Vegetable Garden Weeds

[LynnS]

I inherited my Dad's vegetable garden which he lovingly cared tended for many years. Dad believed in gardening the natural way and always used manure for fertilizer. Unfortunately, the last batch was fresh from the farm and full of weeds. Any ideas on how to control this mess? I could be pulling weeds and tilling 7 days a week and still not get it under control.

LynnS

[Pepper]

Hi Lynn - I use the horse manure from our farm and it's also full of weed seeds too, but I've started using lots of mulch and this year the weed situation was much better. Do you use mulch?

Pepper

[LynnS]

Hi Pepper,
Thanks for your reply. The garden is quite large and it would take a lot of mulch! I do have some black rubber strips that help in a couple of rows, but the thatchy grass and other weeds come up the sides. Plus we till a lot as some plants mature and get picked and then we plant again (usually lettuce).

I was considering not planting for one year and covering it with garden fabric. Would that work? I hate using pesticides.

LynnS

[butterfly]

LYNN

I use straw in between the rows and around veggie plants

it hold water in and dodn't need to weed a lot. it keeps the weeds down

I weeded 3 times this summer so far

Sat was the 3rd and it breaks down nicely making your soil nice and loose

Use straw not hay. Straw doesn't have seeds. Hay does

[LynnS]

Thanks! Great idea.

[benjimum]

I have this issue also in a large field garden. I have tried a few things. One is to plant in rows far apart enough that you can til between the rows. We have a hand held tiller that i til with between the rows often. then you are only fighting the weeds in the rows, and that is more doable. I have also tried spreading hay on the paths between the rows, and newspapers also. Newpapers work quite well nd hay helps lots too.
My grandma has a huge garden space and now only plants a tiny bit of it, but she always has a garden withvery little weeds. Her secret, find a way to keep it "Black" for one seasonand it will be a good garden. Next yr will be away for part of the summer and I'm going to give my garden a rest, and try to keep it black til i leave...then get my son to til it while i am gone. hoping that helps

[beeman]

I have one suggestion. Black Plastic. I was sceptical at first, but now I think it's just glorious.
First till the area and make sure it's nice and wet, cover with black plastic and weight down the edges then wait till next year, I leave it on all winter.The late summer sun really heats up the ground and kills off the nasties. There is no compaction, when you lift off the plastic in the spring you can plant straight into it. The soil is nice and warm, seeds start very quickly and no weeds.
There is another benefit. Since 'doing' the black, no more potato bugs. We were plagued with them for years, we didn't see one this year!
Give it a try, you won't regret it.
Regards beeman

[LynnS]

Thanks so much for the great ideas! Newspaper and straw are very easy to do and I will try the landscape fabric or black plastic as well.