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Bonemarrow
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- Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2016 9:58 am
Ground cover plants instead in garden cloth to control weeds
Can anyone give me advice on using ground cover plants instead of garden cloth to control weeds?
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Taiji
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 921
- Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2012 3:19 am
- Location: Gardening in western U.P. of MI. 46+ N. lat. elev 1540. zone 3; state bird: mosquito
Around here people use rosemary (the trailing type), vinca minor, english ivy. I'm sure there are many more. In these parts these work very well because they tolerate poor soil, drought, and nothing wants to eat them!
If you're looking for a cover crop, a well known poster on this forum got me turned on to buckwheat, because it sprouts and grows fast, thus beating out the weeds. And, it has beautiful flowers that attract the bees! Can't wait to plant some more this year when it warms up!
If you're looking for a cover crop, a well known poster on this forum got me turned on to buckwheat, because it sprouts and grows fast, thus beating out the weeds. And, it has beautiful flowers that attract the bees! Can't wait to plant some more this year when it warms up!
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Bonemarrow
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- Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2016 9:58 am
Buckwheat is a cover crop that adds biomass. It is very quick growing and should be tilled in at flowering otherwise it becomes a weed. It does need water but it depends on your soil water holding capacity how much. The more organic matter in the soil, the better it hangs on to water the more sand, the more you will need to water.
Where are you trying to control the weeds?
In the heat of summer you can solarize the garden instead of trying to grow it with scarce water. Solarizing will kill soil pathogens and many weeds.
If you are trying to control weeds on a slope or somewhere that is permanent, groundcovers may not have to be mowed, but they may still need to be weeded.
If you select and maintain the right turf, a healthy grass will crowd out weeds. Set the mower higher in the summer and let it get taller to block the light from emerging weeds. For myself grass sucks up too much water and is high maintenance so I prefer to only have what is necessary.
Weeds like bare open ground. Covering it with anything helps but weeding is unavoidable.
Where are you trying to control the weeds?
In the heat of summer you can solarize the garden instead of trying to grow it with scarce water. Solarizing will kill soil pathogens and many weeds.
If you are trying to control weeds on a slope or somewhere that is permanent, groundcovers may not have to be mowed, but they may still need to be weeded.
If you select and maintain the right turf, a healthy grass will crowd out weeds. Set the mower higher in the summer and let it get taller to block the light from emerging weeds. For myself grass sucks up too much water and is high maintenance so I prefer to only have what is necessary.
Weeds like bare open ground. Covering it with anything helps but weeding is unavoidable.