Suzanne D. wrote:

"zxcvbob" wrote in message
...

If I was starting a new garden plot, I would spray one time with
Roundup (actually, probably a generic equivalent) in late spring when
the weeds and grass are growing good.


See, to me, putting poison on weeds is just a waste of good organic
matter! I prefer to either smother them, or if that's not possible, pull
them and put them back into the bed to rot. Either way it means more
nutrients for my garden. I used to loathe the thick stand of Timothy
grass we have invading our garden beds, but once I saw it as virtually
the only source of nitrogen in the later months of our dry, hot summer
climate, I just get excited when I see it growing well, because I get to
chop it down and put it on my vegetables!

People really need to understand that weeds are nature's way of
protecting the earth. When you expose a patch of earth bare (as with
tilling), weeds will sprout to cover it. You can't expect to have pure
bare land. Killing weeds solves a temporary problem but doesn't solve
it forever, unless you plan to keep putting poison on there year after
year. When the ground is bare, weeds will grow, no matter what you do.
So the key is to NOT let the ground remain uncovered. Mulches and cover
crops can help protect the earth so that weeds don't have to.
--S.


The weeds don't go to waste, they get covered with mulch and rot. :-)
You keep everything covered so the dormant weed seeds don't sprout.
(pulling the weeds would unnecessarily disturb the soil)

Bob