weeds in garden

[billbill1]

I like to mulch around tomatoes, peppers, cantilope, watermellon, and zuccinni with grass clippings from the yard. This keeps weeds under control and the ones that do grow will pull out much easier. This really helps hold moisture around the plants. I've had mowers with grass catchers and currently use a lawn sweeper behind my 6' finish mower. (it's only 38" wide but still collects some of the clippings) In the fall I till it under and it composts by the next spring.

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I like to mulch around tomatoes, peppers, cantilope, watermellon, and zuccinni with grass clippings from the yard )</font>

I didn't use a grass catcher on my mower so I didn't have the grass clippings, but I did have neighbors who gave me big round bales of oat straw which was great for that purpose.

 

[TBAR]

I am really fighting this problem with my garden. I have plowed and plowed and plowed before during and after planting and stilll have LOTS of weeds. Last weekend I went out to the property to work in the field and it looked like flash rust on steel. There was 100% coverage in weeds!!!

Plowing between the rows is no problem. Its hoeing the rows that is a hugh pain!!! I am considering taking some round up, putting it on a sponge and spot applying it to the weeds in the rows.

My Field


Tbar

 

[rcrcomputing]

Okey dokey. I will buy a hula (stirrup) hoe for my hoe to use in the garden. I use a walk behind tiller between the rows. For years I have added peat to the soil in the garden. That makes weeding MUCH easier and of course eventually composts. Of course, now that I have a tractor, I am building piles of leaves (thank you, box blade), and top soil from the forests areas. I've added firtilizer and am hoping it'll compost for me.

I'm considering using roundup at the end of the season in hopes it will slow some weeds down.
I've a killer garden for growing things, but the weeds grow good to.

BTW, I've got 5' tomato plants already. I planted like a month early. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[thingy]

Yeah,,some spots in my garden cover up in weeds very quick,while other parts don't,,,,weed seed is the thing,[I think],if you can keep some weeds from going to seed,,it helps,,plus if you plant a cover crop of winter rye,in fall,,by first tilling and than planting,the rye,will grow fast and smother out most weeds,than till it under in spring,plus,,every thing you put on your garden with seeds may grow,,horse manure,grass clippings,chicken litter,etc,,,new gardens spots are hard to get to where most of the old weed seeds are history,,,,but I wouldn't use a herbacide,,not that it would do great harm if directions were followed,,just don't believe in using that stuff in my garden,,plus,,herbacide is not a perminate salution,,,I got to spray my gravel parking area two - three times a year,,it just keeps coming back,,and that ground is not near as good at growing weeds as a tilled garden. thing

 

[EastTexFrank]

It depends on what type of garden you are talking about. In the vegetable garden, I use an idea I got from Bird years ago. I plant my rows at least 6' apart, sometimes closer to 8', depending on what's growing, and I run the tractor and tiller between the rows. It's the easiest and fastest way of doing it that I've found. Trouble is, as you till the weeds you also till in the weed seeds so it is a never ending process. I use a hand hoe or a Mantis mini tiller between plants. If possible, never let the weeds run to seed. If you do, you are only storing up trouble for years to come. There's an old English country saying that, "If you let it run to seed, for 7 years will you weed" and I think it's true. I must admit, I do occasionally use a hand held, pump up sprayer and Round-up. Some weeds and grasses you can't kill by tilling, it takes chemicals. Mulch and soaker hoses also help restrict weeds.

When it comes to a big yard, I use pre-emergent in spring and I spray ... usually twice sometimes 3 times a year. I don't think anyone in their right mind is going to try to hand weed a 4 acre yard although I do hand pull some when I'm walking around. It makes me feel good. For the flower beds I use a pre-emergent/fertillizer combo in the spring and hand pick any stranglers that come up after that although I have been known to spray in there too, especially if there are vines involved.

I'm surrounded by pastures, one of which gets mowed maybe once a year, if at all, so there are no shortage of weed seeds blowing in my direction. I'm all for making weeding as fast, easy and painless as possible so any more good ideas that you guys have .... I'm listening.

 

[Bird]

I've never used one of those stirrup type hoes and all the regular old hoes I could find had too big a blade to suit me. So I bought one, put it in the vise, and with my little air saw (reciprocating saw), cut half the blade off, then went to the bench grinder and ground a new edge on it.

 

[Egon]

Bird;

We used to have one on the farm made from a three tined pitch fork with the middle tooth cut off. The blade was only about 3/8 inch wide.

Egon

 

[DocHeb]

My favorite is the Swan-Neck Hoe. I use it in the vertical position more than the horizontal position.

 

[Bird]

I've never seen one quite like that, Chris. It looks good. I had what I guess they call a "classic" garden hoe with a 4" x 6" blade, and after I made a 2" x 6" blade out of it, I liked it just fine.