Pesky Friends Called Weeds | Family Economics

By Sandy

Growing up, my parents had a big garden – and a lot of weeds!  I still hate weeding, to this day. So my husband and I get our kids to help us. They love it just like I did (yah, right!). We’ve taken some great steps to get rid of weeds, along with reading some tips from the Organic Gardening magazine, which we thoroughly enjoy.

Here’s what we’ve experienced about these pesky friends.

Weed now

First of all, if you’re going to weed – NOW is the time!  The weed tops are larger and easier to get out of the ground while the ground is wet. Spring is the perfect time. We’ve also found that by using some kind of covering on the ground it will help prevent the weeds from taking over.

Five ways to reduce

Straw: we prefer straw that is already two years old because the seed-heads have already sprouted and died.  If you use the newer straw, hit the top layer with weed killer.  Straw is very practical, holds the moisture well, and it looks great. (Baby potato plants coming up – yay!)

Paper shopping bags or cardboard:  this might be funky-looking, but it works!  Lay down the paper and put rocks on top to hold it down.

Bark: when you use bark, make it 5-6 inches thick. This makes it very difficult for the weeds to get through.

Compost:  we use partially decomposed compost in the garden area. (Baby beets in our greenhouse with compost.)

Blow Torch 2000 (Weed Dragon):  this is my husband’s favorite tool.  It’s a propane tool that kills the weeds with a flame, like a flame-thrower.  It works well on rock, or on decomposed granite, when the weeds start growing through. (Hobbes and our blow torch.)

 
Yard Sale Tool – $1

My hubs picked this particular tool up at a yard sale for $1.  It’s easy and convenient and gets rid of the weeds effectively with minimal disturbance of the soil!

But the best tool is fire–burning the weeds. Okay, I’m heading to our cold frame right now for more lettuce. I shared some yesterday with my friend Jeannie, who came by to cut a few heads out of the garden beds. 

There’s nothing like buttery, fresh lettuce greens! Do you have a garden?  Are you dreaming about a garden? And, if so, what do you hope to plant this year?