Stopping weeds in the "garden" -- Preen?

[clemsonfor]

Good looking garden there clemson' Those beans look ready to pick. What are the ?white? gourd like items?

I certainly may try your hay idea this year.

Yep i was picking them at the time i was taking pics, that greenish thing to the left of center in the middle of the hay is a pile of beans i had picked and laid down. This was 2 nights ago, i picked a shirt tail full then and a half shirttail full last night.

To whoever mentions red clay in here in the piedmont of SC im growing in clay. I could not plant my garden for a few days because of the rain and if i walked in the garden my shoes would have had 3 inches of mud on the bottoms. I located 20 mins from lincolnton GA for those of your gorgians, which is about 1hr45 mins east of Athens.

 

[Chuck52]

Clemsonfor,

Do you have to deal with raccoons? I gave up on cantaloupe and corn because I wouldn't get any unless I sat up all night to keep the 'coons off. I trapped 30 'coons the last two years and didn't make a dent. My current garden spot will be 'coon proof, I hope, when I finish it. I'm putting up 2x4 welded wire and will run an electric wire at the top of that. I'll ground the fence and if the @#$%^ coons want in they will pay in pain!

They'll still get my peaches I guess. I didn't plan my orchard well enough to make it coon proof without more trouble than I'm willing to go to. Last year off four trees, we got to taste a couple of Belle of Georgias. All the Red Havens were ruined or just gone.

Chuck

 

[buckeyefarmer]

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

And they are always right!!! Go Bucks!!! :laughing:

Get the weeds early when they are barely breaking thru the soil, and you've licked the biggest part of the work. Wait a couple weeks, a lot more work. Wait a couple more weeks, the weeds have won.

 

[vsumoski]

Mark,
Sometimes, I am too passionate about this.

I don't believe you CAN be too passionate about this IMHO because 'this' is your health, and without health you have nothing.
My older brother used to 'hand me down' his Organic Gardening magazines back when J.I. Rodale was still publisher. I later purchased a book from them by Ruth Stout called "The no work garden book" which essentially advocated a six (6) inch mulch year round. The book may still be available, I'm not sure; I've had good results using it in my raised beds.
The trick with organic gardening IMO is that you don't try to fertilize the plants, but instead concentrate on FEEDING THE SOIL. If you use chemicals you upset the soil's natural balance, kill off good as well as bad organisms. Any 'minerals' you add are organic and natural by definition; compost is the best soil conditioner and food for your soil. Using cover crops, then turning them under as manure crops is very beneficial. Alfalfa roots go down twelve feet (12!) and bring minerals to the surface, fracture the ground, leave air passages and ready made tunnels for earth worms. Earth worm crap (casings) are what I believe is the major component of 'top soil.' Ruth's method has resulted in hundreds of worms and crumbly dark soil under the mulch. Great on a few 4'x12' raised beds, tough on 4 acres though.
Leaf mulch carries few seeds, use it to hold cardboard and newspapers down, keep adding to it and after a while it builds up and weeds are no problem, those that 'fly in' never establish strong roots and are easily kept under control i.e. perhaps 10 per bed per week which need to be pulled.
My plans are to use plastic mulch next year for my row crops with a cover crop between rows. I'm looking at a Rain Flow mulch layer attachment for my soon to be delivered CUT.
I'm passionate as well; besides finding Ruth's book, another advertisement in OG prompted me to subscribe to Jerome Belanger's Countryside and Small Stock Journal. I've done so since the 1960's. Originally without advertisements, it's still mostly written by the subscribers. There is always room to raise chickens (or rabbits if zoning disallows). As a card carrying Constitutional Party member, I love reading the insights of those souls who live beyond the sidewalks, forgo TV and strive for self sufficiency.
My above opinions are pretty much a result of all these years of reading, essentially the same way as reading TBN for the past year helped me to decide which tractor to purchase to replace my Deere 1020. If it's true that two heads are better than one, then scores of heads will surely help us make better decisions in life.

Vince

 

[bp fick]

Going to be a busy day, as I have to snag a dozen point of lay pullets and take them to a buyer, but just wanted to "tag" this thread with a quick word about corn gluten. This can be purchased either branded as Preen (yes, Preen can be purchased in a non-toxic variety) or just purchased at an elevator or feed store as corn gluten.

It works by introducing protein at such a high level that germination is prevented. Obviously, just like its chemical cousin, you cannot use such a product if you wish to germinate vegetables from seed, but once your germination is complete, go for it. Around set plant or plants already emerged you are good to go. The lag time is substantial. To be effective, the protein needs to be in the soil before weeds begin their attempt at world domination.

An added bonus is that corn gluten, when decomposed, adds a great level of Nitrogen, so think of it as slow release weed 'n feed.

Have great day everybody.

 

[Duffster]

Going to be a busy day, as I have to snag a dozen point of lay pullets and take them to a buyer, but just wanted to "tag" this thread with a quick word about corn gluten. This can be purchased either branded as Preen (yes, Preen can be purchased in a non-toxic variety) or just purchased at an elevator or feed store as corn gluten.

It works by introducing protein at such a high level that germination is prevented. Obviously, just like its chemical cousin, you cannot use such a product if you wish to germinate vegetables from seed, but once your germination is complete, go for it. Around set plant or plants already emerged you are good to go. The lag time is substantial. To be effective, the protein needs to be in the soil before weeds begin their attempt at world domination.

An added bonus is that corn gluten, when decomposed, adds a great level of Nitrogen, so think of it as slow release weed 'n feed.

Have great day everybody.

It's funny you mention this since I have been doing alot of reading on the subject. I am wondering if soybean meal would accomplish the same thing and it would be more readily available.

How does stuff like this fit in your organic program? The CGM and SBM available at the local mill is most likely not organic.

 

[bp fick]

It's funny you mention this since I have been doing alot of reading on the subject. I am wondering if soybean meal would accomplish the same thing and it would be more readily available.

How does stuff like this fit in your organic program? The CGM and SBM available at the local mill is most likely not organic.

I do not know. I have not used it, although I am aware of it's great potential. For most users, who aren't ever going to get "certified", it wouldn't matter much to them. If it works and is a clean, natural product, albeit not technically an approved organic to a licensing group, it just wouldn't matter. Given the choice, I know which Preen I would choose. BTW, I will look into gluten that is approved. Surely, it must exist.