On May 2, 6:22 am, "Grave Yard Guy" wrote:
wrote in message

ups.com...

On Apr 16, 11:42 am, "Leeper" wrote:
In recent years though, the battle with weeds has taken all the fun out
of
it, and weeds just love the soil, and grow exceedingly fast and vigorous.
It has gotten so bad, that last year, I skipped planting it.
However, I miss the fresh produce off the vine, and the store bought
stuff
tastes like wet cardboard.
How do you guys deal with the weeds?
I'm concidering covering everything with plastic this year, in the hope
the
heat will kill many of the weed seeds.

Leeper,

I love my gardens. I HATE weeding. If there were no way around it, I would
eat the wet cardboard!

Sprays are one option. Didn't work for me. One year I killed all my
tomatoes, cukes, cantaloupes and something else.

Google the word MULCH. Then read your many, many options. Over the years,
I've tried straw, sawdust from a furniture manufacturer, leaves, grass
cuttings, newspaper (shredded and not shredded), cardboard and some others.

Due to some progressing physical problems I needed to begin simplifying
things, so 3 years ago I went to the black plastic, red for tomatoes. At the
end of the season, I roll it up and use it the next year.

As much as I prefer the organic approach and tilling the mulch into the soil
at the end of the season, the plastic mulch has enabled me to continue
gardening.

Also, it helps to chant in your garden..." I did not weed. I do not weed. I
will not weed."

Do you use the regular or the coated kind that reflects the sun? The
reflection is supposed to give the plants a boost as well as
disorienting insect pests.