed from your garden bed is a slightly more involved process. You need to prevent the bulbs from storing food while also stopping them multiplying. In unused garden beds, the best method is cutting off the foliage at ground level using a lawn mower or tools to slash away the leaves then covering the area with dark coloured plastic for a few months. This will prevent sunlight and moisture getting to the plant without which it will eventually die off.
In a used garden bed, you’ll need to cut the foliage back as above then mulch your beds with a really decent layer (five to seven centimetres) of mulch to prevent sunlight and water form getting to the plant. You may have to repeat the above a couple of times to fully eradicate the growth.
How can you prevent it?
Onion weed is usually a sign that soil is undernourished and in need of a good compost. Adding organic matter (like manure) to your beds and keeping an eye on soil pH is the best way to prevent the weed growing in the first place.
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