Stopping weeds in the "garden" -- Preen?

[MMagis]

The idea that regular tilling of soil will greatly reduce weeds over time is a nice theory. It’s not true, but it sounds good. I’ve had my garden in the same spot for years, and after two weeks it can almost blend into my yard. There will always be weeds. With an area that large, how about applying a pre-emergent herbicide before planting?

 

[bp fick]

The idea that regular tilling of soil will greatly reduce weeds over time is a nice theory. It痴 not true, but it sounds good. I致e had my garden in the same spot for years, and after two weeks it can almost blend into my yard. There will always be weeds. With an area that large, how about applying a pre-emergent herbicide before planting?

Bulletin from Ohio State University (THE Ohio State University) states that good management and tilling practices are essential for weed control.
Weed Control Principles: Cultural And Mechanical(Nonchemical) Weed Control

 

[lakngulf]

Tilling/Plowing/Turning Soil Continuously does reduce weeds. Those little seeds are some persistent critters. They can lie dormant for years, then you turn the soil a bit, they get some light, water and warmth---and you've got weeds. Weed free---that may be a stretch bp.

For the last three years I have used the Preen product---not sure which one other than a roll I bought at Sam's. I did not know one had fertlizer in it. I have reused it now on it's third year. I would plant the garden, then lay the preen alongside the plants, sometimes cutting a slit so the preen could surround the plant. It does not eliminate weeds but it does help. Reduces the weeds i have to pull by hand to those in the row with the garden plants.

Next year I am looking at a better alternative, especially for tomatoes--mound the row, dig the holes where the maters will be planted (I plant them deep), lay the preen on top of the row, find the pre-dug holes, cut an x in the preen, plant the mater, adding fresh top soil as I will not have access to the soil underneath. I am hoping this will help with Early Blight as well, since the plants will not have ground contact.

What do you think?

 

[dmccarty]

I used black mesh weed blocker last year in the garden for weed control. I used it so that the rain would have a chance of watering the plants. This part worked.

Keeping out weeds? Kinda. Sorta.

The nut grass just poke up through the weed blocker as did a few other types of weeds. Maybe thicker black plastic would work better but I won't be using either wee blocker. The stuff is just a pain.

I put wood ashes on the garden during the winter. And I don't clean up the garden until near planting time so the weed blocker was in the way of the ashes. Trying to remove the weed blocker just rips it so it cannot be saved so it costs more money every year. I would rather buy mulch. Also the fabric pins they sell to hold down the weed block are expensive and rust.

But I have a solution for the expensive rusting fabric pins. I have a spool of HT wire. I cut it to maybe 12 inchs long and then bent the wire into big pins. These hold the fabric better. Don't rust. And last. The store bought pins are rusted while the pins I made are just fine.

So if you want to use weed blocker try to make your own pins if you have some HT wire handy.

Later,
Dan

 

[MMagis]

Your evidence for that statement is your own weed choked garden?
Good management practices are too often ignored while chemical solutions are always seemingly touted as quick solutions. If your garden is choked with weeds every year, continuing to do the same thing over and over will only bring the same results. But hey, do as you wish and good luck with that, as it appears to be working well for you. It's a mostly free country.

Bulletin from Ohio State University (THE Ohio State University) states that good management and tilling practices are essential for weed control.
Weed Control Principles: Cultural And Mechanical(Nonchemical) Weed Control

What the heck are you talking about? I thought I made it clear, but maybe not. I practice EXACTLY what you claimed would result in fewer weeds. Every single time the soil is disturbed, buried seeds are brought up and they germinate. This isn't my opinion based on my poor gardening practices. This is the way it is. I'm not sure if you just think you're an expert, or if you actually are. But, I can say for certain that your advice in this instance won't alwyas work. Sorry to burst your bubble, that wasn't my intention.

 

[bp fick]

What the heck are you talking about? I thought I made it clear, but maybe not. I practice EXACTLY what you claimed would result in fewer weeds. Every single time the soil is disturbed, buried seeds are brought up and they germinate. This isn't my opinion based on my poor gardening practices. This is the way it is. I'm not sure if you just think you're an expert, or if you actually are. But, I can say for certain that your advice in this instance won't alwyas work. Sorry to burst your bubble, that wasn't my intention.

MMagis - First, accept my apology for my terse reply. Sincerely. It was not called for. I am the least of any expert.

Second, yes, of course tilling brings weeds to the surface, where they sprout. That is exactly the point of pre-tilling for year, as mentioned earlier. Till, let weeds sprout, till, let weeds sprout. Monthly cycle. This would be a fallow year, not a productive year.

lakngulf -Will there ever be such a thing as weed free? Heavens no. Never wished to say that or leave that impression. It would even be unbiblical!!

But, good management practices can make a garden very, very clean. That OSU article suggests many practices to incorporate, not just tilling.

Again, MMages - please forgive. My comments were uncalled for.

 

[nmu98]

This 8 acres is surrounded by wood and alfalfa/clover. Keeping out the alfalfa and clover is hard enough. The grass seeds just blow in and I am sure birds bring them in also. This year was the first year it was so bad. I could not get close enough with the tiller to get the weeds. They were right in the rows. It was horrible and i would really like to find something that would work with this much acreage. A good pre-emergant would be great. I will have to read up on it as to when to put it down.

I spray round up and till all summer. This is not due to lack of cleaning!

 

[MMagis]

Again, MMages - please forgive. My comments were uncalled for.

No big deal at all.
I should have worded my reply better. Repeated tilling CAN cetainly help, and help a lot in some cases. I used the same practice to establish a clover field and it turned out nice over time. But with my garden, my goodness, nothing seems to help. I must have an endless supply of thistle seeds in there. I've tilled it probably 8-10 times per year for the last 5-7 years. They just keep on coming.

 

[Chuck52]

In past years, I've had really good luck by putting down several layers of newspaper around my tomato plants. The problem arises about what to use to hold the paper in place. What I did then was use dry grass clippings to cover the newspaper. That was really great, for that year. The weeds around the tomatoes were greatly reduced. However, the next year all the weed seeds I introduced with the grass clippings came up. The newspaper does work very well, if you've got something weed free to hold it down. Then at the end of the season you just till all that stuff in. This year I'm using shredded paper from the office around my tomatoes. It clings together like straw and does a pretty good job of keeping the weeds down and minimizing the mud splash on the plants. Plus it's a lot easier to add around the plants after they are already caged that the sheets of newspaper would have been.

My garden is only about 60x70 feet or so, and most of that is in raised beds made with concrete blocks. I'm lucky if I manage to just keep the weeds from going to seed. I also have lots of grass in the raised beds that apparently comes back from the roots. I think if I were retired and could spend a few hours every day weeding I'd get it cleaned up, and in about 5-6 years I may get to test that theory!

Chuck

 

[charlz]

The best I have used for mulch is leaves, the ones you vacuum up in the fall and have pretty much zero grass so little weed seed. This works good in my garlic where the plants are close together and the watering is done via 2' high sprayers. Everything stays heavy and locked together so the wind doesn't blow it away.

In the past when my garden has been totally out of control I have covered the plants with buckets, spray, cover next set of plants, spray etc.This works pretty good. Have to be very conscious that the bucket, wet with herbicide after the first spray doesn't touch the plants as you cover them. Obviously this only works with or when plants are still small.

Where my garden is used to be a weedy corral type area. Very high seed load, would take more than one year to till the weeds out. I have been tilling, burning, spraying and pulling for 5 years (not letting anything go to seed) and there is no apparent lack of weed seeds.

I have thought about trying solarization but not sure if that affects more than the top inch or so.