Re: Weed control?
- To: m*@ucdavis.edu
- Subject: Re: Weed control?
- From: D* W*
- Date: Tue, 30 Nov 1999 09:31:49 -0700
I used to start in one corner and get rid of every weed as I went. In the
meantime, weeds over in the other corner were dropping seeds. So I only go
for the weeds that are making flower buds, and do a quick job of the entire
half acre, ignoring any other weeds. Waiting till they are flowering makes
it easier to see the target weeds, and you can enlist the help of other
people, like kids. (See these pink flowers? Pull them all out.) If you
are the only one doing the weeding, it is better to get them before the
flowers open, because some flowers will go on to produce their seeds in the
compost.
After a number of years of this regime, I have very few weeds. I have to
have some, though. I always have a few thistles and fennel for the
butterflies, and I have some dandelions because we eat the leaves during
the winter. The dandelions I pry out as soon as I see a flower bud, so they
don't flower, but there is always a bit of root left so I get more leaves
later.
Diane Whitehead, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
zone 8 cool mediterranean climate
