Re: WEEDS Perennial & Annual
E.Pizzi@agora.stm.it wrote:
>
> We have eliminated all poisons in our garden; I resort to several safe
> things such as cloth mulch, black smothering plastic and yanking...but...
>
> Does anyone have miracle weed advice up their sleeves?
>
>
One way to reduce weeds is to stop watering them but that is hard on other
plants. The way we do it in the Children's Garden at the Fullerton Arboretum
is to use subsurface irrigation. On the large vinning type plants such as
tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins and gourds we bury a 32 oz. plastic
juice bottle neck deep in the soil. The bottom is removed or holes are
punched in the bottom of the bottle. The plants are planted around the
bottle and it is fed with a drip system. The surface weeds do not get water
so they are reduced. The water is used more efficiently and when we
fertilize we use a liquid fish or liquid seaweed and pour it into the bottle
so we are feeding the roots directly.
a heavy organic mulch then covers the bed reducing weed to a minimal task.
These same bottles with the bottom cut out are used to protect young plants
from birds and the bottle acts as a miniature hot house during early planting
times.
Another way to reduce weeding is to always dead head any plant that is
invasive or better yet not plant the plants that are so invasive.
--
Robert Anspach---Robans@att.net
Docent at The Fullerton Arboretum
Assistant Co-ordinator-Children's Garden
Orange County Master Garden
Trust everybody but cut the cards,
even if your playing with a marked deck
