Organic weed control.

[Duffster]

What are you guys doing to help control weeds in the garden.

I have some pesky grass growing that I can't seem to get a handle of and was wondering about spraying vinegar to kill it.

Any ideas?

 

[niemeyjt]

Roundup - not organic though!

Is the grass growing in with other things? If not, maybe the best organic control is to cover with cardboard or old carpet (although some would argue the chemicals in the latter are not organic either!).

There used to be an aluminium based selective weedkiller called "Weed Out" for killing grass amongst other plants (again not organic) - but I have not seen it for years - so I will be watching others' replies with interest!

J

 

[2manyrocks]

Google search suggested vinegar and hot water with some reservations that household vinegar is too diluted already.

I suppose you could use a propane burner like used to melt sidewalk ice.

I've got a fresh area of garden I started this year that I can't keep the grass out of myself.

 

[kenmac]

anyone ever tried this product? http://www.lowes.com/pd_5312-316-5312_?PL=1&productId=3034631&cm_mmc=search_gps-_-gps-_-gps-_-Garden%20Safe%2024%20Oz.%20Ready-to-Use%20Weed%20and%20Grass%20Killer. I also need to control some weeds/ grass in the garden

 

[niemeyjt]

anyone ever tried this product? Shop Garden Safe 24 Oz. Ready-to-Use Weed and Grass Killer at Lowes.com. I also need to control some weeds/ grass in the garden

Seeing results in 20 minutes suggests a paraquat-based product.

I used to use paraquat, but now I have animals and children I just do not use it.

J

 

[DocHeb]

I have some pesky grass growing that I can't seem to get a handle of ...

You really need to identify it better to get the best ideas for good control. When the adjective "pesky" is used, it suggests the grass is Nutsedge or Nutgrass. Very difficult to control by pulling, but frequently re-pulling eventually starves out the roots and "nuts" of this grass.

 

[bp fick]

I fight grasses the first year, when I till up an area that was soddy and never gardened before. The following year will find 90% less. I do not like to even use a garden plot the first year, quite honestly. I prefer a full year of cultivation and soil enhancement before use.

Of course, smothering through the use of matting materials, except for a small hole for the plant, works well. I just don't like matting because I like to hoe/cultivate for aeration which matting, it seems to me, prevents. I also do not know how to side dress, mid course, with matting.

Grasses come from root systems or from seed. The seed gets introduced how? The root system grasses are eventually destroyed by cultivation.

 

[The Haymaker]

Mist waste gasoline on the plants. Organic? Gas does come from the ground.

 

[bp fick]

Mist waste gasoline on the plants. Organic? Gas does come from the ground.

Not in that state. You might not want it's original state either. Ask the folks in Louisiana.

Anything that kills weeds won't do the friendly plants nearby any good. Weeds are matter of prevention, not cure, other than pulling and hoeing.

 

[bp fick]

Many, if not most, weeds are introduced to the garden through well intended steps toward organic reliance and not wanting to introduce deadly herbicides onto one's food. People rake their yards and put the rakings onto their garden plots. They rake the leaves in Fall into their gardens. They may even purchase manure in bulk from a neighboring farm.

All of these steps to introduce natural material for decomposition are filled with weeds and weed seed. How many people, thinking they are doing something good, dump a load of manure on their plots only to awake in late spring to a bumper crop of weeds? I know I've done it.

Proper composting eliminates the vast majority of weeds as hot temperatures in properly composted material "sterilizes" it. It also takes two years to properly make compost and most of us are too impatient.

 

[rmully]

I have used ammonia and salt. One cup of salt in a gal of ammonia mix well and spray on weeds then it is very hot and no chance of rain. Also the ammonia works for tent caterpillars.... just leave put the salt.

 

[mscheer772]

IMO there is no effective organic herbicide. If there was, Tru-Green would be selling the sheet out of it. Round-Up .pre-emergent weed killer, and hand pulling work best for me.

-Mike-

 

[Egon]

If it's organic one of these will work quite well.

:thumbsup:

 

[rekees4300]

Ditto that's what I use plus tiller ... don't like the idea of any kind of chemicals on the garden.

 

[jinman]

If it's organic one of these will work quite well.

:thumbsup:

Egon, I use one of those for a lot of "organic" weed control and I also like my 4-tine fork. My absolute favorite if I have enough room between rows for weed control is in the attachment. However, I find the best weed control is when my plants cover the ground. So many people say that using newspaper is good for weed control, but I don't do that because I flood water between rows. The absolute best weed control I've ever used was a thick bed of cedar mulch. It just requires that I get off my behind and run the cedar through my chipper/shredder.

 

[Duffster]

I am not sure of the variety of grass, this is a new garden that had been tilled last fall. No manure,mulch or compost added.

Here is a picture of the grass.

 

[bp fick]

I am not sure of the variety of grass, this is a new garden that had been tilled last fall. No manure,mulch or compost added.

Here is a picture of the grass.

Looks like a crab grass type. Good news is that it is fairly easy to pull up. Don't leave just lying there. Read somewhere that crabgrass has something like a 400 year seed life. How do "they" come up with this determination? These seeds were in your soil. They need soil temps of 70 degrees to sprout. Looks like the warm weather at the end of May was to their liking.

Actually, if you hand weed/hoe, they aren't nearly as likely to be back next year. Confirms my suspicion that it was a new plot. It is always rough the first year.

 

[Duffster]

Looks like a crab grass type. Good news is that it is fairly easy to pull up. Don't leave just lying there. Read somewhere that crabgrass has something like a 400 year seed life. How do "they" come up with this determination? These seeds were in your soil. They need soil temps of 70 degrees to sprout. Looks like the warm weather at the end of May was to their liking.

Actually, if you hand weed/hoe, they aren't nearly as likely to be back next year. Confirms my suspicion that it was a new plot. It is always rough the first year.

Thanks for the help. This grass has been showing up since early April so I am not sure if it goes along with the 70 degree soil temp though.

I guess I will just keep hoeing and tilling. Should have figured there wouldn't be an easy way to do it while keeping it organic.

 

[bp fick]

Thanks for the help. This grass has been showing up since early April so I am not sure if it goes along with the 70 degree soil temp though.

I guess I will just keep hoeing and tilling. Should have figured there wouldn't be an easy way to do it while keeping it organic.

Herbicides and gardening is a poor mix in the best of cases, even on a chemical farm. Yup, tilling and hoeing. Next year? Way better! Promise.

 

[Duffster]

Herbicides and gardening is a poor mix in the best of cases, even on a chemical farm. Yup, tilling and hoeing. Next year? Way better! Promise.

LOL Thanks.

My biggest problem is I went from a 25' x 25' garden last year to that and a 42' x 70' this year.