Whether solarizing your soil will work or not depends on many things, the first being if you get enough sunlight consistently to raise the soils temperature high enough, long enough to kill those unwanted plants. Since you need to prep the soil first, till and wet it, it may be less work just to till up those bulbs and remove them by hand.
My experience with solarizing soils, here in west Michigan, is that we have too many cloudy days to get the soil hot enough, long enough, although last summer was much different than normal with 90 percent of possible sun shine. Some places will tell you that 4 to 6 weeks is needed, others that your need 6 to 8 weeks, and from North Carolina State University I found that they recommend not less than 12 weeks for people living in North Carolina.
I think that since you need to till that area anyway, mechanical harvesting of the bulbs is a better way to control those plants.

Since you need to prep the soil first, till and wet it, it may be less work just to till up those bulbs and remove them by hand.
As I said, I will not be tilling the area first and disturbing the 'clumps.' If I tilled, and then the solarization would not work, they would all be individual bulbs, and tiny bulblets. Instead of having 10 clumps of about 100 bulbs and bulblets each, I would then have 1000 individual ones. The only way of removing them right now, is digging the 'clumps' making sure to get some surrounding soil with them that there are none missed.

A member posted this about the star of beth bulbs at The bulbs forum.
It was so bad that last year I had the entire lawn taken out and replaced, but the landscaper simply managed to spread the bulbs around more.

Here is a pic of them in clumps, that have surfaced at the edge of a bed that has no edging.

{{gwi:274722}}
I would like to dig those out, and expand the bed a good bit but doubt if there will be time before the ones that are underground actually lose their foliage next month.

Here is a pic of an area I would like to get fairly well bulb free here in the next month. I staked it off and sprayed it last fall and started digging out the wild onions as they emerged both spring and fall here. Most all of my spring time gardening time is spent digging the bulbs and I have been I've been digging on this area since Feb.

{{gwi:10442}}

Here in S IN, there is lots of sun and hot days in July and Aug and even in Sept. I can remember often schools would be let out in Sept for 'heat' days' when some schools had no AC. I'll plan on 8 weeks minimum anyway.

Since I will not be disturbing the soil any, should I brown it out before watering and placing the clear plastic down?...or does anyone think it would make any difference in how the soil will heat up.

Thanks.

Sue

Even the source you posted about solarizing tells you to prep the soil first.

If I were just trying to kill off 'regular' weeds seeds in the soil, I would readily prep it. Like I said, once I till up even one clump of 100 bulbs, if the solarization does not work, the bulbs are then 100 individual bulbs, and a 'lot' more time and energy if they have to be dug out.

hi chermocurl,
i just ripped out a wheelbarrel full today myself.
i am drying them in the sun.
i hate those things.

lucky for me they are in a rock garden and can't get away.

maybe try the weed forum.
sorry i'm not much of a help.
good luck:)

i just ripped out a wheelbarrel full today myself.
It's a good feeling to get them dug out, isn't it? I did about 6 small wheelbarrow loads today. I'm lucky in that I can just dump them in the field, and spread them around a bit, as the field is green with them.

Thanks, I will check with Weeds. It is nice to know I am not alone in digging them out.

Sue

would a controlled burn work? I know I asked about a torch someplace, but for the life of me, I cant remember which thread that was in.

:)
D

Chemocurl,

Dealing with the star of bethlehem nightmare right now. Googled soil solarization star of bethlehem and found this post. Wondering if you tried the solarization and if so how it worked. If you have time I'd love to know.

Thank you!

Stone801

I can't imagine that you could bake them out. Where I live, it's over 100 every summer for 30-60 days straight and they multiply like mad. I've learned to 'like' them :-)

I have tried it with grass & it killed everything plus the top inch of soil, but one year later with the help of compost everything is growing fine. That was 3 years ago, I think??

PK it is the lack of water & heat that dose it. IMHO.

100F Summer is 60F one foot down & 55F 10 feet down,that is why solar house work so well.

2,4,d is supposed to work well.

Nil13, not if you want an organic solution, which is why I use this form of weed control.

Chemical solution is the easy way out, but you have to wait FIVE years to sale organic.

Most organic gardener would never use chemicals & are really big on mulch & compost, would never use 24d at all.