Let's talk weeding!!!!!!

What is the solution?

I spend HOURS weeding every week.

I don't have mulch though if that makes a difference.

I had one bed with mulch and landscape fabrich and that made not difference. It was even harder to weed with the mulch.

I just got an action hoe but it's is very physical and you must have "lose" dirt not compacted dirt to do it. I will admit it goes faster with that.





I have HUGE planting beds (we are talking over 50 ft long).


What is YOUR solution?

Is mulching the solution?

Message edited 6/8/2010 7:53:03 AM.

Re: Let's talk weeding!!!!!!

It depends on the weed. Are they grassy, shallow rooted type weeds? Taproot types like dandelions and ragwort? Something else?

Weed identifier - click on letters to view

Some things I try to do, if I don't actually have the time to pull everything, is spend 10 minutes pulling the flower heads and seedheads off, being careful to put them in my bucket so they don't fly around. Then I bag them carefully and throw them away.

We have that hoe too, we call it a scuffle hoe. It's only really good for the shallow rooted grassy things. For taproots, we still pull and spray with soap/vinegar. If you have compacted soil, you can use a pitchfork to loosen it up.

I keep reading that landscape fabric is not always effective if you don't get all the roots & seeds out out before you put it down, and then you have the added annoyance of pulling all your hard work out to weed again. I only used it for one spot that wasn't badly infested with weeds. Then I cut holes and planted Lady's Mantle around it and filled in the area with rocks. The only weeds I'm getting are ones that are in between the rocks, not the soil. It's working fairly well but it's a little annoying, getting the stuff out from between the rocks. Thankfully, it's a really small area, so it's not a big deal.

My newest approach is to cover the ground with dense plantings and at least 3 inches of mulch. Not invasive groundcovers, that's something that should be avoided at all costs, but instead putting the plants so close together, that the ground is starved of sunlight. In one area, it's working, but in another, there's not enough to fill in yet. I'll be working on that over the next month.

Message edited 6/8/2010 8:40:03 AM.

Re: Let's talk weeding!!!!!!

I have been thinking a lot about...pavement.

I spent 20 minutes pulling up wild mint the other day, which made me feel a little bad, but it's taking over my main flower bed. I am going to transplant some in a pot.

Thanks for the tips Greenfreak.

Re: Let's talk weeding!!!!!!

Ugh me too! My beds look like I haven't weeded and I do it every week! I can't take it anymore!

Re: Let's talk weeding!!!!!!

Weeds are green.... works for me...

Re: Let's talk weeding!!!!!!

we have the weed fabric and at least 3-4 inches of mulch. We just get weeds here and there, but don't have to spend too much time weeding at all. It works for us with our soil.

Re: Let's talk weeding!!!!!!

the house we bought has some sort of fabric down and then mulch over it. every few weeks I have pulled a very small amount of weeds out. I am shocked how well its working!

I didn't lay any of it or buy the mulch as it was here, but I plan to keep up with it because it makes a huge difference. in my backyard where it isn't done, it looks terrible

Re: Let's talk weeding!!!!!!

Posted by MrsProfessor

I have been thinking a lot about...pavement.

I spent 20 minutes pulling up wild mint the other day, which made me feel a little bad, but it's taking over my main flower bed. I am going to transplant some in a pot.

Thanks for the tips Greenfreak.

Message edited 6/8/2010 12:20:25 PM.

Re: Let's talk weeding!!!!!!

Posted by GoldenRod

Weeds are green.... works for me...

Re: Let's talk weeding!!!!!!

Wet newspaper and then put dirt over it. I have only seen 2 weeds since doing that since the beginning of May.

Re: Let's talk weeding!!!!!!

We have had this problem since moving into our house 5 years ago! Since the past 2 summers I have been pregnant, we needed a solution so I didn't spend all those hours out there.

This is the first season with the weed fabric, mulch & preen combo. So far, I have not weeded except for minor stuff & it has been a month

Re: Let's talk weeding!!!!!!

Posted by GoldenRod

Weeds are green.... works for me...

Re: Let's talk weeding!!!!!!

you could put cement ALL over your backyard like my neighbor behind me did. then you'll have nothing green at all i'd rather look at weeds than that parking lot.

my only solution is we hire landscapers and they do the hard work for us. i wish i actually knew how to solve the problem myself

Re: Let's talk weeding!!!!!!

I feel your pain. I have probably about 1/2 to almost 3/4 acre.
I weed by hand..it sucks.
I have so many plants they pretty much smother out alot of weeds. I still have thousands, Big huge self seeding rose o sharon that take root, wild morning glory vines that do not even flower, and wild rose bushes, anything horrible to pull out.
This year I have been completely anal regarding my veggies I have over 40 tomato plants alone not including my watermelons, cukes, peppers bla bla. I take a hand rake or bigger hoe and work around them and water deeply every other day, the soil is now soft and not so compacted like you described.
I was able to zip through on Sunday and pull every weed by hand in 1 1/2 hours.
I will tell you I am buying about 5000 earthworms to aerate the soil and because the worm casings are insane fertilizer.
It is cheap and fantastic for your garden. It definitely cannot hurt.
I also would mulch-use watered down and then dried, seaweed.
My neighbor does and his things are insane!:)

Re: Let's talk weeding!!!!!!

What about those horrible invasive strangling vines - I call them the evil vines? I do my best to pull them up by the roots where possible, or cut them where it's not, but it seems like they just keep popping up all over, especially in areas that are hard to access, like under a huge azalea, around my huge hydrangea or in the lily beds. What are they and does anyone have a suggestion besides constantly ripping and pulling?

Re: Let's talk weeding!!!!!!

Re: Let's talk weeding!!!!!!

How about field onions that you have to dig to HELL to get out?

WHERE DO THEY COME FROM?????????

Re: Let's talk weeding!!!!!!

I find mulch does help, but we don't get too many weeds in the summer.

We get a lot in the spring, we pull by ahnd & witha small weedign tool & then mulch.

I think we don't get so many b/c oncee the trees fill in we have a lot of shade. I try to grab them as I see them, so it doesn't become a huge job.

We also have plants close together in most spots.

Re: Let's talk weeding!!!!!!

Re: Let's talk weeding!!!!!!

I used fabric in my vegetable garden this year .. so far (6 weeks) it's been keeping all the weeds down. I think it really makes a difference.