Weed nightmare!

[Marge]

Argh! I spent ages weeding the borders by hand, and then along came the rain and the creeping buttercup and ground elder are out in force again

I am loathe to use glyphosate and the like, but what I can use to zap those weeds into oblivion?

[Grey]

I can't remember where you are, Marge. My weeds are practically taking over the driveway, but it has rained so much that the use of vinegar would do nothing right now. It's raining as I type this!

I put down a stack of newspapers under my veggie garden mulch, so far I haven't had any weeds in there (crosses fingers lest it explode with weeds tomorrow). Mulch does help - usually mine is just leaves from the Fall.

Hope that helps. That garden mesh fabric might help too.

[opabinia51]

Hmmm, it is best when you do use newspapers (black and white only, no colour-colour inks contain dioxins, bad thing) or when you use mulch or mulch combined with newpapers (supposed to work best) it is very important to get as many of the weeds out before laying down the newspaper or mulch.

[Marge]

Is it too late to mulch now?

[Grey]

I don't think it's ever too late, depending upon what you use.

Good point about the color pages, Opa. I don't use the color pages (thankfully my local paper only uses color on the front page.... small towns!).

[opabinia51]

Nope, it's definately not to late. Though, it may be wise to use the newspapers first then just use some well rotted manure as a mulch now and in the fall you can add some mulched up leaves and more manure.

I actually top my sheet compost off with Rye seeds that grow up and smother most weeds over the fall and winter. Continued mowing adds carbon to the soil and keeps what nitrates are there, in the soil

A few years ago I planted clover and that worked well. Though, it's a little harder to turn under in the spring and can be a bit of a pain because the plants keep coming back and you have to keep turning them back in but, clover does help to add more nitrates to the soil. Worth the effort as far as I am concerned.

[Marge]

ta for the tip, though I'll probably use composted bark chips