Okay. My gardens were ignored last year, and therefore are full of weeks. However, some real plants have actually survived. As a reward for continuing to live in one of my gardens, I don't want to dig them up. They've worked too hard for me to kill them now.
So how can I de-weed a weed-choked garden (and I do mean choked) while keeping a few plants? The weeds are a type of grass that spreads by runners. Virulent, nasty stuff.
I prefer to use organic methods, but right now I'm open to anything.
Posted by Steph at February 20, 2005 01:54 PMWeeks? Months even.
Oh ... heck.
Yes, it's choked full of weeks, months, and very nearly a year.
Posted by: Stephanie on February 21, 2005 12:42 AMOn these kinds of weeks, I would say NO CHEMICALS of any kind.
Think Zen.
Sit and pull and pull and pull. Tell yourself that you are actually doing your garden 2 good deeds. First you are taking out the things that are not needing to be there for you (pulling weeds). Second, remind yourself that while pulling, you are aereating the soil. This is good for the plants you want to remain there and good for future plants. OH! I just thought of a third one. You will get a sense of how healthy your soil is by getting a chance to see all the creepy crawlies that are living in there (as well as if there are any nasty grubs that also need to go).
Can you convince Connor to come help? Rachel will Rachel will sit for a bit and help pull. We have good discussions on why it's ok to kill some plants and not others and how we will not let the deaths of the weeks go to waste. We leave them on top or take them to the woods so they can decompose and add themselves back to the Earth.
Posted by: Diane on February 21, 2005 01:01 AMSome of those weeds that spread by runners get nasty pleasure out of reproducing via teensy tiny little bits of root that you leave behind when pulling them up. The more you try to dig them up, the more they proliferate. Believe me, this is bitter experience speaking here. I used to aspire to organic, but then I met these weeds....
Posted by: GailV on February 21, 2005 03:02 PMOooo, Oooo, Pick me! I know!
Weed wack them down then take a halo rake (ask at Home Depot or Lowes) to dig out the roots. Good luck!
Posted by: Concierge on February 22, 2005 03:33 PMGailV is RIGHT! The runner root weeds are as nasty as the tap root kind. You will not get rid of them 100% after the first BIG picking. There will be many many mini-picking sessions as the year goes on. However, you can win out over them. As for the tap root kind, salt them! If you try to dig them up and leave ANY of the root down in there, it will come back and often much stronger and deeper. Instead pour salt right in the center of the weed. Depending on the size, often about a tablespoon will do it. Within the week, you'll see the weed dry up and die out completely.
Ok, I got the answer for you....send me a one-way ticket down there and Mel and I will come for some good TX air and I'll pull your weeds!
Posted by: diane on February 22, 2005 08:48 PMNo, you can't win with those kind. We have them here in El Paso too, and they grow through the plastic ground cover and the xeriscaped rocks on top. I pull them up every year and they just come back. Weed killer works, but only the kind that kills everything, and only in the exact spots you use it. It's ok if you have xeriscaping and want nothing to grow, bad if you want anything to live.
Posted by: Alexandra on February 23, 2005 02:40 PMThe beauty is to enjoy the time in the garden and pick till you are satisfyed. mulch with organic mulch from your local resource center at least 3 inches. True, they will not all go away, but beacuse of the thick mulch, picking after a good rain is childs play.
enjoy your garden, it expresses so much about you.
Yes, I have to agree, the only way to safely beat the weeds is to take the time to pull them out one by one and watch for the new ones, then pull those too. I am fortunate because my husband loves to pull weeds, its soothing and zen-like for him. We hang out in the garden every spring together... he pulls the weeds, I dig and plant. We each do our favorite part and so far its been working great. I will definitely try that salt idea on any stubborn weeds...
I've lived in TX all my life, in San Antonio for about 17 years now. I'm used to the climate, but even I won't go outside in July/August. I get spring fever then disappear when the heat rolls in.
I just found this site today, I'm really enjoying it...
Posted by: Guinevere on February 25, 2005 10:04 AMIf you are talking of nut grass, then I can sympathise with you deeply...I used to think it was called nut grass because it drove you nuts by popping up with five new weeds for every three you picked, but its actually because of its root system, which goes DEEP. Can't tell you the number of times I spent hours rooting several inches down to pull out a particularly nasty wad of nut grass.
And even if you wanted ot do chemicalicide on nutgrass, you will have a hard time finding anything, besides Roundup, that will completely eradicate it. There isnt much out there specifically designed for nut grass, although last year I do think I remember seeing a product. Heaven help me now for not remembering it though.
I still need to get actual dirt into my garden before I plant. All we have is building sand in our backyard.