"Laura Corin" wrote


Ludicrous question, I know, but I keep trying different techniques and
I'm not sure what makes sense. If you are weeding between
shrubs/perennials:

- do you pull up weeds, fork them up or hoe them?

Pull up those that will, hoe between rows/plants on the allotment.

- if you hoe, how do you deal with a very loose, previously mulched
surface, where the hoe just pushes the weeds around, rather than cutting
them off?

It's that loose dry soil that stops more weeds germinating so it's what you
want. Sounds like your hoe is not sharp enough, it needs to be knife sharp.
The Wolf Garten Multitool Push Pull weeder is self sharpening and worth
every penny which is why Kew, the RHS etc all use them.

- do you spray deep-rooted perennials or try to dig them up again and
again?

Yes, no point in trying to dig up bindweed etc as the roots go down too deep
and one piece will start a new plant, you will just spread it around by
digging. Also weeds in places you can't get to easily, next to rabbit
fences, behind compost bins... are best sprayed rather than being left to
seed.

- do you compost your annual weeds? If so, how do you identify/separate
perennials for the bin?

Yes, of course. I just know what to and what not to compost, basically it's
just Bindweed on our allotment which we leave out to dry out or take home
for the bin.

- how meticulous are you in your weeding? Do you get up every last tiny
weed, and does doing that make a real difference to regrowth?

Main priority is to weed thoroughly plants that hate weeds round them, so
members of the onion family, the other priority is to stop any weeds from
seeding. I am not so obsessive about weeds but the boss is.

- do you mulch to reduce regrowth? If so, what do you use and how much
reduction do you get?

That is what the hoe does. Until it rains again.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK