Best plan for a weed-free garden? Weed cloth and mulch?
aftermidnight1
17 years ago
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Kimmsr
17 years agoamateur_expert
17 years agoRelated Discussions
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Comments (7)New house, new yard...congratulations! I can remember my first spring in my house OMG!!! NOTHING had been done in the yard for 4 years except mow the middles!! NO flower beds NO garden HUGE pile of junk and trash what HAD been a traditional plowed garden, forsythia bushes 8' tall covering all the windows....WAAAAAAAAAHHHH!! Ok...sounds like the 12' x 8' jungle feels like a bit much to handle with everything else you have to organize with a new property. My suggestions: 1. Weed around the okra and mulch it to keep the weed population low. 2. Weed-eat or mow the remainder of the garden bed. Look at the bed and decide on a layout that is functional for your gardening style (wide rows versus single row planting, 2.5' paths vs 3' paths, etc) A 12' x 8' size bed will need walkways to reach the inner garden. I favor 3' wide beds with 3' wide paths which is narrower than the Square Foot Garden recommendations but suits my bum shoulder. 3. Choose 1/4th to 1/2 of the garden area and dub it the "fallow ground." Weedeat the area down to the ground. Open out your packing boxes (remove staples and tape) and cover this area with the cardboard. Water it down and secure the boxes in place with mulch, boards, bricks, or (my favorite choice) a nice load of composted horse manure. Next spring you can add this area back into the garden, when you don't feel so overwhelmed with the new house and yard. 4. Turn the remainder of the bed with a shovel and shake out the weeds. Add the weeds to your compost pile. If you don't have a compost pile yet, select a site that is convenient to your garden but not an eyesore (I stack mine under a row of pines that is a windbreak at the back of my property. Out of site but 8' from the garden). 5. Amend the weeded area of your garden and plant your fall veggies there. If you can wait a few weeks before planting, its convenient to turn it once a week for a few weeks before planting. 6. Once you've organized your bed, look at it every chance you get. Nab the weeds when small. 7. Take pictures. Later, you'll congratulate yourself on your restoration of the yard (but NOT if you don't have a "before" to compare with the "after." Before: After: Please keep us posted on your progress!...See MoreHow to weed a heavily-weeded garden?
Comments (20)nfmgirl, Wow, you ask a question and get many different solutions! You can see that there are many different ways to approach this. That's why we're always learning on this forum. Personally, I would do it the way ill-mannered ache suggested. Cut the weeds lower, put the cardboard on top, and then place as much organic material on top as you can scavenge (grass clippings, leaves, compost, coffee grounds, etc.). Then cover with mulch. You will be shocked at the weed control that will give you for a long period of time. Even after the cardboard dissolves. I find that pulling weeds out disturbs the soil and brings more weed seeds to the surface to germinate, so I try never to disturb the soil. It also displaces the soil structure and upsets the drainage (think earthworm tunnels, soil organism homes, etc). Soil is expensive and precious. The longer it has been there, the longer it has had to develop the wonderful organisms that help our plants grow. I would add stuff like organic material, but wouldn't take anything other than the weed tops out. The cardboard will kill the weeds beautifully, and fast, and for a long time. I have to add that you are so lucky to have this perfect spot for your veggie gardening! Looks like the sun exposure and the bones of the garden are perfect. I know you will have so much fun with this. Keep coming here, there are such wonderful veggie gardeners on this forum with amazing results. They are inspiring. Lastly, I agree with Florah. Wait a year or so before you cut any trees down. Maybe limb them up. After you live with them through the season changes, it will become clear if something needs to go. Shade is wonderful in summer and trees take years to grow. Sounds like the previous gardeners put a lot of love in this place. You are lucky. Anna...See MoreOrganic Weed Control Methods ~ Mulching
Comments (0)Organic Weed Control Methods ~ Mulching What is Mulch?" Mulch is a protective covering (such as of bark chips, compost, or grass clippings) overlaid on the ground. Mulch reduces the moisture loss from the soil by preventing evaporation from sunshine and desiccating winds. Mulch prevents erosion by eliminating or reducing the "splash-away" effect of torrential downpours. Mulch helps regulate soil temperature by shading it in the summer thus keeping it cooler and helps insulate it in the winter from chilling winds. This temperature regulating effect helps encourage the root growth of plants. Mulch helps to keep fruit clean (such as strawberries and tomatoes) by reducing muddy splash-ups during rainstorms. Mulch controls weed growth by smothering seedlings, prevents daylight which helps foster germination from reaching weed seeds, and prevents air-borne seeds from taking hold in the soil surface. Mulch helps prevent damage to trees and bushes by protecting their stems and surface roots from damage by mechanical garden tools such as weed whackers, edgers, and lawn mowers. Mulch helps prevent soil compaction by providing a cushion to walk upon. Walking on bare soil will compact it reducing its aeration and ability to drain. Mulch provides a more unified and tidy appearance to flower beds and borders. Mulch helps reduce yardwaste disposal and cash outlay. If you utilize your own yard wastes by chipping pruned branches and limbs, make your own compost, or use grass clippings and raked fallen leaves for mulch you won't have to bag and haul them to the curb for collection or pay for their disposal, you won't utilize land-fill space, and you'll keep your wallet in your pocket because the mulch you create is free. Mulch enriches the soil as it breaks down and releases nutrients back into the ground. Mulch, if not already decomposed, will encourage microbial organisms which are beneficial to healthy plants. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "What are some common mulches?" Chipped hardwood bark mulch: Is readily available for home-owners from township landfills. It is made from ground and/or chipped trees. It is often free or available at a low cost. The downside of chipped bark mulch from municipalities is that it may contain bark from diseased trees. Compost it for a year before using it in your garden. Before you apply the aged bark mulch topdress your garden soil with fertilizers high in nitrogen such as blood-meal, cottonseed-meal, manure, or guano. Softwood bark mulch: Made from pine, fir, or redwood, is available in many different sizes. It is long lasting and excellent for use in foundation plantings. Compost: Is an excellent mulch that you can make at home by composting various yardwastes such as leaves, grass clippings, plants and soft-wood bush prunings, coffee grounds, and non-animal kitchen wastes. Partially decomposed composted material is one of the most nutrient rich mulches you can use. As it breaks down it releases nutrients into the soil. Crushed Corncobs: Regionally available inexpensive mulch. It is generally available as a dyed or natural product. Corncob mulch is a cushioning mulch and is often used in playgrounds. Hay: Often used in rural and farm gardens because it is more likely to be available at the least expensive cost. The use of aged bales may reduce the weed content. Apply hay mulch after the ground has warmed to discourage mice and voles from tunneling under it. Spent Hops: Available from breweries. Can be a bit "whiffy" after application but the scent will dissipate after a few weeks. Buckwheat Hulls: Buckwheat hull mulch is fluffy and is excellent for use around perennials and annuals. Cocoa-bean Hulls: Cocoa-bean hull mulch is a rich brown color and smells like chocolate-heaven (yumyum!). Apply it in a thin layer as it can otherwise become slimy or moldy. If applied at greater than a three inch depth you may wish to occasionally rake it to stir the hulls about, thus reducing the dampness which fosters the mold. Peanut Hulls: Peanut hull mulch is available from garden centers near peanut growers and processors. As it breaks down it provides some nitrogen to the soil. Lawn Clippings: Grass clippings are best used after they've been allowed to dry. If applied while they're fresh they can compact and generate heat while decomposing. They can produce strong odors the first week or two of decomposition but the scent will subside after that. It is not recommended to use grass clippings from lawns that have been treated with pesticides, fungicides, or herbicides. Leafmold: This mulch is available from most municipal composting facilities or you can make your own. Autumn gathered leaves left to decompose over winter will provide you with leafmold ready for use the following spring. Fallen Leaves: The least expensive form of mulch available. It is readily available in Autumn near woody areas. Fallen leaves may be used as is, chopped with the lawn mower to reduce their size, or compost them during winter and use them as leafmold the following spring. Manure: Available as a bagged commercially composted product at garden centers, or available fresh from stables and farms. Fresh manure should be composted for at least six months to reduce nitrogen burn when applied around plants and to reduce the viability of weed seeds in the manure itself. Mushroom soil/compost: Is available at garden centers or sources near commercial mushroom growers. It is generally inexpensive. Peat Moss: A commonly used mulch, it is attractive when applied thickly. Look for course-grade peat moss when using it for a mulch. It can be cost prohibitive when used for mulching large areas. Peat moss will shed water when it's dry rather than absorbing it. You can help maintain it's moisture by watering this mulch regularly when you also water your lawn. Pine Needles: Are a light colored, fluffy, and pretty mulch. Leave them in place under pine trees rather than removing them. Rake them from your lawn grass and use them to mulch around acid-loving plants such as azaleas, blueberries, and rhododendrons. They are also excellent to use as a cushioning mulch for garden paths and will release their pine scent when walked upon. Sawdust: Available from timber mills or other wood processing businesses. As it decomposes it can cause nitrogen loss from the the soil so if used in garden beds apply nitrogen rich fertilizers regularly. Sawdust is an excellent mulch for garden paths. It is not recommended to use sawdust from chemically treated or painted wood. Straw: Can be used for winter protection as an overlay in muddy areas and will provide some traction on icy paths. It is also frequently used as a mulch in veggie gardens. Do not use straw mulch in frequently used areas as it is highly inflammable. Do not use it to mulch walkways as it can be easily ignited by a carelessly tossed smoldering cigarette butt. Wood Chips: Can be obtained from arborists, utility companies, municipal yard waste facilites, and garden centers. They are very long lasting and make a good overlayment for paths and walkways. To learn more about mulch and the wonderful effect of compost and micro-organisms in the soil please visit the "Soil, Compost, and Mulch Forum" and do read their fabulous FAQs. Taking care of your soil is vital to having a garden of healthy and vigorous plants....See MoreSlightly OT - how do you keep your garden weed free ?
Comments (42)Thank you Carol and summersrhythm, I agree with the "can't keep up with the weeds" because everyday I do a stroll I seem to have to pull little seedlings out around my plants and they just continue to grow and grow. We live next to wetlands as well and there are tons of native grasses and plants and those seeds end up blowing in with the wind. I would be so much more at ease with grass to smother out some of the weeds. Every year I have a huge job at the beginning of spring. I may want to try that cardboard or newspaper technique next year instead of digging it all up. Probably just use a string cutter than lay the cardboard over the top and mulch. The digging is so much work, and I have 4 kiddos as well, and it's hard to find the time to complete it every year. Well thank you all for your kindness and compliments! The passion is real here. I love browsing this forum for all of the pictures of other people's roses and hard work. They all are so beautiful!...See Morepablo_nh
17 years agodavid52 Zone 6
17 years agoaftermidnight1
17 years agopablo_nh
17 years agoKimmsr
17 years agoaftermidnight1
17 years agoplantcompost
17 years agogardenlen
17 years agocchanderson_gmail_com
13 years agogt211thmp_yahoo_com
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