Garden Weeds

[AB4D]

Earlier this year, I tilled up about a 1/4 acre in one of my fields for a garden. Since this was our first year with this garden we planted a little bit of eveything just to see how it would do. However, the weeds (the locals call it red root) and grass are trying to reclaim this area. I am now thinking about next year, what should I do in the fall to get rid of the weeds/grass for next year's planting season.

Jim

 

[1bush2hog]

Till between your rows, hoe between your plants, and hand pull the remaining weeds during garden season - some people use mulch, newspaper, or thick black plastic, around garden plants to keep moisture in and weeds out.

It is tough, if not impossible to entirely rid a garden of weeds.

 

[knute_m]

Jim,

Call or go into Southern States and find out when they will have "winter rye" available. Get a 50 pound bag as soon as it is available. In this area it sells out real fast, and neither Southern States nor the Farmers Coops keep any over the winter. (Make sure it is winter rye. The seeds should look like big brown rice grains, not like grass seed.)

You could also use buckwheat, but in recent years it has gotten pretty hard to find anywhere in the Valley.

Either grows pretty thick and will choke out the fall and early spring weeds. It will bring up nutrients from down deep in the soil, and it will greatly improve the "tilth" of your dirt.

Plant it in your garden plot sometime between mid-September to mid-October. In mid- to late-March, on a day when the soil is dry enough to work, till it under. Then about two weeks later, till it under again. Keep tilling the area every couple of weeks in April and early May in the areas that you haven't yet planted. That will help kill the weed seeds right after they germinate. It will get a lot of them, but you'll never get them all.

Then do exactly what 1bush2hog suggested. Together, it will help quite a bit.

If you use horse or cow manure, make sure it is very well composted, as it can really bring in a lot of weed seeds.

Once you get rid of the weeds, the place will be really attractive to the ground hogs and deer.

Knute

 

[HRS]

All ideas given sound good. Here is what I have learned from both my reading and participation on the subject. If the garden is already lost, spray now with Roundup. Give it a few weeks, lightly till, and spray the area again when weeds, grass appear. You could actually do this a couple of times. before late fall. Here you are trying to germinate as many of the seeds as possible and kill before they can reseed. Do the same thing next spring before you plant.

Now, if you really want to fall in love with your garden, set aside a couple hundred this winter and next spring invest in landscaing fabric. I used it for the first time this year. What a difference! Between holding back the weeds and holding in the moisture, my garden has never looked better. Two other things, investigate weeper hoses and raised beds. Find and read The Vegetable Gardener's Bible by Edward C. Smith this Winter. This resource will help greatly.

 

[rdln]

to go chemical free, and if have 3pt tiller set depth just so weeds unroot from the ground and let set on top of dirt to dry and die, do this b4 weeds go to seed.

a downfall to tilling between rows of top heavy plants, is th scenario I just had pass thru rain .25 inch tuesday .75 inch wednesday and 1inch with monsoon like winds thursday, sweetcorn is laying down right now because ground was too loose.

 

[Paddy]

I have the complete oposite aproch. I don't till or plow. I use 3-6' wide carpet strips up-side-down. It hold the moisture in and the weeds can't grow. Mine is 20x30'

I have also helped a friend set up his garden. He has several acers of flat yard. First year he tilled a huge weed infested garden. Lots of produce but was ugly and required much time. I reccomended he rethink his methods. Why have the soil between rows as tilled soil? Are you trying to grow weeds? This is what we did; Let the field go back to lawn. Plow a SINGLE 100' row and till it smooth. This should be 24" wide max. Run a fence down the middle of the row. Plant your Tomatoes, cucumbers, pole beans and what ever tall climbing plants you desire. Mulch that small space back to the edge of the lawn. Mow right up to the mulch! Want a bigger garden?, have as many of these rows as you want, just leave at least 7-8' between them for mowing. For beans, egg plants or small stuff, bradcast the 24" wide area. They will be tight enough to ckoke out the weeds. By gardening this way, you save a lot of tilling, let grass work for you. Also, no mud! You use less fertilizer/water.

I should note, this method should not be used if you are trying to get carrot/beat/bean in as you can.

 

[midlf]

Why not for carrot/beet/bean?

 

[Paddy]

My goof. I was attemping to state this method is not good if you are trying to get as much planted in a space as you can.

 

[PineRidge]

I have also helped a friend set up his garden. He has several acers of flat yard. First year he tilled a huge weed infested garden. Lots of produce but was ugly and required much time. I reccomended he rethink his methods. Why have the soil between rows as tilled soil? Are you trying to grow weeds? This is what we did; Let the field go back to lawn. Plow a SINGLE 100' row and till it smooth. This should be 24" wide max. Run a fence down the middle of the row. Plant your Tomatoes, cucumbers, pole beans and what ever tall climbing plants you desire. Mulch that small space back to the edge of the lawn. Mow right up to the mulch! Want a bigger garden?, have as many of these rows as you want, just leave at least 7-8' between them for mowing. For beans, egg plants or small stuff, bradcast the 24" wide area. They will be tight enough to ckoke out the weeds. By gardening this way, you save a lot of tilling, let grass work for you. Also, no mud! You use less fertilizer/water.

I should note, this method should not be used if you are trying to get carrot/beat/bean in as you can.

I would really like to see a picture of that approach. Any chance that you can post a picture of your friends garden when you get a chance?