I looked and studied a lot of stirrup hoes, before getting this one. Looked at more than several brands in stores,before I decided on this one. #1., most were cheaply made, and #2., was the blades on others were somewhat blunt. This has a tempered, sharpened blade, and self sharpens when you use it. Again, being I choose to fight the seed bank in the top inch or so of soil, I don't want to go too deep. It does work much better when the soil is on the dryer side. If a little damp, you just disturb the top enough, the weeds will keep growing. Dryer, it seems to flip the roots up better.
For working around onions, and carrots,because planted so close, I made this weeder several years ago. You can get up right next to those tiny plants,push down, then pull away, without damaging them. This is made from a piece one one of several stainless steel rods I found along the road,probably 40 years ago. Being the pack rat I am, I stuck them up above in the shop on the ceiling joists, thinking I may find a use for them some day. A piece of that rod with a few bends, an old broken shovel handle with relief's cut in it, and a worm clamp, and I was in business. Leaving the rod round, 99% of the time, it will grab those tiny weeds, yet leave the dirt pretty much in place. Being round also keeps me from cutting the little plant off. A life saver, when baby carrots are first coming up. Another reason I want to experiment with carrot transplants..!!
About 8 years ago, reading about weed suppressants, I came across an article that contained an article about the "organic Preen." I believe it was the University of Iowa was trying to find a use for the glut of corn gluten that was piling up, after processing corn for various uses. They experimented with it for a low N fertilizer, to help get a new stand of grass to grow, in newly tilled soil. They had 2 different plots, sowed the grass seed, then applied the corn gluten, working it in the top 1" or so' along with the grass seed. Neither plot of grass emerged, within 14 days or so. Thinking it was a fluke of some sort, they tilled in a different area, and repeated the process, with the same results. This time, they looked closer, putting soil samples under a microscope. They found the grass seed had germinated, but had no roots, causing the grass to die. With that information, they experimented with using it as a weed suppressant in row crops. They found, they quite accidentally came across a grass/weed suppressant. They filed, and got a patent for it. That's why a 5lb. jug of Organic Preen, and/or Ortho brand weed preventer will cost you $3+ a lb., paying royalties to the University, for the rights to produce that product. If you look at the label on a jug of Organic Preen, it says 100% Corn Gluten.
Me being the tightwad I am, I went to the local feed mill, and had them run 400 lb. of corn gluten pellets through their hammer mill, into a meal, and applied it around plants like below. Corn Gluten pellets cost me $8.00 per 100#, and they charged me $5.00 to grind it. I had my own feed bags, so that saved me a few bucks. I followed the instructions for Preen, stirring the meal into the top 1-1/2" of soil. It's best to do this right before a decent rain, as it takes moisture to activate it, around 1/2" should do it. I was pleasantly surprised it worked very well. It especially works well to suppress Foxtail. There were only 2 weeds that came up in that test plot, and both escape me at the moment. But those two come up from rhizomes, not seeds, and are far, and few between. I just go through with the hoe, and take them out, not disturbing the surface that much, if I can help it. It suppresses weeds for 6-8 weeks, and can be re-applied again. I will definitely be getting more this year..!!
This needs to be applied after your vegetable plants establish a root base. If put on when you plant, it will let the seeds germinate, but they will have no roots, and die. So, I cultivate, and hoe for a couple weeks, then apply the gluten, and stir it in, just before a decent predicted rain. It has worked well for me for the 6 out of 8 years I've used it. Below are the directions of use from Preen, if anyone cares to experiment with it, personally, I used a bit more. **Note** It will not kill existing weeds, it needs to have existing weeds removed, starting with a clean slate.
Remove existing weeds by either pulling them by hand or pouring boiling water over them.
2. Scatter Preen Vegetable Garden Organic Weed Preventer, from the shaker bottle, applying it evenly across the surface of the soil, using 5 pounds per 250 square feet of garden space. Wait until your vegetable plants are 2 to 3 inches tall to apply the product. It can be applied at any time when plants are established. The manufacturer claims it is safe to use up to twice this recommended rate. Wear gloves and protective eye wear when you apply this product.
If you're fortunate to have a feed mill in the area, that still grinds feed for cattle, they should have the corn gluten pellets. If you don't have feed bags, they'll probably charge 75 cents, to a dollar apiece for those. It's sure worth it to me, to take a couple hours to apply it, saving me many hours of cultivating, and hoeing, so as to do something else. I've literally poured it on some corn plants, getting it down in the leaves, and on green bean plants to see if it would burn, or harm them. I've never seen any damage doing so. Another plus is, it has a low N content, so it's like a low N side dressing giving plants a little kick. A win-win in my book, especially suppressing the Foxtail, which I seem to have a very heavy infestation of.
This one will be I'm thinking 6 years old this summer, and shows little wear, and I've used it a lot..!! Realistically, if I take care of it, it should last me the rest of my life.
