Garden weeds

[silverside]

The last 3 years the weeds have horrible in our garden. My brother in law has a weed free garden. He uses roundup a couple weeks before planting. Not sure i want to go this route. Weighing against a propane weed torch. Area is 100' x 50'. Thoughts? Experience with either in the garden?

I usually use 24d

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[SuperDave336]

I HATE the thought of chemicals in my garden too!!! You have to be careful when flame weeding and not get it anywhere close to plants you want to live. It will wilt and kill them too!!! This is probably a better option to do before planting when the weeds are just starting to germinate and grow. Keep in mind the flame weeding will not kill the root of established plants. Will take multiple burns. But it is a good option but it has it's time and place. Have you researched silage tarps any? I think this is my next option to try.

Silage Tarp | Farmers Friend

[INDyak]

We use vinegar or hand pull..

[Craphac]

Black plastic over the area for a few weeks will do the trick. No sunlight and NOTHING grows.

[silverside]

Black plastic over the area for a few weeks will do the trick. No sunlight and NOTHING grows.

Haha...that image in my mind is great. The garden is at my 80yo mother's house. She is deathly afraid of snakes and they love to stay under the plastic and straw.

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[Crestliner08]

Well, I've been gardening for more decades than I care to admit. Mainly vegetables of many varieties. Back in the 70's, I read an article by Ruth Stout (long since passed) on "Mulch Gardening". Subsequently, I bought her book and have been using mulch year round on my vegetable and rose gardens for many years. Less need to water as frequently and the natural decomposition occurring beneath the mulch adds nutrients to the soil. And you can say goodbye to weeds forever!

Using mulch creates a self pepetuating ecosystem within the garden soil that requires less chemical fertilizers (if any) as well a facilitating bug deterrent. The crop yield is many times better (in my opinion) than in the old days with 5-10-5 chemical feedings. I use regular feed hay for this purpose. Yeah, some farms sell "mulch" hay, but I don't like the looks of it as well as regular hay. That's just me. Know this: Mulch gardening works!

[silverside]

Crestliner... i agree with you regarding mulch. My mother would never step foot in the garden with mulch. Several years ago a snake 2 was in the mulch and scared her. She jumped, fell and tore her rotator cuff requiring surgery. No sir. Mulch not allowed anymore.

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[stormcloud]

I sold agricultural chemicals for almost 40 years and I chop and pull mine. Too many varieties for one pre or post herbicide. The trick to keeping it clean is do
a little every day or two and not let it get ahead of you. Crestliner is right about the mulch but you often bring in a lot of foreign seed with it.

[Crestliner08]

I sold agricultural chemicals for almost 40 years and I chop and pull mine. Too many varieties for one pre or post herbicide. The trick to keeping it clean is do
a little every day or two and not let it get ahead of you. Crestliner is right about the mulch but you often bring in a lot of foreign seed with it.

That's the best part of a heavy mulch......seeds cannot generate from underneath it, foreign or otherwise. That's a fact, born out though many decades of gardening. Never had that issue. Snug the mulch up to the base of your plants and stop worrying.

As far as snakes go, they are indicators that the ecosystem is in balance. Garden snakes are totally harmless. Education is the key to success in every human endeavor.

[deltarat]

Roundup before you plant to kill all that is up will not hurt anything. The again after the garden is finished in the fall if you have any weeds present at that time. Over a period of time you will considerably cut down on the seed you have by killing root.