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Weeding
Mar 19, 2023 1:39:23 GMT -5
Post by gardendmpls on Mar 19, 2023 1:39:23 GMT -5
that “Back to Eden” garden method that lots of the hippies in Oregon and California swear by, where you bring in tons and tons of cardboard For some reason I can't picture Adam and Eve using cardboard. Don't think it had been invented yet, as I don't think they had a need to ship anything.
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Post by Mumsey on Mar 22, 2023 16:35:38 GMT -5
I use wood chips on all perennial beds, needs replenishing every 2 years or so. I put it on very thick and it's free from our tree dump. Just a matter of hauling it home. The garden gets covered with leaves and straw. The paths have black plastic under them with straw on top. Pretty good weed control. I may be replacing some of the black plastic this year, it's been down about 5 years and is torn in spots. Sure enough, a weed will find that hole!
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Post by gianna on Mar 22, 2023 16:43:17 GMT -5
I am making progress however. Just a bit more in one bed, and the tomatoes are going in. But of course there are now 4 more days of rain expected, so that will wait. About 3 more inches of rain the past 3 days. Too wet and cool to do more weeding outside right now. If I am very quiet, I can hear them growing...
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Post by binnylou on Mar 23, 2023 3:18:18 GMT -5
gianna, actually, what you’re hearing might be them laughing at you.
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Post by Mumsey on Mar 23, 2023 6:36:46 GMT -5
Weeding is easiest when the ground is wet!!
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Post by emmsmommy on Mar 24, 2023 9:44:57 GMT -5
So I went out to peek at the newly transplanted fava beans and what did I see? Weeds. But not just any weeds. There's the dozen or so huge dandelions that I chose to let reside in the paths as I'll be harvesting the blooms soon, dead nettle has popped up in a couple of the yet-to-be-weeded beds and I'll also be harvesting it. There's a mat of some sort of clover growing in the main path near the end of the garden and I do want to research it before deciding whether or not to leave it. But the real surprise is a clump of heal-all (prunella vulgaris) growing in the path between the last two beds. This is the same plant I've had to really work to find a small amount of and even have two small cuttings potted up behind the house. Needless to say it will remain in the path this year.
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Post by gianna on Mar 26, 2023 12:53:59 GMT -5
I just spent a lovely hour and a half or so weeding in the back garden. Full sun but not hot, no wind, moist soil... As good as it gets. Got 1/2 of a bed, and 1/2 of the adjacent path weeded to 'good enough'. I have no current plans for what I'm going to plant in this bed, so I'm thinking maybe flowers. ??
Brewing a nice hot cup of tea right now (was that the timer?). I'm hoping to get back outside and finish that bed and maybe spread some semi-composted mulch.
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Weeding
Mar 30, 2023 18:52:04 GMT -5
Post by gianna on Mar 30, 2023 18:52:04 GMT -5
After 2 more days of rain (was that an ark I saw??), I got back outside to weed more even though things are still wet. I wish my crops would grow as well, lol. It's the ample good, clean water. In the front, I flipped the black woven 'landscape cloth' from off of one bed and onto the adjacent weedy path. The fabric cover has been in place for a couple months and the soil beneath is clean and soft with the original weeds broken down. This bed is where the main peppers will go. It gets afternoon shade. If the peppers were large enough, they could go in now. But they are not. In the back I piled more pulled/cut weed bodies over one longer bed (25 ft) and covered it with 6 ft wide heavy blk plastic. That will stay there for at least a month for things to decompose. I have one more long bed I want to weed and cover for later use in the back. And much more, like the front flower garden area. Where's a drought when you need one.... edit: I got another hour in. Still sunny with a slight breeze. Very nice. I started in an area in the back, digging out from the weeds a pathway adjacent to a long bed. The goal was to clear an area on the bed where I'll be able to stack weeds for covering. Preliminary work to gain a foothold for the project. This is one of the areas where a downspout was directed and the soil is very hydrated. Looks like a nice few dry days ahead for more work.
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Weeding
Mar 31, 2023 6:03:51 GMT -5
Post by Mumsey on Mar 31, 2023 6:03:51 GMT -5
The only "weeds" bugging me right now is the grass with long runners that creeps under the fence from the neighbors. Have to dig all along there, this time I'm laying down black plastic about a foot out from the fence. It will still creep in, but will take longer. Really need to put a vertical barrier of some kind in. Still thinking on it.
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Post by desertwoman on Mar 31, 2023 9:12:21 GMT -5
Mumsey, (not that you asked ) I'm thinking to put in the barrier and skip the black plastic. Like you said, it will still creep in with the plastic and then you will have even more to dig out.
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Weeding
Mar 31, 2023 9:28:13 GMT -5
Post by lilolpeapicker on Mar 31, 2023 9:28:13 GMT -5
What about cardboard or newspaper? and then the black plastic over that? Or hay? It can be unsightly without covering it.
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Post by Mumsey on Mar 31, 2023 11:43:32 GMT -5
I think a sheet of rigid poly something or other....... bury it about 8" deep all along the edge. Lawn edging only goes about 4".
Maybe some vinyl flooring cut to 8".
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Post by Mumsey on Apr 2, 2023 17:48:33 GMT -5
Well, scratch those ideas. They will leach chemicals into the soil. Guess I'll dig down and try to put the black plastic vertically along the fence line, not that it's much safer. There was a section with black plastic on top of the ground, removed it today. There are numerous grass runners under there and they went 12" to find daylight, farther out into the garden. Raked everything away from the fence line to let it dry out a bit, then tomorrow I'll tackle the beast.
If I really wanted a big job I could build concrete frames and pour an 8" deep concrete wall..... We do have some concrete pavers, but the grass would find it's way in between them.
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Weeding
May 6, 2023 12:11:00 GMT -5
Post by gianna on May 6, 2023 12:11:00 GMT -5
Back to weeding in the back garden. Filled 3 trash cans this morning and the main bin is about full. It will be emptied Tuesday. I could compost it all, but I just don't want to deal with it all. The rains really enhanced the growth, and there is still so much. Some of the areas I did a month or so ago have grown back.
I'm having to take down 2 bunny fences so I can better weed, as well as easier to use the wheelbarrow for spreading mulch. One bed I'm thinking will be for peppers. And the adjacent bed, miscellaneous stuff.
The week ahead looks great for more weeding. Sunny but not hot, and no rain. The ground right now is perfect.
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Weeding
May 6, 2023 21:30:41 GMT -5
Post by gardendmpls on May 6, 2023 21:30:41 GMT -5
I find that a thick mulch laid down after weeding (I use spoiled hay) keeps down the weeds. Most weed seeds need light to germinate and it is easy to pull the few that come up after mulching. It's that first weeding that is a pain. Still, it's a joy to see my chickens exulting over the buckets of weeds, tossing them around, gulping them down and turning them into their own form of compost that can be shoveled up and applied to the beds.
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