“The main culprits that cause weeds to suddenly break dormancy and grow like crazy are soil disturbance, bare or underplanted soil, insufficient water, poor drainage, sudden changes in soil temperature, and over-fertilization,” Greer adds. In other words, weeds are everywhere, waiting to happen! And beyond being an eyesore to some, certain weeds can affect the overall health of your garden over time (though others are totally harmless and even beneficial). “Some weeds can influence long-term soil health by encouraging populations of certain bacteria or fungi to increase,” notes Greer. “Those fungi and bacteria can then alter the soil pH and nutrient availability, endangering even well-established perennials like shrubs and trees.” Fret not, though. There are ways to combat weeds at home if you’d rather keep your garden looking clean and clear (though the wild look can be lovely too). While the first instinct for those who don’t want to buy harsh conventional treatments may be to turn to apple cider vinegar, that’s far from your only option. Her book, Trash the Dress: Stories of Celebrating Divorce in your 20s, has been featured on International Business Times, The Sydney Morning Herald, Maclean’s, Glamour UK, Cosmo Middle East, The Globe and Mail and Dr. Oz’s YouBeauty.com. She also wrote the children’s book Princess Genevieve: The Hero with Girl Power. Joelle graduated from William Paterson University, where she was the music and environmental editor of The Beacon Weekly newspaper on campus. She lives in a NJ lake community with her husband, two children, and three dogs. Connect at www.joellesperanza.com and Instagram @thejoellesperanza.
