Easier way to weed the garden?

[Mickey_Fx]

The thing with weeds is don't let them get ahead of you. You almost have to weed every other day. If your garden is already started and you don't want to use round-up try household vinegar it will kill most weeds and not harm the soil.

I have used a hoe a lot too. One type I use, and I can't think of what it is called, but it looks like a thin piece of metal bent in a "U type" shape and the bottom would be flat and sharp. You can push and pull it thru the soil to cut the weeds off a couple of inches below the ground. It is faster and easier than a regular hoe. Once the weeds are cut down you can use mulch or newspaper to lay in the rows. If you use the newspapers you may need to put a lthin layer of mulch on top to hold it down. .....

The item you are talking about, at least one brand, is called a "winged weeder" Can attest they do work a lot better than a convientional hoe. Have use them for yrs. They are more spendy than a hoe.

 

[koop]

I have had very good luck with landscaping fabric. I cuts down on most weed, stops erosion and warms the soil.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I would like to find an easier way to weed the garden.

I'm a little late to the discussion here, but my wife has convinced me to try something different this year in our garden. Last fall I made a "Chicken Tractor". It's a small chicken coop on wheels with no floor. I've made it narrow enough that it can fit in between garden rows if I plant the rows just a little far apart.

We'll put a few of my wife's chickens in it and move it every day. The theory is that the chickens weed, feed, and till the soil as they go. It's supposed to save on chicken feed too.

I don't know how well it will work, but it has to beat crawling around picking the weeds by hand.

 

[vrman]

We'll put a few of my wife's chickens in it and move it every day. The theory is that the chickens weed, feed, and till the soil as they go. It's supposed to save on chicken feed too.

Lol! What a great idea!! Let us know how it works!

 

[jeffinsgf]

... Me, I am going to rake up some grass and see where I get with that, and maybe get a few hay bales too. I like the idea of the black plastic though and will try that next year.

Raked grass is a bad idea. Caught grass is OK, but raking is going to bring up seeds. Also, if you buy, buy STRAW not HAY. Wheat straw will have significantly fewer seeds than hay.

 

[ToadHill]

Mulch made from several layers of newspaper. It holds water well, blocks out sun to keep weed seeds from germinating, and you can till it in at the end of the year. Most people are happy to have someone take it away and use it.

 

[Bentworker]

Get a scuffle hoe.

RogueHoe.com / Scuffle Hoe - Made in the USA!

 

[grnspot110]

Grass clippings can be good mulch, but know where they came from, herbicides can carry over & damage tender plants like tomatoes!

Lowell

 

[BTDT]

I'm a little late to the discussion here, but my wife has convinced me to try something different this year in our garden. Last fall I made a "Chicken Tractor". It's a small chicken coop on wheels with no floor. I've made it narrow enough that it can fit in between garden rows if I plant the rows just a little far apart.

We'll put a few of my wife's chickens in it and move it every day. The theory is that the chickens weed, feed, and till the soil as they go. It's supposed to save on chicken feed too.

I don't know how well it will work, but it has to beat crawling around picking the weeds by hand.

Just be sure you don't try to move/pull faster than your chickens can walk/run. Chickens are not very smart (mine weren't). I pulled the cage, they stood there. Couple got broke legs (they didn't know they were supposed to move).

 

[BigMccorm]

Last year I did get lazy and try to round-up my already growing garden. I covered my mellons and maters with a trash bag. Since Round-up is a contact type herbicide you can get away with this if you cover up your "good" plants while spraying. It may prove to be more work than just hoeing them out.

Last I checked Round-up is a systemic herbicide, not a contact herbicide. But I could be wrong.