The basics of weeding
The first task of gardening is to weed. Many gardeners have learned to love weeding. My grandfather once left intensive care after a heart attack and was in the garden weeding within one hour. Weeding was his best medication.
That said, most people hate the task of weeding, and this chapter is intended to give tips on dealing with weeds that will eliminate as much of the problem as possible with the least effort.
What is a weed?
A weed is a plant growing where it does more harm than good. Any plant can become a weed. Weeds do harm by choking out desired plants. Many desirable and beautiful plants produce seeds by the million which become next year’s weeds. Amaranthus are a prime example. Buckthorn, once sold as a cultivated tree, have become a weed and are taking over our woods.
Kill weeds when they are young
The difficulty of weeding increases exponentially the longer you let them go. If you begin with a well-tilled garden, weeding can be as simple as disturbing the soil once it has formed a crust following a rain. Such disruption will kill the tiny, barely visible weeds and make it more difficult for others to germinate. Disturbing the soil can be done very quickly, with long sweeps of a hoe. Once the weeds become visible, killing them becomes a much larger task.
Another reason to add peat
A layer of well-ground peat spread on the surface of the garden makes weeding a breeze. The more organic matter in the soil, the easier it is to weed. An exception to this rule is manure: Old manure piles contain weed seeds galore. Use rotted manure with caution.
Remove weeds by the root
Pulling the top of a weed of and leaving the root does little good. The weed will return. Weeds must be removed by the root. Weeding early, before the roots go deep, is of utmost importance. Pulling up large weeds can disturb your plants.
Use a sharp hoe
Don’t mess with dull weeding instruments. Grandpa used to sharpen his hoes on the emery wheel at least on a weekly basis. Consider using a triangular sickle hoe for larger weeds.
The most vicious weed of them all
No plant can compete with grass. If grass is allowed to creep in on young trees and shrubs, they will likely quite growing and possibly die. Mowing the grass does no good. Young trees and shrubs will do their best if surrounded by a circle of cultivated soil. Turf and trees are fundamentally incompatible, which is one reason why trees planted in urban and suburban landscapes have half the life-expectancy of their rural cousins.
Roundup: The wonder chemical
Roundup herbicide is the most effective way to kill the grass around young trees. Roundup only enters plants through the leaves, therefore you will not kill a tree by spraying Roundup around its base. Roundup is also effective in pushing grass back from the edges of flower beds, but only use Roundup for this purpose before planting, or in the fall after the flowers have gone into decline. Roundup does not have a residual effect on the soil and breaks down into a relatively harmless salt compound upon hitting the soil. |
|
|
|
|
|
