Roundup is darned expensive! I want to kill off a bunch of bermuda
grass to make room for a garden this year, and I understand this is
the only way to kill the stuff.

Is there something else that will kill the grass cheaper, but not
pollute the soil so I can grow vegetables a few weeks (or months
perhaps) later?

by the way, I'm planning to spray the grass to kill it...then cover it
with black plastic. Wait a few weeks for it to get warm enough not
to kill my tomatos then plant them (transplants from local nursery
stock of 5" or so plants) by cutting X's in the plastic about 6" and
planting the tomatos, then mulching right next to the plant.

Do I pose any problems to my plants by doing the above method? Does
the black plastic pose any risk of getting too hot for my plants?

Thanks!

wrote:
Roundup is darned expensive! I want to kill off a bunch of bermuda
grass to make room for a garden this year, and I understand this is
the only way to kill the stuff.

Is there something else that will kill the grass cheaper, but not
pollute the soil so I can grow vegetables a few weeks (or months
perhaps) later?

by the way, I'm planning to spray the grass to kill it...then cover it
with black plastic. Wait a few weeks for it to get warm enough not
to kill my tomatos then plant them (transplants from local nursery
stock of 5" or so plants) by cutting X's in the plastic about 6" and
planting the tomatos, then mulching right next to the plant.

Do I pose any problems to my plants by doing the above method? Does
the black plastic pose any risk of getting too hot for my plants?

Thanks!



A $40 bottle of Roundup will last for years (decades.) It's not that
expensive unless you are *way* overusing it. I just started on my
second quart 2 years ago. I bought the first quart in the 1980's.

Don't cover the grass until it is dead -- or at least sick and yellow
from the Roundup.

If the ground is too cold for the tomatoes, the grass is probably not
actively growing yet and the Roundup will be less affective.

Can you get straw or pine needles to cover the whole garden? Then till
under the old mulch after the earthworms, fungi, and bacteria have had a
season to work on it. Leaves, straw, and horse manure would be perfect.
If you use plastic now, it will get in the way when you try to till it.

I've seen good reports about using red plastic mulch under tomatoes.

Bob

Any brand which has an active ingredient; glyphosphate, can be used.
There is a brand at Walmart (if you'll shop there) which is a
concentrate and half the price of the brand name.

You can also use use the clear plastic (black plastic is not as
effective) and dig it out. How large is this area?

On 15 Mar 2007 11:08:14 -0700, "
wrote:

Roundup is darned expensive! I want to kill off a bunch of bermuda
grass to make room for a garden this year, and I understand this is
the only way to kill the stuff.

Is there something else that will kill the grass cheaper, but not
pollute the soil so I can grow vegetables a few weeks (or months
perhaps) later?

by the way, I'm planning to spray the grass to kill it...then cover it
with black plastic. Wait a few weeks for it to get warm enough not
to kill my tomatos then plant them (transplants from local nursery
stock of 5" or so plants) by cutting X's in the plastic about 6" and
planting the tomatos, then mulching right next to the plant.

Do I pose any problems to my plants by doing the above method? Does
the black plastic pose any risk of getting too hot for my plants?

Thanks!

Jangchub wrote:

Any brand which has an active ingredient; glyphosphate, can be used.
There is a brand at Walmart (if you'll shop there) which is a
concentrate and half the price of the brand name.


Now I am confused...this from the same fingers that used to berate
anything to do with man made chemicals in gardening? What's next?, cats
playing with dogs?.. The extreme far right campaigning for Hillary?

Lar

wrote:


by the way, I'm planning to spray the grass to kill it...then cover it
with black plastic. Wait a few weeks for it to get warm enough not
to kill my tomatos then plant them (transplants from local nursery
stock of 5" or so plants) by cutting X's in the plastic about 6" and
planting the tomatos, then mulching right next to the plant.

Do I pose any problems to my plants by doing the above method? Does
the black plastic pose any risk of getting too hot for my plants?

Thanks!


if you only cut an X in the plastic for the plants, not much water is
going to get to the root zone

Lar

"Lar" wrote in message
. ..
wrote:


by the way, I'm planning to spray the grass to kill it...then cover it
with black plastic. Wait a few weeks for it to get warm enough not
to kill my tomatos then plant them (transplants from local nursery
stock of 5" or so plants) by cutting X's in the plastic about 6" and
planting the tomatos, then mulching right next to the plant.

Do I pose any problems to my plants by doing the above method? Does
the black plastic pose any risk of getting too hot for my plants?

Thanks!


if you only cut an X in the plastic for the plants, not much water is
going to get to the root zone

Lar


SLAP! Stop with the logical ideas right this minute, or go to your room.

Depends on the size of your property, I just sprayed over 20 gallons,
mixed from concentrate, just to go around the house, around the
driveway and down the the front and back property line. I live on ten
acres though.

--Ben



On Thu, 15 Mar 2007 13:35:00 -0500, zxcvbob
wrote:


A $40 bottle of Roundup will last for years (decades.) It's not that
expensive unless you are *way* overusing it. I just started on my
second quart 2 years ago. I bought the first quart in the 1980's.

Don't cover the grass until it is dead -- or at least sick and yellow
from the Roundup.

If the ground is too cold for the tomatoes, the grass is probably not
actively growing yet and the Roundup will be less affective.

Can you get straw or pine needles to cover the whole garden? Then till
under the old mulch after the earthworms, fungi, and bacteria have had a
season to work on it. Leaves, straw, and horse manure would be perfect.
If you use plastic now, it will get in the way when you try to till it.

I've seen good reports about using red plastic mulch under tomatoes.

Bob

"zxcvbob" wrote in message
...


A $40 bottle of Roundup will last for years (decades.) It's not that
expensive unless you are *way* overusing it. I just started on my second
quart 2 years ago. I bought the first quart in the 1980's.




Well now- that would depend 100% on the size of the property, wouldn't it?
You simply cannot generalize like that.



--
Toni
South Florida USA
USDA Zone 10
http://www.cearbhaill.com

Lar expounded:

Jangchub wrote:

Any brand which has an active ingredient; glyphosphate, can be used.
There is a brand at Walmart (if you'll shop there) which is a
concentrate and half the price of the brand name.


Now I am confused...this from the same fingers that used to berate
anything to do with man made chemicals in gardening? What's next?, cats
playing with dogs?.. The extreme far right campaigning for Hillary?

Lar

Facts are facts. If someone asks about a chemical they'll get an
answer. You'll notice she suggested clear plastic (which you snipped
so you could snip at her). That's the route I'd go, too.
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

On Thu, 15 Mar 2007 17:53:12 -0500, Lar wrote:

Jangchub wrote:

Any brand which has an active ingredient; glyphosphate, can be used.
There is a brand at Walmart (if you'll shop there) which is a
concentrate and half the price of the brand name.


Now I am confused...this from the same fingers that used to berate
anything to do with man made chemicals in gardening? What's next?, cats
playing with dogs?.. The extreme far right campaigning for Hillary?

Lar

I'm providing accurate information, not condoning or encouraging
anything. They guy will use it anyway, so since he will use it, why
not give information?

I haven't been staunch for years, Lar. I've grown. When facing
death, nothing is important enough to be fundamentalist about.

Ann wrote:
Lar expounded:


Jangchub wrote:


Any brand which has an active ingredient; glyphosphate, can be used.
There is a brand at Walmart (if you'll shop there) which is a
concentrate and half the price of the brand name.


Now I am confused...this from the same fingers that used to berate
anything to do with man made chemicals in gardening? What's next?, cats
playing with dogs?.. The extreme far right campaigning for Hillary?

Lar


Facts are facts. If someone asks about a chemical they'll get an
answer. You'll notice she suggested clear plastic (which you snipped
so you could snip at her). That's the route I'd go, too.

The reason part was snipped is because it had nothing to do with my
post, I should of stuck a OT in there. Snip at her?, if so it was with
good behavior in mind, insert where needed. Next thing we know
Wylie from Australia will be back typing again promoting his new way of
life doing volunteer work at a monastery.

As far as the plastic. Clear, though warmer will still promote growth of
the grass runners in the Spring with the sunlight getting in. Black
plastic still gets hot enough to do the job along with not allowing
sunlight to promote the plant growth.

Lar

Ok, so if cutting an X isn't going to get enough water to my plants
then what else can I do?

So, which is better Black or Clear plastic? Is either one more
likely to burn my plants as well as the weeds?

Do I need to set up a special hose system to water just the roots of
my tomatos? I think I've seen some 1/4" and 3/8" black plastic lines
at walmart that folks use to water houseplants, has anyone used these
for vegetable gardens? Would it have enough flow? It seems like a
pretty neat option, as I could just mount a little mister head to the
bottom rung on each of my round tomato cages.

Sorry so many questions, but I'm really clueless about how to grow
vegetables on soil that is covered with bermuda grass right now.

On 16 Mar 2007 10:55:51 -0700, "
wrote:

Ok, so if cutting an X isn't going to get enough water to my plants
then what else can I do?

Use the hose and stick it into the hole.

So, which is better Black or Clear plastic? Is either one more
likely to burn my plants as well as the weeds?

Clear plastic in many test trials proved more effective in
solarization, including the riddance of weeds. You can use black, but
I use clear. I would recommend you get on your knees and really dig
large holes, loosening the soil about 36" for each tomato plant.
Amend that soil using compost and good organic fertilizer. When you
are there, carefully pull every single piece of the bermuda out by
hand. Three holes that large will take several hours or so. Then lay
the plastic over everything and cut away the part where the plants are
going to grow. Put in your stakes or cages or whatever you will hold
the plants up with and it should be perfectly fine. The catalog
Gardens Alive, (I beleive) sells red colored plastic which is supposed
to help tomatoes. I never tried it, so have no experience.

Do I need to set up a special hose system to water just the roots of
my tomatos? I think I've seen some 1/4" and 3/8" black plastic lines
at walmart that folks use to water houseplants, has anyone used these
for vegetable gardens? Would it have enough flow? It seems like a
pretty neat option, as I could just mount a little mister head to the
bottom rung on each of my round tomato cages.

Sure, you can do any number of ways to water. Drip hoses, soaker
lines, etc. Choose what is right for you.

Sorry so many questions, but I'm really clueless about how to grow
vegetables on soil that is covered with bermuda grass right now.

No worries. There are a lot of people in this newsgroup who've been
here for a dozen years, myself included. We all have to start
somewhere. If you have more questions, just ask away. You may get
several ansers and you can choose the one which makes the most sense
to you. I prefer organic gardening, others prefer conventional
gardening.

There are a million websites to also help you with suggestions.

Victoria

wrote:
Ok, so if cutting an X isn't going to get enough water to my plants
then what else can I do?

So, which is better Black or Clear plastic? Is either one more
likely to burn my plants as well as the weeds?


Plastic as a mulch in general is not always a good option, not only
keeps rain out but will not let the ground breath either. It can also
can create an environment for the more harmful fungi/molds to exist.
Maybe a quality landscape fabric instead, allows water in, keeps weeds
out, though there is more of a cost than the plastic.

Do I need to set up a special hose system to water just the roots of
my tomatos? I think I've seen some 1/4" and 3/8" black plastic lines
at walmart that folks use to water houseplants, has anyone used these
for vegetable gardens? Would it have enough flow? It seems like a
pretty neat option, as I could just mount a little mister head to the
bottom rung on each of my round tomato cages.

Some sort of "drip" irrigation for the plants probably will work great.
Probably not even a mister would be needed, just create a watering zone
around the base of the plants.

Lar

On Fri, 16 Mar 2007 14:25:51 -0500, Lar wrote:

wrote:
Ok, so if cutting an X isn't going to get enough water to my plants
then what else can I do?

So, which is better Black or Clear plastic? Is either one more
likely to burn my plants as well as the weeds?


Plastic as a mulch in general is not always a good option, not only
keeps rain out but will not let the ground breath either. It can also
can create an environment for the more harmful fungi/molds to exist.
Maybe a quality landscape fabric instead, allows water in, keeps weeds
out, though there is more of a cost than the plastic.

Do I need to set up a special hose system to water just the roots of
my tomatos? I think I've seen some 1/4" and 3/8" black plastic lines
at walmart that folks use to water houseplants, has anyone used these
for vegetable gardens? Would it have enough flow? It seems like a
pretty neat option, as I could just mount a little mister head to the
bottom rung on each of my round tomato cages.

Some sort of "drip" irrigation for the plants probably will work great.
Probably not even a mister would be needed, just create a watering zone
around the base of the plants.

Lar

Fungi and molds will be killed or prevented with clear plastic. Black
plastic sets up the perfect conditions for anaerobic soil to fester
problems.