How to control weeds

[kitabi]

I have planted two different beds for my vegies and I made sure that they were dug and tumbled well and deep so that these weeds would not be a problem in the future. But alas those things are there to be. I have been pulling them out from their roots often but they seem to just find their way back. How do I control them. I need to do something before they get out of hand.

[Kisal]

This article, although it's about growing herbs, gives good instructions for how to use solarization to rid soil of weeds and pests. (You can find even more information by typing the word solarization into the search box on the upper left of most pages. That will search the forum for past discussions of the subject.)

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/organic/2006/french_herbs.html

Weed seeds can lie dormant for quite awhile, and every time you turn the soil, you bring new ones to the surface, where conditions allow them to sprout.

[rainbowgardener]

If you want to get as many weed seeds out of your soil as possible before you plant, you can solarize it as Kisal suggests. You have to leave it like that with nothing planted, baking the seeds out for at least a couple weeks.

Once you have planted, lay down several inches of mulch (wood chips, leaves, pine straw, newspaper, grass clippings, whatever you have). It does a great job of suppressing the weeds, keeping moisture in, and eventually breaks down and adds organic matter to the soil.

[Gary350]

Before I plant my garden I till every day for a week. After I plant I use a hoe to keep the weeds out. About twice a week I go to the garden after breakfast for a few minutes to hoe weeds. Weeds are easy to cut down when they are small. If they are too close to my vegetables to hoe I pull them by hand. If you keep up with the weeds they are easy to keep under control.

[lilgardner]

I use a gardening fabric after I till up all the soil. I sometimes cover it with mulch to keep down the heat in the summer. but it helps to keep the ground moist longer and almost completely stops the weeds. after years of being at war with the weeds (and never winning) I finally got smart and used the landscaping fabric. it has been a dream come true for me.

[TZ -OH6]

laying down newspaper 3 sheets thick under mulch really helps too.

[gixxerific]

I have always used grass , lots and lots a grass. It's free and very plentiful plus as already said it breaks down to add nutrients.

Not a big fan of the "weed block fabric" (sorry lilgardener ). I put some down around my Willow trees, they have a somewhat raised bed around them that is 10x10 feet. There are quite a few weeds in there, nothing but grass in my garden and it is about 95%+ weed free the only weeds are hidden around the bases of some of the plants. Plus you can't leave the fabric down if tilling or working the soil.

[stella1751]

I'm with gixxerific. I mulch with lawn clippings, probably about 2" deep, and the only weed to make it through that is bind weed. By the time they emerge, though, they are pale and unhealthy, looking decidedly weakened by their zig-zag journey through the mulch. I pull 'em. They come back two weeks later. However, weeding takes about two minutes. Pluck, pluck, pluck; they're all gone.

My cousin and his son both give me their bagged lawn clippings. They are careful to wait three mowings after any chemicals have been applied. What I don't use for mulch, I compost. It's a nifty system! Right now I have six or seven bags full, delivered to me yesterday.

[gixxerific]

I'm with gixxerific. I mulch with lawn clippings, probably about 2" deep.

I prefer to put it on thicker about 3-4 inches which means about 5-6 or more when freshly mowed since grass breaks down quickly as well as matts down with rain. That is one reason grass works so well, it matts down and won't allow anything through. If it matts down too much it may need a stirring now and again to get better airflow but it's usually not a big deal in my garden.

Dono

[kitabi]

Thanks you guys so much for the tips. I do have the grass clipings form the friday mowing that would now be going in the beds soon.

I hope I get into control with the weeds.

[gixxerific]

Thanks you guys so much for the tips. I do have the grass clipings form the friday mowing that would now be going in the beds soon.

I hope I get into control with the weeds.

If you already have weeds. Stomp them down cut them out whatever. But put down some newspaper before you throw in the grass that would most definitely take care of the weeds. Put it on a few layers thick at least, steal your neighbors papers they never read, the ones they keep throwing at you even though you don't want them and have asked to stop receiving, repeatedly.

[Gary350]

laying down newspaper 3 sheets thick under mulch really helps too.

News papers are BAD. The ink contains LEAD. You do not want to eat LEAD.

[gixxerific]

laying down newspaper 3 sheets thick under mulch really helps too.

News papers are BAD. The ink contains LEAD. You do not want to eat LEAD.

Lead huh? Most if not all newspapers are printed with soy ink these days.

A quote from Ohio State University

"Threats of Toxicity in Newspaper Ink

There are three ways ink can have contact with the human body. There is dermal absorption (through the skin), inhalation of ink particles into the respiratory tract (breathing), or ingestion through the mouth and into the digestive system (eating).

There is little threat of dermal absorption of ink or its ingredients once the ink is dry because the ink has achieved its stable state. The ingredients that were potentially absorbable become dry and are no longer able to be absorbed. Lead, which can be absorbed through the skin, was banned as an ingredient in ink by the EPA in 1985 and is, therefore, no longer a threat. "

Here is another link

https://answers.google.com/answers/threadview/id/97405.html

Where is the lead, show me

Thank you

[Diane]

Lead huh? Most if not all newspapers are printed with soy ink these days.

A quote from Ohio State University

"Threats of Toxicity in Newspaper Ink

There are three ways ink can have contact with the human body. There is dermal absorption (through the skin), inhalation of ink particles into the respiratory tract (breathing), or ingestion through the mouth and into the digestive system (eating).

There is little threat of dermal absorption of ink or its ingredients once the ink is dry because the ink has achieved its stable state. The ingredients that were potentially absorbable become dry and are no longer able to be absorbed. Lead, which can be absorbed through the skin, was banned as an ingredient in ink by the EPA in 1985 and is, therefore, no longer a threat. "

Here is another link

https://answers.google.com/answers/threadview/id/97405.html

Where is the lead, show me

Thank you [/quote]

I'm glad they took it out. My brother was a paper boy and nearly lost his sight because of the lead.

[runfox]

Glad I found this thread, just what I was looking for. I'm putting down my winter garden. I put down clear plastic on my garden for a week to kill the weeds and bugs. Guess I could have left it down longer, but I want to get my seeds in the ground. I just tilled in a load of mulch with manure, so I'm ready to plant . I have newspaper, I think Ill try that with mulch on top.

[gumbo2176]

I just tilled in a load of mulch with manure, so I'm ready to plant . I have newspaper, I think Ill try that with mulch on top.

I hope the manure was well composted and not fresh.

I was at the local supermarket today and picked up about 30 nice sized cardboard boxes that I plan to lay down between my rows----when they dry out once again. We go tons of rain all day today in New Orleans and between my rows now has about 4 inches of water. Anyone up for a pirogue race??

[engineeredgarden]

I'm joining the discussion, because weeds are pretty much non-existent in my garden. However, this was not always the case, and the answer to my problem was professional grade landscaping fabric. Keep in mind though, I garden in raised beds - not the native earth as most of you do.

Still, weed seeds will be blown in by the wind, and even dropped by birds - but they are so few that they stick out like a sore thumb. On average, I guess about 3 to 4 weeds per week are gently plucked from the beds, of which combined, measure around 180 square feet.

What most people don't realize, is that weed seeds are always present in the native soil, and germinate when exposed by tilling. Even though solarization will help, it can only reach a certain depth. Mulching is key, and if I had a traditional garden, cardboard or newspaper would probably be my choice.

EG

[garden5]

I really like grass. If I did have access to hay, I'd use it, but grass is what's most plentiful, so that's what I use.

I've heard some say that the clippings make grass grow like crazy, but I've never found that to be the case.....perhaps they are tilling it in now and then .