How To Use Sugar To Reduce Weeds In Garden

[Julieanne]

Housnia ShamsOctober 4 2021

"Battling weeds is a war of attrition and we have to use every weapon in our arsenal."

That's Alexi Gilchrist's call to arms against every gardener's nightmare — weeds.
Mr Gilchrist is the restoration ecologist at Liverpool City Council in Sydney's south-west.
He was tasked with reducing the weed infestations at Wattle Grove Lake, an artificial water hole in the small suburb of Wattle Grove.
Controversy over the use of herbicides to kill weeds has grown around the world in recent years, with health and environmental concerns prompting a push for chemical-free alternatives.
Glyphosate — the active ingredient in the weed killer Roundup — has sparked lawsuits in Australia and the US over claims it causes cancer.


Read more: https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/how-...rden/100067762

[grulla]

Gosh, what about attracting many ants with all that sugar around one's abode Perhaps diatomaceous earth mixed with the (artificial) sugar might work, but from what I had previously read somewhere(?), diatomaceous earth needs to be kept dry for that purpose. https://housemethod.com/pest/sugar-ants/
https://www.positivepest.net/natural-ant-bait-recipes/

A few years ago, I recall sugar being used as fuel to build an environmentally friendly electrical battery, but as usual, one never hears about that anymore. I guess the big corps. squashed that idea. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_battery

[Islander]

The fact that sugar depletes nitrogen in the soil makes it unappealing for both flower and vegetable gardens. Vinegar works only briefly, on the top growth; even horticultural vinegar, which is toxic enough that you must wear gloves when spraying it, does no more than kill the top growth. The roots will still survive and the same old weeds will pop up again.
To be perfectly honest, after 60 years of gardening in four different states, I can assure you that physically removing weeds is the only sure way to be rid of them. A collinear hoe is helpful for new weeds since it enables you to easily disturb the top inch of soil along with the newly sprouted weeds, and it's no more strenuous than sweeping with a broom.
Grass finds a way from the lawn into my Stonehenge flower bed, and here's how I remove it successfully. Starting with the blades farthest from the lawn, I use my Trident tool to dig down and expose the root. I then follow that root in one direction to the end, and pull it. Then I begin with the next root and do the same. I continue to dig and expose roots until I have eliminated them by hand all the way back to the edge of the lawn. The next time it makes an attempt you can spot it quickly and stop it in its tracks. Sure, I destroy other weeds too, but grass is no longer a problem.

[Julieanne]

I think this is more about large spaces than small gardens. On my 3/4 acre block I have weeds everywhere, between fruit trees, round vegetable beds and between native plants. Next year I might try sugar in a small area. Timing seems to be important, as this experiment treated the area before weeds germinated. This can be tricky, as it depends on rainfall.