First, weed when the ground is moist. It's a lot easier. Today is a perfect day for weeding. The ground is so moist, the weeds practically jump out of the ground on their own. Okay, that's an overstatement but it IS easier. Trust me.
Next, use 'Preen'. If you've gone to all the trouble of weeding you want to make sure new ones don't pop up as soon as you turn your back. Preen is an earth friendly weed preventer. It doesn't do anything to prevent the weeds that are already there but it does stop NEW weeds from growing. It basically keeps the seeds from germinating. So don't put Preen around annual or veggie seedlings! As a bonus, Preen is also a fertilizer so while you're preventing the weeds you're promoting the growth of your other plants.
One thing I DO recommend is planting dense GROUND COVERS. Some thymes are good at keeping the weeds down (not the variegated one though). Yellow ice plant and woolly thyme also seem to do the job. Plus, they look great and often thrive in drought tolerant areas. Blue star creeper does a good job too but you have to stay after the weeds for the first year or two. Pictured clockwise: blue star creeper (see blue flowers), yellow ice plant (bottom right), thyme (center), and woolly thyme (far right).
One thing I DON'T recommend is putting down any kind of black tarp weed preventer. I don't care how much you burry it, it always seems to resurface and then you're constantly trying to cover it up again. Also, it seems like it doesn't take long before the weeds make their way through.
Good luck outsmarting those weeds!
HERE'S ONE MORE ADD-ON. I just got a comment and realized I forgot to mention MULCH. Duh! Corn gluten was also suggested. Has anyone else tried that and had any success? Oh, and, you can get the Preen at McClendon's and probably most garden centers. I think I've even seen it at Costco.
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My folks tried corn gluten in their gravel driveway, it didn't seem to help much. Mulching is okay in spring but in fall I think it just encourages the weeds, unless it's like a 4 inch layer of wood chips or something equally smothering. I am a hand-puller, it's annoying but I find it meditative most of the time. That said, I need more groundcover for sure. Does blue star creeper stay where you put it, or go everywhere?
ReplyDeleteYou know, I actually think weeding is really therapuetic. I am a hand puller too. I think it was all the weeding I did as a kid. It's just in my blood. Good to know about the timing on the mulch. We just put some down last weekend. What kind of mulch do you like? We did a 50/50 mix of compost and bark. It's a nice dark brown color and looks great around the beds and isn't so splitery when you're weeding and planting.
ReplyDeleteBlue star creeper is great. It spreads fast but definitely doesn't get out of control and is really easy to pull up if it goes somewhere you don't want it.
Thanks for letting me know about the gluten.
I would agree that laying down black plastic tarp is not effective, and who wants to buy that much plastic? Have you heard of laying down cardboard, newspaper or shredded paper instead and then mulch on top of that? Apparently this works as an effective barrier and it's a biodegradeable solution that also reduces the amount of paper waste from your house.
ReplyDeleteI've also read some things on natural weed killer solutions, the main ingredient being vinegar and supplemented with other things like: dish detergent (to help solution adhere), salt, bleach, hot water, even gin. Any opinions on them?
ReplyDeleteDefinitely worth a try but I'm not sure how effective it really is. Maybe do a small test spot and see how it works. I think Preen is easier and works better but I've never tried the cardboard myself. A friend of mine tried it and felt it disintegrated too quickly and wasn't worth the effort. He taped the cardboard pieces together and said he's still pulling tape out of the garden when he weeds so I wouldn't try that! Also, I think you might still run into the 'show through' problem.
ReplyDeleteI am more of a hand puller. I guess I'm just old fashioned that way. And I confess, I do use RoundUp very sparingly on the really tough spots. I know Matt's sister uses straight vinegar on the hard to pull weeds (like the ones in between pavement and in gravel). She seemed to think it did work. If you test out different solutions please post a comment and let me know what concoction you think is best. I'd love to find an alternative.
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