I Excel at Growing Weeds

6/5/2021

The medium-sized vegetable garden I had envisioned in early spring has become far bigger than originally planned. After my wife and I planted the potatoes, tomatoes, squash, pumpkin, and beets, we realized we did not have enough room for the peas, onions, peppers, herbs, and watermelon - so, I ended up extending the garden by about fifty square meters.

On the upside, this means I have less lawn to cut. On the downside, I have another fifty square meters of weeds to pull. Though I'm still new to gardening, I've become a total pro when it comes to fine art of growing weeds, to the point that I spend most of my time gathering in the bountiful harvest of unwanted vegetation.

I'll get the hang of this one day. At least I hope I will.

Effective weeding tips that do not involve spraying the garden with Agent Orange are welcome!

10 Comments

islanti

6/5/2021 22:09:01

If you have access to lots of wood chips (arborist companies here will drop off truck loads if asked nicely) then you could try the "Back to Eden" method, which I've had success with.

It involves laying down up to 6 inches of wood chips over your garden, which works to smother weeds, eliminate the need for tiling and fertilizing, significantly cut down on watering as the chips hold moisture and protect the soil from sun exposure, provide compost as the wood chips break down, and encourage mycelium growth which benefits plants, among other benefits which I'm probably forgetting.

It will take a year to start seeing full benefits, but weeds that do appear will be easy to remove as the soil will remain loose and naturally tiled under the mulch coverage.

Francis Berger

6/5/2021 22:37:04

@ Islanti - Yes, that's a good tip. I have a branch chipper, and I've been making my own wood chips, but I haven't used them yet because it's advised to let them rest for at least six months before using them. Will certainly try the "Back to Eden" method next year.

jorgen b

6/5/2021 22:38:17

The bed where I have my collard green has basically no weeds, just a little bit of clover. I didn't do anything so maybe collards cut down on weeds somehow. Plenty of weeds everywhere else.

Francis Berger

6/5/2021 22:40:57

@ jorgen b - "Plenty of weeds everywhere else."

You have to hand it to weeds. They really are amazing at what they do.

Andrew

6/6/2021 03:56:51

We are using exclusively raised beds.

Sean Fowler link

6/6/2021 13:04:21

Systematize, stay on top of ‘em, nip ‘em in the bud.

Craig Davis

6/6/2021 14:16:46

A garden hoe of this type:

https://www.amazon.com/Ames-Temper-Eagle-Garden-Handle/dp/B00004S1YH/ref=sr_1_9?dchild=1&keywords=garden+hoe&qid=1622981176&sr=8-9

makes quick work of the weeds not immediately adjacent to your plants and with practice, you can get pretty pretty close. You will need to sharpen the blade with a grinder or file for it to be effective. They are quite dull when new.

After that, picking the weeds close to your plants is best done by hand. Daily weeding keeps the size and quantity of the weeds to a minimum.

Francis Berger

6/6/2021 15:03:45

@ Sean @ Craig - I weed frequently, but I often miss a few days due to other obligations. And that's exactly when things run away from me. I think this is the problem. I really need to get out there every day. No excuses!

MR Tumnus link

6/6/2021 18:31:18

Optimum Spacing:
of vegetables so that when more mature they shade out the weeds. I use four foot wide beds that I never step on. The beds have no wooden sides.

I grow my carrots in rows across the bed with the rows one foot apart. I weed twice and then the shading takes over. Potatoes in a double row, two feet apart, down the length of the bed.-- the mature plants shade the weeds. My pole beans are seeded 7 inches equidistantly all through the bed and they shade the weeds once they're going up the double row of poles down the length of the bed.

Mulches:

For my onions I grow them in rows across the bed like the carrots but mulch after the second weeding with last year's maple leaves to keep the weeds down. My cabbages are planted in a double row down the bed and are mulched with black plastic with slits in it and ridges under it for directing water and a barrier to weeds.

Always weed before the weeds go to seed. After several years my weed seed count in my soil is more manageable.

Happy Gardening.

Francis Berger

6/6/2021 22:27:13

@ MR Tummus - Very helpful tips. Thanks!

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I Excel at Growing Weeds

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