Weedy/Grassy garden

[Nissan197]

It is time to get serious with my gardening and I finally should have some time in the spring to do it right. Usually I start out okay, but the garden quickly fills with unwanted grass and weeds. What is the recommended method for getting rid of all that unwanted grass? Is there something I should be using in the fall that will help me out come spring? When I went out there today I saw my strawberry plants, but they are covered with grass. I would like to have a weed/grass free garden next July. Thanks

 

[GGB]

I'm planning on burning the weeds that have cropped up in our garden this afternoon, if the wind will die down so it can be done safely.

Fortunately, I live in the country, and have a very small garden which is surrounded by our lawn and can water down the surrounding area to prevent any chance of the fire spreading. With my propane torch, it will only take about 3-5 minutes to be done, and then I'll till in and top dress with mulch.

My hope is by burning now that I will get rid of some of the weed seed before it has a chance to fall off this winter and then sprout next year when it gets wet.

GGB

 

[grnspot110]

Mulch! I use "aged" coarse sawdust, since it's free for the hauling. I hauled in this summer, what I'll use next year. What I use comes from an Amish pallet plant. Other things work well too, straw, weed free hay, some even use newspapers. Besides controlling weeds, it helps retain moisture.

As for any cover on the garden now, I would turn it under, helps the soil structure! ~~ grnspot110

 

[Molerj]

I use grass clippings. Put them on heavy. Leave a little space around each plant. Save your own clippings. Pick up the neighbors if they bag them. I used to get clippings from an uncle that lived in a small subdivision. 10-15 bags. I wait until plants mature a little. I run the tiller between the rows & then after a few weeks, put down the clippings. Sawdust will raise the ph.

 

[GGB]

Finally got a chance to burn off the garden this evening. We've been painting the barn, and that project took a little longer than expected, but really looks nice.

As expected, with the new torch I'd bought earlier this year, most of the weeds that had cropped up this fall were burned off in just a couple of minutes. Hopefully, it will cut down on the amount of weeding next summer.

The area for the garden had been pasture, then was torn up for the utilities to the barn and from the water well. There are a lot of weeds coming up from what I'd guess is dormant seed. Hopefully over the next few years it will get easier to maintain. We'll see....

Put a little cotton burr comost on after burning off, but ran out of time to get the rototiller out. May have to get more compost to top dress before then anyway.

GGB