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GARDENING TIPS ON WEED CONTROL
Presented by Meg Spurlin, Eldon Winston and Suds Suddarth.
In general, weeds are best managed if you get them when they are small. That way they take less effort to pull, have not yet taken as many nutrients and moisture from the soil, and have not formed viable reproduction techniques. There are three main ways of managing weeds. They are: pulling, smothering or treating with herbicides.
MECHANICAL ACTION
Pulling out weeds works best when soil is moist sprinkle if necessary. Hoeing, in contrast, often works best when the soil is dry; otherwise, some weeds like purslane re-root and may even be increased in number.
Two kinds of hoes are recommended a shuffle hoe and a gooseneck hoe. Keep hoes sharp consider a spare head.
Roto-tilling is effective for a garden with straight rows. A variety of techniques can be combined, i.e., first roto-till between the corn rows, then hoe around the corn plants and mound up the soil around them, then mulch between the rows.
SMOTHERING
Pros and cons of various types of mulches:
* black plastic kills weeds completely, but, in dry spells does not
allow sufficient moisture to penetrate and plants die. In wet spells, water
collects on top and breeds mosquitoes. Also, is of doubtful benefit to
health of soil.
* solarization, i.e., placing clear plastic on an area and leaving it
for several summer months clears an area completely of all vegetation.
* weed block or landscaping cloth allows water and air to penetrate.
It is most effective in row crops where it can be removed each year and
laid back the next year (It will last at least 4 years). It is a nuisance
in established flower borders where it stays in place year after year because
weeds begin to grow underneath, and they can’t be removed at all. It also
prevents planting of bulbs and deters insertion of new plants.
* organic mulches of all kinds help build the soil -- the most important
gardening goal -- and help preserve moisture. Weed content of the organic
mulches is a consideration. E.g., leaf mold is fairly free of weed seed
whereas hay is full of weed seed. Compost may or may not contain weed seed,
and is a good growing medium for weeds as for all plants. Grass clippings
(if not poisoned) are good mulch.
* use of newspapers (no colors) under organic mulches has proven successful.
* keep a piece of old board or carpet handy to place on those troublesome
spots containing perennial weeds, or along a pathway.
* self sowing plants will be eliminated by all the smothering techniques.
If you want them, save seed and plant on top of the newly applied mulch,
or dig them up and replant after application of mulch.
KEEPING OUT WEED SEED
"One year seed equals ten years weed" - Easier said than done, but if
you keep the garden itself, and the surrounding areas, free of weeds that
go to seed, in the long runyou will have far less weeding to do. For example,
if you have not been able to eliminate the thistle plants, at least cut
them down when they are in flower. After they are cut out or uprooted,
remove plants in flowerlike thistle and dandelions because, if simply piled
on ground, they
will continue to develop the seed head and spew seed.
HERBICIDES
Some (like Roundup) kill all plants. Some kill only grass. Some kill only broad leaf plants (there are two specialized types that kill different groups of broad leafed plants. One targets poison ivy). This selectivity offers potential for particular problem areas, e.g., an infestation of grass in an iris bed can be controlled by spraying "Grass-B-Gone," and it won’t harm the iris. Others (e.g., "Preen") applied directly to soil and prevent seed germination. Use all herbicides with caution and according to directions on label ? Preen may be damaging to many varieties of plants -- use only on those listed on label.
Some herbicides work on contact with plant; others (such as Roundup) are systemic, i.e., are taken down into the root. The systemics work best if applied in the spring or the fall, when the plant is actively moving substances through its system.
Two techniques for applying herbicides without "drift" : (1) paint roller; (2) cloth gloves on top of thick plastic gloves, dip fingers in bowl of herbicide, and touch only the plants you want to eliminate. Avoid thin plastic gloves or contact with skin, as nerve damage may result.
ORGANIC ALTERNATIVES TO HERBICIDES
Corn gluten is an organic alternative to Preen but several times as expensive. (Sheri Garner has information on where to buy it.)
Vinegar spray --1/3 lemon juice 1/3 vinegar and 1/3 water, was suggested as an on-contact weed killer.
Fire kills weeds. George Armstrong demonstrated a torch method for large-scale weed elimination project.
Generally, the panel noted that it is difficult for the lay person to get information from the Internet and library on the effects of herbicides on the environment and on health. Bringing in an expert to discuss these topics in a future GEG meeting might be desirable. In the meantime, a good resource is: Weed Control without Poison by Chas. Walters, Jr.
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