Roundup not killing the grass?
16 years ago
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Comments (31)
- 16 years ago
- 16 years ago
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lots of trees to plant this weekend
Comments (4)Well, they're in the ground (except for 2 figs, I'm still thinking about where I want them). I got my 11 yr. old son & his friend to dig the holes (& rewarded them w/ a milkshake!) & planted the apricots & pluots. I was nervous about my neighbors' reaction-this is on the north side of my house (I call it 'the dead zone'), but it has E & W sun, they have a peony bed about 5' away. When I started to plant things last summer, my neighbor said, 'I hope you don't plant anything that will shade out my peonies'-I was trying to place J. maples & felt like saying, 'My maples are nicer than your peonies', but I didn't, & tried not to block their light. Unfortunately, I have another neighbors' 6' privacy fence to my south side, which really limits what I can grow......See MoreHELP! Are my strawberry plants doomed??
Comments (12)I think you have plenty of time to get the bed ready if you are willing to do some work and also carefully monitor after planting. If I was in your situation I would turn the soil and sod over with a shovel. I'd dig deeply trying to make sure most of the sod ends up buried. One way to do this is to dig a trench the width of the bed and place the soil to the side, making the trench at least 18 inches deep. Then you can turn the soil next to the trench over into the trench, making sure the sod on top ends up upside down in the bottom of the trench, and the soil from the below the sod ends up on top. This will, in effect, move the trench about a foot or so farther into the garden. It has to be done shovelful by shovelful and requires some work, but if you slice off managable sized vertical slices of sod and soil it isn't backbreaking. You can use the shovel and your weight to cut a slice of sod and soil off the edge of the trench, then flip it into the trench. You keep going this way, turning the soil into the trench, burying the sod, and moving the trench along through the bed, leaving behind freshly turned soil. Finally, you can take the original soil removed from the trench and use it to fill the trench, which will have mirated ot the far end of the bed. This is also an opportunity to incorporate organic material into the soil, which impproves any soil. I would normally recommend that you add 6 inches of organic matter such as compost on top of the sod before you turn the bed over, but in this case, since strawberryes are hard to remove weeds from, your first priority should be to make sure that all the sod gets buried. The presence of the compost (or manure, or leaf mold, or peat moss, etc.) can make it a little harder to see the sod, but if you think you are up to it, the organic matter will really help. Once the bed is turned over and you have picked out any bits of green grass you see sticking through, place a mulch over the entire surface. I like organic mulches like leaves, grass clippings, etc., but many people use black plastic or landscape cloth. In any case, you want a thick mulch that will prevent any weeds or grass from growing through. wait a few weeks to allow the grass below to die, and plant your strawberries. Monitor very carefully all summer to make sure no grass is permitted go grow between the strawberries. I would not recommend using a rototiller for this. A rototiller will mix the grass with the soil, leaving a lot of the grass on the soil surface where it will try to regrow. Also, I don't like tillers in general because they don't get deep enough an often leave a hardened layer just below the tilled soils, caused by the tines hitting the soil below. If you have the ability, nothing can beat tilling with a shovel (although it is a lot slower)....See More3 weeds/grass that I can't kill??
Comments (8)Well this is the last of the pictures, so I decided to ask about this fast growing weed on the left and the broadleaf weed on the right. The fast growing weed reminds me of Johnson grass on the farm while growing up, but I don't know if they have that out here. Those pavers are 18x18in and it grew that large in just 2 weeks. The broadleaf weed on the right is simply a pain in the but, I can't seem to get rid of all of them in the yard. I did use dimension and it worked great for everything else, but this sucker keeps coming back. Weed b Gone max, seems to knock it back, but never kill them all. I should also mention that my property is surrounded by farmland and was farmland a few years ago. So I am not sure this isn't some old crop trying to come back up? Thanks in advance for any help on any of these weeds/grasses, I know that Round up type herbcide will kill them, but I am trying to minimize dead spots in the yard if I can....See Moreadding compost this fall to prep for spring...
Comments (10)For the most part I agree with previous comments. I would only say trees do have roots in the top few inches of soil,lots of them. ALL the plants we grow require air in root zone to survive and there isn't much deeper down. Not only will plastic and cardboard cut off light to soil,it prevents moisture getting to soil. Sufficating grass will sufficate tree roots as well. Depending on how long the cover is in place it might not to kill trees but will undeniably harm their overall health starting day one. Short of digging an olympic pool size hole and backfillihg with improved soil,composting has little effect on a tree over it's life,EXCEPT the first years. Because of shock from transplanting,it is wise to afford every advantage possible to new plantings. For future planting sites I suggest tilling an area aproximating drip line of mature tree in question. If such large area seems to conterdict what I said above regarding lack of benifit to mature trees,I'm allways concurned about compactation during construction. It also alows puting turf in so roots arn't desturbed latter. If one has the equipment,chisel plowing intire yard should be considered in cases where mixer trucks and/or other heavy equipment has packed soil, You should already have soil test results in hand. Incorperate admendments as deep as tiller will reach. Set up bed retainer for at least 25% size of tiiled area. Plant annuals in bed and desired lawn and/or ground cover in remainder. Bed should be mulched minium of 3 years following placment of tree. Any time after 3+ years,retainer can be pulled allowing turf or ground cover reaching trunk if desired. If one uses a lawn service,leaving retainers will minimize weedeater damage to trunk. See if your city offers compost. That allows getting it fresh and from a likly professionally supervised operation. Since your trees are in place,do the above EXCEPT the following difference. Till only outside area where roots have grown to (3' dia circle)....See More- 16 years ago
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