Bobberman
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Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2010 10:31 pm
Location: Latrobe Pa.

A living mulch could be your answer to weeds!

What grows quick and crowds out weeds is even better than a loose mulch! A radish is a good example. Plant a bed of radish two weeks before youe main plant and thin the area where the main plant goes!! Even in the middle of the row the radish can be tramped on and will flatten out but stay alive and stopweeds! Later pull out the radish and use them for mulch between rows! You can buy radish by the pound cheap or let yours go to seed! Has anyone else tried this?

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gixxerific
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Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:42 pm
Location: Wentzville, MO (Just West oF St. Louis) Zone 5B

Ornamental grasses work well too. They give you more of a return in bulk.

I mainly use grass but I use anything organic. I get the clippings from my neighbors and that does me well.

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Runningtrails
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Posts: 184
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2010 10:52 am
Location: Barrie, Ontario,Canada

I have never tried the radishes bt it's a great idea!

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jal_ut
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Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
Location: Northern Utah Zone 5

Any plant growing alongside your chosen variety is in direct competition with your chosen variety for water and nutrients. Its a WEED!

Bobberman
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Posts: 2437
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2010 10:31 pm
Location: Latrobe Pa.

Some plants like the radish has shallow roots and will not hurt plants like tomatoes unless you let the radish get too big! Since the radish grows fast it will shade out other bad weeds! Let the radish grow for 2 weeks then scrap the top of the soli and the radish is gone but still good for a mulch by just leaving the scrapped radish inbetween the rows!



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