Gardener_Wes
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Grass/Weeds

How do you get rid of grass/weeds in your garden without using non-organic products?

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GardeningCook
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Location: Upper Piedmont area of Virginia, Zone 7a

I just use good old-fashioned elbow grease - I.e. hand pulling &/or hoeing.

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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

It depends on what part of the garden -- what kind of plants -- size of weeds....

Very often paper and mulch for large swaths like new beds or prepping weedy beds where started seedlings will be planted, or under the fruit trees.

Long handled sharpened 5" Stirrup/action hoe for straight wide areas between plants and along edges, narrow 3" stirrup hoe between plants with enough space because long handled hoe is still too easy to accidentally chop down desirable plants.

Super sharp Japanese short handled triangle headed weeding hoe with sharp corners for dug in stubborn weeds -- but VERY EASY to accidentally decapitate desirables because the sharp edged corners are hidden while skimming just below soil surface -- and super sharp Japanese short handled sickle for cutting overgrown weeds and grass close to the ground. (I love this tool because overgrown grass or weeds without seedheads are valuable green mulch.) Sharpening stone or file kept in pocket at all times while using these.

Flat metal loop dog/horse grooming shedding rake for seedling weeds at close quarters and between plants because the loop makes it possible to ONLY aim for the weeds without harming the desirable plants.

Grab and pull or pluck with fingers.

Point of Hori-Hori knife for tight quarters between plants/seedlings and the serrated edge for digging up or sawing off thick taproots.

Gardener_Wes
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Squash is what I currently have growing. I've already seen a few heads pop up and almost pulled them thinking they were weeds. It's still early in their growth(first leafs if that) so I'm just trying to figure out what I can do to solve the weed issue. It's not as bad as it was before! I had to till the junk out of the ground with a hand tiller(can't afford a fancy one) and still have a few loose runners here and there that showed up. Also I'm starting to see grass trying to grow in my newly tilled bed.

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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

That would be "paper and mulch" I think... Unless you have a HUGE area....

Take a look here -- only the text copies over. Click on the link and you'll be able to see the photos.
Subject: 2014 Spiral Garden Garlic Onion Pea Corn Squash Cuke Beet
applestar wrote:
image.jpg
image.jpg
I managed to paper the grassy area for the watermelon and squash vines to crawl out to.
image.jpg
The stuff growing in this area between SFHX and HBR to the Bog Garden and fence to the right of the photo is intended to be used as mulching and compost greens material, so I let them grow long and cut them down as needed. I'm trying to grow some short growing native sedge in front of the bog where the squash is trying to grow, so I piled ONLY the cut sedge with seed heads and seedless grass in that area.
image.jpg
...a day later...
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Now, their growing area has essentially doubled. :-()
If you are dealing with a really big area, then I think "pro till" folks just keep tilling and hoe close between the plants.

Gardener_Wes
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What about a weed barrier? I know you can get commercial ones that work better but when I was in landscaping we used them on beds that just seem to get weeds even with good layer of mulch.

Gardener_Wes
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Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2014 8:50 pm

Image

Also this is the area, but it's pretty much tilled out except for the weeds that started to grow back.



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