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WEEDS - Taming the Weed Jungle
It's important to keep your gardens well weeded now, so
that by midsummer you don't have a jungle on your hands.
Here are some tips that can help.
* Weeding is easiest right after a rain or watering because
the roots come out of the soil more readily. If you only pull off
the tops, the weeds will regrow.
* Avoid deep cultivating to control weeds because this can
bring other weed seeds to the surface where they’ll germinate.
Many annual weed seeds, such as purslane, pigweed, and
lambs-quarter, can be viable in the soil for more than 10 years.
* Weeding tools can save you effort. Look for ones that
remove the greatest amount of root system and the least
amount of soil. Push-pull hoes, such as the swan neck hoe,
cut off weeds with less effort than some traditional garden
hoes. Most weeds, even persistent perennial weeds, will
eventually die if you repeatedly cut them off as deeply
as possible.
* Mulch helps suppress weed growth. Inorganic mulches,
such as rock and crushed marble, are generally less
favorable to weed growth than organic mulches, and
they keep the soil drier. But they don’t provide organic
matter for the soil as they decompose.
* Large-sized mulches, such as bark nuggets and rocks,
keep the soil cooler than smaller-sized mulches, such as
cocoa hulls and shredded bark.
* Landscape fabric, eliminates weed growth altogether. The fabric provides
a physical barrier against weeds and tree roots. Unlike plastic, landscape
fabrics breathe, letting air and water through,
and they don't adversely affect the health of plants. Install
the fabric after planting so you can carefully fit it around the
plants. Then cover the fabric with mulch.
* Make your own season-long weed barrier. Lay wet
newspaper about 4 sheets thick on the surface of the soil,
overlapping the edges a bit and placing the paper right up
against the stems of your plants. Next, cover the newspaper
with leaves, compost, straw, or another mulch. You can even
use this method to kill an already established weedy patch,
as long as you mow or cut down the weeds first.
Q. Should I add weeds to the compost pile?
A. Most weeds can be added to your compost pile,
but there are some exceptions. Perennial weeds that
spread by underground roots, such as quack grass,
should not be composted, because the roots usually
survive the composting process. Also, don't place
weeds with mature seed heads in the pile unless you
intend to heat the pile to above 130 degrees F to kill
the weed seeds.
 More on Weeds and Weed control
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