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#1
15-02-2010, 09:06 PM
posted to rec.gardens
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weed control
OK I have gotten a lot of responses, and no I am not trying to kill
the planet--I just want to grow some veggies! I live in Missouri, and have a lot of crab grass, thistle, and poison ivy, etc. The garden patch has been extremely difficult to control the weeds in the past couple of years. I have tried mulching, almost 4" in deep across the whole area--does little if anything to stop weeds. I have tried black plastic, which seems to stop or slow down the weeds--but makes everything else that much harder to grow. I have sprayed repeatedly with RoundUP and everything else they sell at Lowe's, and actually the only one that worked at all was a no name brand that did kill the weeds for up to 2 weeks. But they came back. I have tried burning the whole area, looks ugly for a couple of months---but weeds came back. I have crawled around on my hnds and knees pulling all of them out and removing the roots and all. Still they came back. Gardening should not have to be this difficult. Com'on folks tell the secret potion I need to fix things so I can have a good garden this summer. |
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#2
15-02-2010, 09:37 PM
posted to rec.gardens
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weed control
On Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:06:32 -0800 (PST), chen
wrote: OK I have gotten a lot of responses, and no I am not trying to kill the planet--I just want to grow some veggies! I live in Missouri, and have a lot of crab grass, thistle, and poison ivy, etc. The garden patch has been extremely difficult to control the weeds in the past couple of years. I have tried mulching, almost 4" in deep across the whole area--does little if anything to stop weeds. I have tried black plastic, which seems to stop or slow down the weeds--but makes everything else that much harder to grow. I have sprayed repeatedly with RoundUP and everything else they sell at Lowe's, and actually the only one that worked at all was a no name brand that did kill the weeds for up to 2 weeks. But they came back. I have tried burning the whole area, looks ugly for a couple of months---but weeds came back. I have crawled around on my hnds and knees pulling all of them out and removing the roots and all. Still they came back. Gardening should not have to be this difficult. Com'on folks tell the secret potion I need to fix things so I can have a good garden this summer. Spacing the plants closer will reduce some weeds. Planting in rows makes it easier to hoe the entire 20x20 garden in less than 10 minutes. I may have to hoe every 4-5 weeks. My strawberries require hand weeding, maybe 5 minutes for a 15-foot row. You may need to identify the weeds to understand control measures. I have used a propane torch on weeds gone out of control. Avoid herbicides, at least in your food garden. Weeding is probably not one of those favorite gardening tasks, but a well-kept garden requires it. |
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#3
15-02-2010, 09:43 PM
posted to rec.gardens
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weed control
On Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:37:31 -0500, Phisherman
wrote: On Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:06:32 -0800 (PST), chen wrote: OK I have gotten a lot of responses, and no I am not trying to kill the planet--I just want to grow some veggies! I live in Missouri, and have a lot of crab grass, thistle, and poison ivy, etc. The garden patch has been extremely difficult to control the weeds in the past couple of years. I have tried mulching, almost 4" in deep across the whole area--does little if anything to stop weeds. I have tried black plastic, which seems to stop or slow down the weeds--but makes everything else that much harder to grow. I have sprayed repeatedly with RoundUP and everything else they sell at Lowe's, and actually the only one that worked at all was a no name brand that did kill the weeds for up to 2 weeks. But they came back. I have tried burning the whole area, looks ugly for a couple of months---but weeds came back. I have crawled around on my hnds and knees pulling all of them out and removing the roots and all. Still they came back. Gardening should not have to be this difficult. Com'on folks tell the secret potion I need to fix things so I can have a good garden this summer. Spacing the plants closer will reduce some weeds. Planting in rows makes it easier to hoe the entire 20x20 garden in less than 10 minutes. I may have to hoe every 4-5 weeks. My strawberries require hand weeding, maybe 5 minutes for a 15-foot row. You may need to identify the weeds to understand control measures. I have used a propane torch on weeds gone out of control. Avoid herbicides, at least in your food garden. Weeding is probably not one of those favorite gardening tasks, but a well-kept garden requires it. You should already know it is not a good idea to burn poison ivy or poison oak. For those you will need RoundUp, perhaps a second and third application for established plants. |
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#4
15-02-2010, 09:45 PM
posted to rec.gardens
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weed control
In article
, chen wrote: OK I have gotten a lot of responses, and no I am not trying to kill the planet--I just want to grow some veggies! I live in Missouri, and have a lot of crab grass, thistle, and poison ivy, etc. The garden patch has been extremely difficult to control the weeds in the past couple of years. I have tried mulching, almost 4" in deep across the whole area--does little if anything to stop weeds. I have tried black plastic, which seems to stop or slow down the weeds--but makes everything else that much harder to grow. I have sprayed repeatedly with RoundUP and everything else they sell at Lowe's, and actually the only one that worked at all was a no name brand that did kill the weeds for up to 2 weeks. But they came back. I have tried burning the whole area, looks ugly for a couple of months---but weeds came back. I have crawled around on my hnds and knees pulling all of them out and removing the roots and all. Still they came back. Gardening should not have to be this difficult. Com'on folks tell the secret potion I need to fix things so I can have a good garden this summer. Get a Japanese gardening knife and a hula hoe and a warren hoe. Start with a very small garden and expand when you have got the small the way you want it. http://www.vsb.cape.com/~nature/greencenter/newalchemy.html http://www.johnnyseeds.com/search.aspx?SearchTerm=hoe http://www.johnnyseeds.com/c-568-collinear-hoes.aspx Bill P.S. The one secret it to cultivate before the weeds emerge. -- Garden in shade zone 5 S Jersey USA |
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#5
15-02-2010, 10:09 PM
posted to rec.gardens
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weed control
On Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:06:32 -0800 (PST), chen
wrote: OK I have gotten a lot of responses, and no I am not trying to kill the planet--I just want to grow some veggies! I live in Missouri, and have a lot of crab grass, thistle, and poison ivy, etc. The garden patch has been extremely difficult to control the weeds in the past couple of years. I have tried mulching, almost 4" in deep across the whole area--does little if anything to stop weeds. I have tried black plastic, which seems to stop or slow down the weeds--but makes everything else that much harder to grow. I have sprayed repeatedly with RoundUP and everything else they sell at Lowe's, and actually the only one that worked at all was a no name brand that did kill the weeds for up to 2 weeks. But they came back. I have tried burning the whole area, looks ugly for a couple of months---but weeds came back. I have crawled around on my hnds and knees pulling all of them out and removing the roots and all. Still they came back. Gardening should not have to be this difficult. Com'on folks tell the secret potion I need to fix things so I can have a good garden this summer. JMO, but I'd say you need to be at peace with the weeds. What you fight, you invite or some other such platitude. Weeding is a constant in gardening. You don't do it once or twice and that's it for the season. It's a daily/weekly/however often you want to do it thing. It's getting on your hands and knees weeding, visiting, tending - being aware of what is growing. mulching is good - cover crops - I grew red clover amidst the tomatoes one year to give the weeds less space to grow. |
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#6
15-02-2010, 11:41 PM
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#7
16-02-2010, 12:02 AM
posted to rec.gardens
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weed control
On Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:06:32 -0800 (PST), chen
wrote: OK I have gotten a lot of responses, and no I am not trying to kill the planet--I just want to grow some veggies! I live in Missouri, and have a lot of crab grass, thistle, and poison ivy, etc. The garden patch has been extremely difficult to control the weeds in the past couple of years. I have tried mulching, almost 4" in deep across the whole area--does little if anything to stop weeds. I have tried black plastic, which seems to stop or slow down the weeds--but makes everything else that much harder to grow. I have sprayed repeatedly with RoundUP and everything else they sell at Lowe's, and actually the only one that worked at all was a no name brand that did kill the weeds for up to 2 weeks. But they came back. I have tried burning the whole area, looks ugly for a couple of months---but weeds came back. I have crawled around on my hnds and knees pulling all of them out and removing the roots and all. Still they came back. Gardening should not have to be this difficult. Com'on folks tell the secret potion I need to fix things so I can have a good garden this summer. Get a Mantis tiller. And you really can't garden without a contractors wheelbarrow! Ahahahahahahahahahahaha. . . . |
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#8
16-02-2010, 02:27 AM
posted to rec.gardens
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weed control
In article
, chen wrote: OK I have gotten a lot of responses, and no I am not trying to kill the planet--I just want to grow some veggies! I live in Missouri, and have a lot of crab grass, thistle, and poison ivy, etc. The garden patch has been extremely difficult to control the weeds in the past couple of years. I have tried mulching, almost 4" in deep across the whole area--does little if anything to stop weeds. I have tried black plastic, which seems to stop or slow down the weeds--but makes everything else that much harder to grow. I have sprayed repeatedly with RoundUP and everything else they sell at Lowe's, and actually the only one that worked at all was a no name brand that did kill the weeds for up to 2 weeks. But they came back. I have tried burning the whole area, looks ugly for a couple of months---but weeds came back. I have crawled around on my hnds and knees pulling all of them out and removing the roots and all. Still they came back. Gardening should not have to be this difficult. Com'on folks tell the secret potion I need to fix things so I can have a good garden this summer. A planet killer, eh? Well maybe we can bring you back into the fold. I'm kinda surprised that no one has mentioned raised beds, so you may want to look into that, too. I had poison oak, and I just discouraged it by constant pulling and cutting. You'll want a pair of gloves, unless you be one of them what's impervious to the stuff. Then I'd recommend that you read the following: (1) http://www.plantea.com/no-tilling.htm You may want to look at Lowenfels book: "Teaming with Microbes" http://www.amazon.com/Teaming-Microb...l/dp/088192777 5/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266037779&sr=1-1 and probably available at your local library. (2) http://www.mdvaden.com/double_digging.shtml The first, and last, dig isn't necessary, but it speeds things up dramatically. (see below) (3) http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organ...1/Lasagna-Gard ening.aspx (4) One last tweak for your garden is charcoal. Not briquettes, that may contain coal dust and/or accelerants, but black shards of real wood left over from a wood stove or barbecue (like the wood chips added for that smokey flavor). Scatter it liberally onto your soil. Not only will it improve the fertility of your garden, but it is also a way to sequester carbon to keep it out of the atmosphere, where as CO2, it adds to "Global Warming". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terra_preta Other references: http://organicgardening.about.com/od...en/a/lasagnaga rden.htm http://ourgardengang.tripod.com/lasagna_gardening.htm http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/news/ci_14372729 or check your local library for Lasagna Gardening: A New Layering System for Bountiful Gardens: No Digging, No Tilling, No Weeding, No Kidding! ~ Patricia Lanza (Author) http://www.amazon.com/Lasagna-Garden...Gardens/dp/087 5969623/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266166594&sr=1-1 Lasagna Gardening for Small Spaces: A Layering System for Big Results in Small Gardens and Containers (Rodale Organic Gardening Book) by Patricia Lanza http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...tripbooks&fiel d-keywords=lasagna+gardening&x=0&y=0 How to Grow More Vegetables and Fruits (and Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops) Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine by John Jeavons http://www.amazon.com/s/qid=12661665...rs=1000&keywor ds=lasagna%20gardening&rh=n%3A%211000%2Ci%3Astripb ooks%2Ck%3Alasagna%20ga rdening&page=2 ------ If you don't need all of your garden area, cover the unneeded portion with clear plastic. Cover the edges with dirt. http://ceamador.ucdavis.edu/files/942.pdf ----- I know I ran this by you before, but a good teacher will tell you that he is going to tell you. He'll tell you. Then he'll tell you that he told you. So, we might meet one more time ;O) Human and mammalian health effects [edit] Toxicity By 2000, a review published in a Monsanto sponsored journal,[11] conducted by Ian C. Munro (a member of the Cantox scientific and regulatory consulting firm whose role is defined as to "protect client interests while helping our clients achieve milestones and bring products to market"[12]) concluded that "under present and expected conditions of new use, there is no potential for Roundup herbicide to pose a health risk to humans".[13] Monsanto uses that study as the main source to support Roundup safety for humans.[14] A 2008 scientific study has shown that Roundup formulations and metabolic products cause the death of human embryonic, placental, and umbilical cells in vitro, even at low concentrations. The effects were not proportional to the main active ingredient concentrations (glyphosate), but dependent on the nature of the adjuvants used in the Roundup formulation.[15] Deliberate ingestion of Roundup in quantities ranging from 85-200 ml has resulted in death within hours of ingestion, although it has also been ingested in quantities as large as 500ml with only mild or moderate symptoms following ingestion.[16] There is a reasonable correlation between the amount of Roundup ingested and the likelihood of serious systemic sequelae or death. Ingestion of 85 mL of the concentrated formulation is likely to cause significant toxicity in adults. Gastrointestinal corrosive effects, with mouth, throat and epigastric pain and dysphagia are common. Renal and hepatic impairment are also frequent and usually reflect reduced organ perfusion. Respiratory distress, impaired consciousness, pulmonary oedema, infiltration on chest x-ray, shock, arrythmias, renal failure requiring haemodialysis, metabolic acidosis and hyperkalaemia may supervene in severe cases. Bradycardia and ventricular arrhythmias are often present pre-terminally. Dermal exposure to ready-to-use glyphosate formulations can cause irritation, and photo-contact dermatitis has been reported occasionally; these effects are probably due to the preservative Proxel (benzisothiazolin-3-one). Severe skin burns are very rare. Inhalation is a minor route of exposure, but spray mist may cause oral or nasal discomfort, an unpleasant taste in the mouth, tingling and throat irritation. Eye exposure may lead to mild conjunctivitis, and superficial corneal injury is possible if irrigation is delayed or inadequate.[10] [edit] Endocrine disruptor A 2000 in vitro study on mouse MA-10 cells concluded that Roundup inhibited progesterone production by disrupting StAR protein expression.[17] A 2005 in vitro study on human placental JEG3 cells concluded that the glyphosate disruption of aromatase is facilitated by adjuvants of the Roundup formulation.[18] A 2009 in vitro experiment with glyphosate formulations on human liver HepG2 cells has observed endocrine disruption at sub-agricultural doses, where a Roundup formulation showed to be the most active formulation. The effects were more dependent on the formulation than on the glyphosate concentration.[19] A 2009 study on rats has found that Roundup is a potent endocrine disruptor causing disturbances in the reproductive development when the exposure was performed during the puberty period.[20] [edit] Genetic damage A 1998 study on mice concluded that Roundup is able to cause genetic damage. The authors concluded that the damage was "not related to the active ingredient, but to another component of the herbicide mixture".[21] A 2005 study raised concerns over the effects of Roundup in transcription.[22] A 2009 study on mice has found that a single intraperitoneal injection of Roundup in concentration of 25*mg/kg caused chromosomal aberrations and induction of micronuclei.[23] A 2009 in vitro experiment with glyphosate formulations on human liver cells has observed DNA damages at sub-agricultural doses, where a Roundup formulation showed to be the most active formulation. The effects were more dependent on the formulation than on the glyphosate concentration.[19] [edit] Ecologic effects A 2000 review of the toxicological data on Roundup concluded that "for terrestrial uses of Roundup minimal acute and chronic risk was predicted for potentially exposed nontarget organisms". It also concluded that there were some risks to aquatic organisms exposed to Roundup in shallow water.[24] [edit] Toxicity A 2009 study has concluded that while physiological pH decreases glyphosate uptake in animal cells Roundup formulation contains surfactants that increases membrane permeability allowing cellular uptake at physiological pH.[8] [edit] Aquatic effects Fish and aquatic invertebrates are more sensitive to Roundup than terrestrial organisms.[24] Glyphosate is generally less persistent in water than in soil, with 12 to 60 day persistence observed in Canadian pond water, yet persistence of over a year have been observed in the sediments of ponds in Michigan and Oregon.[9] The EU classifies Roundup as R51/53 Toxic to aquatic organisms, may cause long-term adverse effects in the aquatic environment.[25] Although Roundup is not registered for aquatic uses[26] and studies of its effects on amphibians indicate it is toxic to them,[27] scientists have found that it may wind up in small wetlands where tadpoles live, due to inadvertent spraying during its application. A recent study found that even at concentrations one-third of the maximum concentrations expected in nature, Roundup still killed up to 71 percent of tadpoles raised in outdoor tanks.[28] [edit] Environmental degradation and effects When glyphosate comes into contact with the soil, it can be rapidly bound to soil particles and be inactivated.[9] Unbound glyphosate can be degraded by bacteria.[29] Glyphosphate has been shown to increase the infection rate of wheat by fusarium head blight in fields that have been treated with glyphosphate.[30] A 2009 study using a RoundUp formulation has concluded that absorption into plants delays subsequent soil-degradation, and can increase glyphosate persistence in soil from two to six times.[31] In soils, half lives vary from as little as 3 days at a site in Texas, to as much as 141 days at a site in Iowa[32]. In addition, the glyphosate metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid was shown to persist up to 2 years in Swedish forest soils.[33]. A recent study concluded that certain amphibians may be at risk from glyphosate use.[34] One study has shown an effect on growth and survival of earthworms.[35] The results of this study are in conflict with other data, and have been criticized on methodological grounds.[24] In other studies, nitrogen fixing bacteria have been impaired, and also crop plant susceptibility to disease has been increased.[30][36][37][38][39][40][41] [edit] False advertising and scientific fraud [edit] False advertising In 1996, Monsanto was accused of false and misleading advertising of glyphosate products, prompting a law suit by the New York State attorney general.[42] Monsanto had made claims that its spray-on glyphosate based herbicides, including Roundup, were safer than table salt and "practically non-toxic" to mammals, birds, and fish.[43] Environmental and consumer rights campaigners brought a case in France in 2001 for presenting Roundup as biodegradable and claiming that it left the soil clean after use; glyphosate, Roundup's main ingredient, is classed by the European Union as "dangerous for the environment" and "toxic for aquatic organisms". In January 2007, Monsanto was convicted of false advertising.[44] The result was confirmed in 2009.[45] [edit] Scientific fraud On two occasions, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has caught scientists deliberately falsifying test results at research laboratories hired by Monsanto to study glyphosate.[46][47][48] In the first incident involving Industrial Biotest Laboratories, an EPA reviewer stated after finding "routine falsification of data" that it was "hard to believe the scientific integrity of the studies when they said they took specimens of the uterus from male rabbits".[49][50][51] In the second incident of falsifying test results in 1991, the owner of the lab (Craven Labs), and three employees were indicted on 20 felony counts, the owner was sentenced to 5 years in prison and fined 50,000 dollars, the lab was fined 15.5 million dollars and ordered to pay 3.7 million dollars in restitution.[32][52][53] Craven laboratories performed studies for 262 pesticide companies including Monsanto. Monsanto has stated that the studies have been repeated, and that Roundup's EPA certification does not now use any studies from Craven Labs or IBT. Monsanto also said that the Craven Labs investigation was started by the EPA after a pesticide industry task force discovered irregularities.[54] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundup...health_effects http://healthychild.org/issues/chemical-pop/glyphosate/ http://www.percyschmeiser.com/Toxic.htm You can also cover the area that you want weeded with newspaper, and put mulch on top of the paper. Lastly, one man's weed is another man's herb. Find out what you are trying to kill first. Dandelions, for example, make nutritious salads. Stinging Nettles are high in A and C vitamins, and iron, as well as being useful in treating asthma. An infusion of the fresh leaves is healing and soothing as a lotion for burns and the root has been shown to have a beneficial effect upon enlarged prostate glands. Purslane has the highest content of omega3 of any land plant. And the list goes on and on. Once having identified one of your weeds, go to http://www.pfaf.org/database/index.php to determine if it can be of use to you. -- -- ³When you give food to the poor, they call you a saint. When you ask why the poor have no food, they call you a communist.² -Archbishop Helder Camara http://tinyurl.com/o63ruj http://countercurrents.org/roberts020709.htm |
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#9
16-02-2010, 12:11 PM
posted to rec.gardens
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weed control
wrote in message
... On Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:06:32 -0800 (PST), chen wrote: OK I have gotten a lot of responses, and no I am not trying to kill the planet--I just want to grow some veggies! I live in Missouri, and have a lot of crab grass, thistle, and poison ivy, etc. The garden patch has been extremely difficult to control the weeds in the past couple of years. I have tried mulching, almost 4" in deep across the whole area--does little if anything to stop weeds. I have tried black plastic, which seems to stop or slow down the weeds--but makes everything else that much harder to grow. I have sprayed repeatedly with RoundUP and everything else they sell at Lowe's, and actually the only one that worked at all was a no name brand that did kill the weeds for up to 2 weeks. But they came back. I have tried burning the whole area, looks ugly for a couple of months---but weeds came back. I have crawled around on my hnds and knees pulling all of them out and removing the roots and all. Still they came back. Gardening should not have to be this difficult. Com'on folks tell the secret potion I need to fix things so I can have a good garden this summer. JMO, but I'd say you need to be at peace with the weeds. What you fight, you invite or some other such platitude. Weeding is a constant in gardening. You don't do it once or twice and that's it for the season. It's a daily/weekly/however often you want to do it thing. It's getting on your hands and knees weeding, visiting, tending - being aware of what is growing. mulching is good - cover crops - I grew red clover amidst the tomatoes one year to give the weeds less space to grow. Wise words in your response Kate. Your response made me think of that old saying: 'The best fertiliser is the footsteps of the gardener'. Not all weeds are bad chen. Look at them and wonder why they grow, and why they grow where they do. Thistles for example grow where soil needs to be repaired. They are what I call 'deep miners' as they (at least the ones I know, but yours could be a different species) put down deep tap roots and if you pull them up you will find worms snugged in close to the tap root. they must be giving something to the worms and I suspect that it is mineral found at a much deeper level than earth worms like to go and pulled up into the body of the plant by the deep root. Creeping grasses are a total bitch though and the only way I have found to get rid of them is to paint them with a concentrate of glyphosate using a paint brush. I dont' spray it and I keep a very close eye on the spot to make sure that if any more emerges, I repaint it as it comes up. I've found that it has taken 3 applications of neat glyphosate to get rid of it. I don't know what poison ivy is as we don't have it in this country. Some general advice I would give is to start very small and to prepare a small space well and to learn to manage that first before going the whole hog. To make sure there is always some fallow period and to always remove weeds before they seed in those beds. |
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#10
16-02-2010, 12:41 PM
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weed control
Thread lead me to. http://www.southernexposure.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc? Which lead to a reasonable priced book on weeds which I recommend. Library may be able to get it. "Weeds and what they tell." http://www.southernexposure.com/Merc...een=PROD&Produ ct_Code=91123&Category_Code=BOOK Which lead to http://www.southernexposure.com/Merc...een=CTGY&Categ ory_Code=RTOM Which lead to a source for Marglobe tomatoes. Thanks Bill -- Garden in shade zone 5 S Jersey USA |
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#11
16-02-2010, 02:04 PM
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weed control
On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 23:11:56 +1100, "FarmI" ask@itshall be given
wrote: wrote in message .. . On Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:06:32 -0800 (PST), chen wrote: OK I have gotten a lot of responses, and no I am not trying to kill the planet--I just want to grow some veggies! I live in Missouri, and have a lot of crab grass, thistle, and poison ivy, etc. The garden patch has been extremely difficult to control the weeds in the past couple of years. I have tried mulching, almost 4" in deep across the whole area--does little if anything to stop weeds. I have tried black plastic, which seems to stop or slow down the weeds--but makes everything else that much harder to grow. I have sprayed repeatedly with RoundUP and everything else they sell at Lowe's, and actually the only one that worked at all was a no name brand that did kill the weeds for up to 2 weeks. But they came back. I have tried burning the whole area, looks ugly for a couple of months---but weeds came back. I have crawled around on my hnds and knees pulling all of them out and removing the roots and all. Still they came back. Gardening should not have to be this difficult. Com'on folks tell the secret potion I need to fix things so I can have a good garden this summer. JMO, but I'd say you need to be at peace with the weeds. What you fight, you invite or some other such platitude. Weeding is a constant in gardening. You don't do it once or twice and that's it for the season. It's a daily/weekly/however often you want to do it thing. It's getting on your hands and knees weeding, visiting, tending - being aware of what is growing. mulching is good - cover crops - I grew red clover amidst the tomatoes one year to give the weeds less space to grow. Wise words in your response Kate. Your response made me think of that old saying: 'The best fertiliser is the footsteps of the gardener'. Thanks, Farm1. I like your old saying - I haven't heard it before but certainly true. Not all weeds are bad chen. Look at them and wonder why they grow, and why they grow where they do. Thistles for example grow where soil needs to be repaired. They are what I call 'deep miners' as they (at least the ones I know, but yours could be a different species) put down deep tap roots and if you pull them up you will find worms snugged in close to the tap root. they must be giving something to the worms and I suspect that it is mineral found at a much deeper level than earth worms like to go and pulled up into the body of the plant by the deep root. Creeping grasses are a total bitch though and the only way I have found to get rid of them is to paint them with a concentrate of glyphosate using a paint brush. I dont' spray it and I keep a very close eye on the spot to make sure that if any more emerges, I repaint it as it comes up. I've found that it has taken 3 applications of neat glyphosate to get rid of it. I don't know what poison ivy is as we don't have it in this country. Some general advice I would give is to start very small and to prepare a small space well and to learn to manage that first before going the whole hog. To make sure there is always some fallow period and to always remove weeds before they seed in those beds. |
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#12
16-02-2010, 04:02 PM
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weed control
In article ,
wrote: I grew red clover amidst the tomatoes one year to give the weeds less space to grow. So what happened? Why didn't you repeat with the red clover? -- "Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100119/...ting_activists http://www.democracynow.org/2010/1/19/headlines |
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#13
16-02-2010, 06:26 PM
posted to rec.gardens
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weed control
On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 08:02:08 -0800, Wildbilly
wrote: In article , wrote: I grew red clover amidst the tomatoes one year to give the weeds less space to grow. So what happened? Why didn't you repeat with the red clover? I was growing large scale - close to 200 tomato plants. I planted the red clover too late to be really effective but it was awfully cute coming up en masse. Now that I'm small scale again, I still plant with red clover, but more because I want the red clover. I use it to control hot flashes and night sweats, in a brandy tincture. |
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#14
16-02-2010, 06:58 PM
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weed control
On Feb 16, 1:26*pm, wrote:
On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 08:02:08 -0800, Wildbilly wrote: In article , wrote: I grew red clover amidst the tomatoes one year to give the weeds less space to grow. So what happened? Why didn't you repeat with the red clover? I was growing large scale - close to 200 tomato plants. I planted the red clover too late to be really effective but it was awfully cute coming up en masse. Now that I'm small scale again, I still plant with red clover, but more because I want the red clover. I use it to control hot flashes and night sweats, in a brandy tincture. Tell me more about how it controls hot flashes and night sweats. Goodness if it works where can I get some? MJ |
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#15
16-02-2010, 08:59 PM
posted to rec.gardens
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weed control
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