GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

simy1 · 14-09-2006, 04:54 PM posted to rec.gardens

wrote:
We have a large vegetable garden.

weeds eventually grow throughout the garden, and of course need to be
removed, which is a tedious job.

which kind of weeds? dandelion? that is airborne. some variety of grass
will be stopped by a mowing strip, since they propagate by rhizome. A
number of them in my site are probably footborne (oxalis, the
chickweeds). And by foot I mean both mine and those of the many animals
that use my garden (birds and racoons for example). Clover typically
comes in with manure. Of course, if you have weeds in the paths, you
will never win the battle. In half my garden, I have crushed limestone
paths which are 100% weed free. Finally, in my case all purslane gets
eaten by humans, spring dandelions also, and late dandelions by my
daughter's guinea pigs. And don't forget the chickens. If you can let
the chickens into the fallow garden for two weeks a year, they will
clean up the seeds, the bugs, the shoots, the grubs, the moles, the
voles, anything alive.

I don't know where the weeds come from, but they only grow in the
garden, and they grow fast.

If we built a greenhouse on half of the garden, will the weeds from
outside of the garden spread easily into the garden? would the weeding
job be easier? let's assume that once it is planted, the tools are only
used inside the greenhouse and there is little walking between the
greenhouse and the open areas.

in other words, will a screen protect the weeds from spreading? I
assume it is airborn somehow.

you are better off mulching. Even small plants like carrots can be
mulched with some care (use grass clippings so as not to damage the
plants). Wood chips really stop weeds but not all vegetables tolerate
them. You have different mulching strategies for different veggies. I
use cardboard (or newspapers), chips, leaves and grass clippings.

dave