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christinmk

The Weeding Process

Meant to ask this question before, but never got around to it. With all the snow and nothing else to do, now is a good time I think, lol! I've been curious to know what the weeding process is like in your gardens? It is such a routine job, but we have never talked about it before and I thought it would be interesting to see how similar or dissimilar we are in it!

Do you like weeding, or is it nothing but a chore for you?

What is the most aggravating weed growing in your garden?

How often do you do it? Does it depend on what time of the growing season it is?

Do you take your time and do it section by section? Or do you devote an entire day or weekend and get the whole garden weeded at once?

Where do the weeds get tossed as you are weeding? Do you go around with a bucket, or make piles to be taken away later?

What are the weediest parts of your garden? Are there any areas you sort of just "let go" when it comes to weeds?

What is your favorite weeding tool(s)? Do you have a different tool for different jobs/areas?

Funny question, but do you sit on something while you weed? Or is everything so crowded that you kind of have to do the "tiptoe and squat" dance around the beds?

Do you use anything to reduce the amount of weeds you have? Like a type of mulch, newspaper, weed barrier material, weed reducing product etc? Or do you avoid that because you promote reseeding plants?

Lastly, what do you do with all the dug up weeds? Do you compost them, have a dumping area in your yard, or trash em'? Do you guys have a "green can" especially for yard waste?

----------------

My answers! ;-)

First, I don't much care for weeding. Now I don't mind cutting back and deadheading, but weeding is not a chore I enjoy.

I dislike bindweed intensely. Usually what I end up doing is cutting the vines that grow up neighboring plants and dig up the roots, laving the vines to die away. No way am I going to stand there and try and unwind those suckers from the plant!! There is also a nasty weed in my garden that has a terrible tap root, hollow and milky stems, and a yellow dandelion like flower. Anyone know what it is? OH! And that yellow flowering Oxalis. No getting rid of that guy, what with the fine roots! Best you can do is clear them out as soon as seed pods form to keep them from spreading more.

The weediest time of the year is mid to late spring when the rains come and it is starting to get warm out! May, June, and part of July are the main months in my garden, when I am out weekly weeding. They don't seem to pop up and grow as fast in the heat of summer. I am ashamed of myself, but I didn't do much weeding at all over this past summer. It didn't hurt anything to let it go, but it certainly wasn't as attractive! Next year I hope to do better.

I used to try and get the whole thing done in a day or two, but now pace myself and do it one section at a time AND only as needed (don't bother if there are only a few little ones). Learned my lesson a couple years back in summer when I overdid it. I was trying to get the back garden weeded, as well as a neighbors veggie plot while they were on vacation. Must have gotten heat exhaustion or something, because I was sick to my stomach from night to early morning, chills then burning up, and a bit light headed. Now I know why it is best to TAKE YOUR TIME!

Generally I take a large plastic pot around with me as I weed to dump the unwanted greenery in. If there is a lot or I am also deadheading/cutting back as I go I will often pile things up on the pathway for later cleanup.

The weediest part of my garden is along the side of the fence, mostly in the very back of the garden. Probably because the soil is nice and stays fairly moist, plus the fact that they run over from the neighbors lot! I do tend to let this area "go" more than I should, especially the area behind the Joe Pye Weed, evergreen, and Russian Sage since no one can really see anything behind them!

My favorite weeding tool is a retired kitchen knife! Also works good for edging the grass and dividing plants. That is the only tool I use for weeding.

For the open spaces of the garden, along the boarders and pathway, I sit on a half of a cinder block. Not the easiest thing to tote around the yard, but it works for me! When I am to lazy to go fetch the cinder block I have a bad habit of sitting on the edge of that huge pot I put the weed remains in as I work! Yes, I have "fallen in" and been temporarily stuck on occasion, LOL!!! Thankfully most of the neighbors can't see in the yard, or else they would have a good laugh watching me try and weasel out of my predicament and pop the bucket off!! ;-D

But most of the garden is so packed with plants that there is no where to even put the block to sit. So those areas I either have to squat n' weed or bend over and weed.

Nope, don't use anything to deter weeds from growing since I encourage most plants to reseed in my garden. Any mulch I put down is more for keeping an area from drying out so fast or to enrich the soil, not keeping weeds down.

The neighbors often have room left in their green can by pickup to let me toss some things in. I will be honest here, I do dump weeds and green matter from the yard in the actual trashcan. Don't see why it is such an issue since it WILL decompose.

Well I certainly did ramble on didn't I? Lol! Sometimes ya' just NEED a good long garden chat!

Your turn. I want to hear how the weeding process goes in your gardens.

CMK

Comments (22)

  • loisthegardener_nc7b
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I don't like to weed, so I put down sheets of newspaper and add shredded bark mulch on top of that. If I can get around to replacing the newspaper and mulch every year or 2, I don't get weeds in those beds.

    Bindweed is my worst weed. Some bindweed got into the neighbors garden and has gotten mixed up with my clematis which is growing nearby. Last year, I cut back all the clematis to get at the bindweed and poked the entire above ground part of the bindweed into a jug of weedkiller for 2 weeks, hoping it would get absorbed by all the roots and kill the entire plant. We'll see how it worked next year.

    My second most annoying weed are the seeds that sprout from our maple tree. They get everywhere, and end up sprouting in the most hard to get areas, such as inside large shrubs. I know this does not work for everyone, but the best way to prevent anything from sprouting underneath or inside our large shrubs seems to be to put down thick plastic under the shrubs and then put the wood chip mulch (not shredded mulch) on top of that. I use the bags from the shredded mulch that I put elsewhere for the plastic.

    If the weed is hard to get out, I use a shovel to dig it out, so I am standing up to get rid of those weeds. And for the other weeds, there are usually so few that I just nab them as I go by.

    Every few years, I also edge the rose border to prevent the grass from sneaking in.

    My neighbors have a burn pile, and that's where I dump the weeds and sticks I need to get rid of. I wish I had a compost pile, but I would need to have a chipper machine to make it worthwhile, and I don't have one yet.

  • lavender_lass
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    CMK- You know how I feel about weeding! :(

    They're everywhere and I have all kinds of weeds, between the fields/pasture and the horses! LOL Great soil, lots of water equals TONS of weeds. I throw them all over the place and then my wonderful husband comes and picks up loads (yes, plural) with the cart, behind the riding lawn mower. Then he dumps them over the hill, which goes down towards the pasture (but not in the pasture). It's now got a mound all the way around (probably 200 feet). Seriously!

    After two or three trips, he rakes up what's left and then I look at all the weeds I haven't even started on yet! Yikes!!! They're everywhere...or at least they were. Maybe the snow is not so bad after all! :)

    My beautiful garden of weeds. At least they'll be smaller next year and I won't have so many...because there will be no more rototilling!!!

    {{gwi:43727}}

    The weeds look pretty in the picture above, but below...there are sunflowers and catmint at the bottom of the photo...but all those white flowers are weeds...as are most of the other plants under them! And I pulled them all the time...next year...lots of alyssum (early) and no rototilling! LOL

    {{gwi:243813}}

    Forgot to mention, favorite tool is me pulling them up (with gloves on) and I crawl around all through the garden...which explains all the grass stains on the knees of my blue jeans!

  • luckygal
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Do you like weeding, or is it nothing but a chore for you?
    Don't like it one bit, but love the results.

    What is the most aggravating weed growing in your garden?
    Always dandelions which blow in from everywhere, but this year also thistle.

    How often do you do it?
    One good weeding in spring as soon as the perennial seedlings can be identified. Ongoing as I have time and inclination during the summer, and usually another more thorough one in the fall which didn't get done this year.

    Does it depend on what time of the growing season it is?
    I try to get them before they set seed altho that's never 100%.

    Do you take your time and do it section by section?
    Spring and fall. Otherwise whenever I'm hand watering, taking pics, or checking out a particular plant.

    Or do you devote an entire day or weekend and get the whole garden weeded at once?
    Spring and fall until it's done and it takes several days plus.

    Where do the weeds get tossed as you are weeding?
    I either use my wagons, a wheelbarrow, make a pile, or carry around a bucket. No set routine.

    What are the weediest parts of your garden?
    Near the bird feeder and my wild bird garden is the worst. This year the birds seeded a lot of thistle in that area. I do let that area and the areas furthest from the house go longer but still try to pull weeds before they seed.

    What is your favorite weeding tool(s)?
    I mostly hand pull except for thistles. I find when the soil is moist even dandelions come up well. My garden fork is never far from me tho, I use that to loosen the soil for tough weeds then pull. For thistles I put on heavy leather gloves or whack off the tops, loosen the soil with the fork, and reach for the root which has no thistles - mostly it works! I've been thinking of getting a weeding hoe which I used in my parents garden but I need to have plants spaced further apart for that method.

    Funny question, but do you sit on something while you weed? Or is everything so crowded that you kind of have to do the "tiptoe and squat" dance around the beds?
    I don't sit, sometimes I squat, but mostly I bend over which is not good for the old back.

    Do you use anything to reduce the amount of weeds you have?
    I use cardboard and mulch and will be doing more of that. I collect perennial seeds and put them where I want them altho many drop before I get them. Pulling weeds before they set seed helps altho on a rural acreage they blow in from all over.

    Lastly, what do you do with all the dug up weeds?
    Compost some, dump others in a rough area. Bad ones I bury or put in a garbage bag until they are slimy.

  • Thyme2dig NH Zone 5
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Christen, heat exhaustion from weeding? Oh how awful! LOL about you sitting on the edge of your pot. Please don't get stuck, the squirrels will laugh!

    Here are my answers:

    Do you like weeding, or is it nothing but a chore for you?
    Weeding stinks! Although somtimes pulling crabgrass can feel very rewarding because it can look like an area will take hours to weed, but the crabgrass spreads so much it seems an area of it is weeded in no time.


    What is the most aggravating weed growing in your garden?
    I'm really bad in that I don't know the names of many of the (most annoying) weeds in my garden. Any weed I have to pull is aggravating. I did have dodder (parasite) in one small area of my garden for years. It was scary and hard to get rid of but I finally won the battle with it a number of years ago and have not seen any for over 3 years.

    How often do you do it?
    Not often enough!

    Does it depend on what time of the growing season it is?
    I usually weed in the early-summer when they're really getting big and hopefully get them before they set seed.

    Do you take your time and do it section by section?
    Section by section for sure. I have to really psych myself up for the job. Unfortunately I usually get sidetracked with much more attractive garden chores.

    Or do you devote an entire day or weekend and get the whole garden weeded at once?
    Depends on how bad they are. I sometimes will spend an entire day weeding but try not to. A couple hours here or there when I really put my mind to it.

    Where do the weeds get tossed as you are weeding?
    In a $5 heavy-duty bucket from Wal-Mart.

    What are the weediest parts of your garden?
    The newest parts of the garden that aren't packed with plant material yet.

    What is your favorite weeding tool(s)?
    My hands. I've never used a tool for weeding.

    Funny question, but do you sit on something while you weed? I'm a squatter.

    Do you use anything to reduce the amount of weeds you have? I used Preen for the first time this year and it really worked quite well. I'll probably still only use it in pathways or the newer areas until they get full. The main thing I do to reduce weeds is pack the borders with plants as tight as possible.

    Lastly, what do you do with all the dug up weeds?
    Throw them over a slope in the yard.

  • louisianagal
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    As I've gotten older (I'm in my 50's), weeding has changed. I actually do not freak out about the weeds. It is therapeutic to weed sometimes, and I actually enjoy it at times. I weed whenever I see one, but often do take a day or several hours in a day to weed an area. I like to do one garden at a time, esp the more obvious ones first. That gives you such a sense of accomplishment. I bought a hoe but don't like it one bit, there is just no substitute for hand weeding. I sit on a little plastic stepstool that is used for short people like me or toddlers to reach things. It is very lightweight. I have 2 "tub trugs" which are bright pink and the other blue, I totally love these, they have handles, are lightweight and you can water with them or whatever. I put the weeds in there. Often I have the 2 of them, the larger for the weeds, the smaller for weed seedheads and esp. the dreaded johnsongrass which I do not compost but throw in the garbage. That is the weed I just hate becoz those seedheads just wave at you in a very mean way. So my lawn is actually the place I stress over weeding the most. Not that I care that my lawn is pristine, far from it, but I just don't like the johnsongrass. I seed with clover each fall and it helps keep weeds from getting in the lawn. In my beds and borders I just hand weed. I use either bare hands (or gloved), a little forked weeder tool (love it), or clip the weed off at ground level with pruners. I do use newspaper and cardboard when making the beds, and then I mulch usually with pinestraw or grass clippings or shredded (or not) leaves or compost. I refresh the mulch whenever needed. I compost just about everything that I can except for those johnsongrass seed heads. And certain others like partridgepea seedpods (wildflower which began to get too invasive). Thanks for asking.

  • christinmk z5b eastern WA
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    -LL, at least you have pretty weeds! I actually think the white flowering ones look lovely en masse in your garden. Oh my gosh, those are sunflowers! They are huge! They must enjoy all that horse poo ;-)

    -luckygal, that is a clever idea putting the weeds in a bag to get slimy. Do you put it in the compost after that? One reason I have never ventured to put weeds in the compost is because it never really gets hot enough to kill any seed. Bet your method would solve that...

    -Susan, LOL! Knowing I was in no position to do anything, the squirrels would probably take advantage of the situation to go on a rampage throughout the garden!!!

    -louisianagirl, I am the same way when it comes to hoes. Better to dig it out by hand so you can get most of the roots!
    CMK

  • Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I think weeding can be very theraputic! But i dont get to it as often as i should. I use my bare hands (except for those spikey prickly ones), and i dont sit on anything but the ground . CMKI have 2 gardens., so i do it by garden. However the front garden gets the most attention because thats what people see . I have a problem with dandelions, this weird grass that zigzags underground and this other weed that pulls up easy. There also is a weed that has prickles all over it and itll go right thru your gloves if you dont grab it from as close to the ground as possible.
    In my back garden i have creeping charlie all over the place, and some giant leaved prehistoric looking weeds that need dug out with a shovel . The taproot can be several inches thick and long!
    I use mulch but thats it for weed prevention. Tried preen one year but still had weeds so im not sure if it really works. i also pack in plants like crazy so that helps.
    Weeds get thrown into my lawn and get chopped up with lawnmower.
    I wonder if i applied the preen too late in the season? I might try again this spring.

  • tkhooper
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Do you like weeding, or is it nothing but a chore for you?
    I don't like weeding.

    What is the most aggravating weed growing in your garden?
    I've got one with a woody stem that absolutely will not come up without a lot of work. I don't know the name. It grows like a ground cover.

    How often do you do it?
    All year long in sections. The sidewalk bed and foundation beds get it most often because I see them peaking at me.

    Does it depend on what time of the growing season it is?
    In the heat of summer very little gets done because I can't handle the heat.

    Do you take your time and do it section by section?
    Definitely.

    Where do the weeds get tossed as you are weeding?
    I have a 5 gallon bucket or two or three.

    What are the weediest parts of your garden?
    Right now the lawn is pretty much all weeds. But the lawn is on the goal list for year 8 and it's only year 3 so it will be awhile before i get there.

    What is your favorite weeding tool(s)?
    I use the hoe because I am still conditioning most of my beds. I have a tendency to do things backwards so a lot of plants get planted before the bed is really in good shape.

    Funny question, but do you sit on something while you weed? Or is everything so crowded that you kind of have to do the "tiptoe and squat" dance around the beds?
    I have a pad I kneel on or I do the old sit and scoot.

    Do you use anything to reduce the amount of weeds you have?
    I use cardboard, mulch weed barrier, plastic and preen.
    And when I do the zen garden I plan on using the extra thick plastic with the weed killer empregnated in it. I think that's year six.

    Lastly, what do you do with all the dug up weeds?
    They go to the dump in a plastic bag according to the directions at our dump site.

  • flora_uk
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    1.Don't really mind weeding but I don't have such a big space as most of you. Weeding, cultivating, sowing and composting are real gardening as far as I'm concerned. Plonking out bought plants in bought soil is just decorating.
    2. Most annoying weed - bindweed.
    3. How often? When I see them.
    4. May - August is peak weeding time.
    5. Do I take my time - yes.
    6. Where do they go? Into the wheel barrow.
    7. Weediest part - amongst the soft fruit because it is not dug and the bindweed gets a hold.
    8. Favourite weeding tool - hand fork for small plants, digging fork for larger plants, hoe for seedlings and hands to chuck them in the barrow.
    9. Do I sit? Yes, if the grass is dry (rare here). Otherwise I kneel or stand and bend.
    10. Do I use anything to reduce the weeds? Yes - I weed! 1 years seeding = 7 years weeding. So after 19 years there's not much to weed. Sometimes in the spring I'm searching for weeds to pull.
    11. What do I do with the weeds? All to the compost heap except bindweed which goes into an old barrow until it is dried up - thence also to the compost heap - weeds grow in the garden therefore they are returned to the garden. Otherwise the nutrients are lost.

  • mindysuewho
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Most annoying weed is definitely ground ivy. Even in December, it's still alive and well. Can never seem to get rid of it all. Second worse is johnson grass or crab grass.

    How often? When I see them and I have a few minutes. I don't set aside a time to weed, it just happens in dribs and drabs.

    Weediest part? Sunny garden is a lot weedier than the shade garden. Also the more plants in the garden, the less weeds.

    When? All growing season

    Where? Into a five gallon bucket

    Weeding tools? Almost always just my hands. Occasionally use a sharp trowel to dig.

    Do I sit? No, I usually bend over or kneel on one of those pads.

    Reducing weeds? I don't use any chemicals. The last couple of years, we have chopped up our leaves and mulched the beds with them and that does cut down on weeds.

    Where do they go? Into the compost heap

  • mary_lu_gw
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Most annoying weed, one the PO left behind. Not sure what it is, but it spreads underground by root. When I first moved here I didn't know what it was and therefore spread it from garden to garden when moving plants. I know now better. Grrr... I find it impossible to get rid of. Even dug up my strawberry bed and left it fallow this year trying get rid of it. Not sure I was successful, even using round-up.

    How often? As needed, or when I find the time!

    Where? Into a five gallon bucket and then into trailer destined for the compost yard.

    How? Usually sitting or kneeling on a foam pad. Bad back and knees. Use a small trowel and gloves.

    What? I use preen on all my gardens. Have for years and would never be without it. Also mulch all gardens. Sadly this does not allow me to plant from seed, but I would never have time to keep up otherwise.

    Usually I do it area by area, but on my "walk arounds" I tend to pull weeds here and there.

    Interesting topic! Great to read what others do!

  • luckygal
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    christinmk, yes the slimy weeds go in the compost. I compost everything I possibly can.

  • flora_uk
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Mary lu said 'I use preen on all my gardens. Have for years and would never be without it.' I have only heard of Preen in these forums so looked it up. The active ingredient is Trifluralin. This substance is banned in the European Union because of its toxic effects on the environment. It is a suspected carcinogen and kills fish, crustaceans and insects including bees. You might want to review your use of it.

  • mnwsgal
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I don't like or dislike weeding, it is just a part of gardening for me. I mulch so don't have many weeds and for years wondered why I didn't have much reseeding, silly me. Now I pull the mulch away from any area where I want reseeding.

    I weed whenever I see one. Since I deadhead and walk about my gardens every day weeding is a continuous process. I carry a 5 gal pail around and put everything in it and empty that into the compost pile. Occasionally I don't have a pail and the weed goes into my pocket.

    Turning the compost pile has become a rarity so I no longer put seeds in the compost. Most weeds are picked before they go to seed otherwise the seed head gets chopped off and put in the yard waste pickup bag.

    The most aggravating weed is maple seedling. Our neighbors have huge maple trees and the yard is covered with them in the late spring. This is one that I take multiple pails with me and remove maple seeds from each bed systematically starting at one end and working to the other. Sometimes my little neighborhood girls help me. They think it is fun. I either turn one pail over and sit on it or take a fold up lawn chair to sit on, one that tilts easily and is light to carry.

    I have a couple of hand hoes which I will use but since I mostly weed while deadheading I must admit that I poke my pruner into the soil to loosen the roots and hand pick the weeds.

  • mary_lu_gw
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you Flora for the info. I will look into it. However, I must say that I have an over abundance of bees in my yard. When the raspberries are in bloom you can hear their buzzing from quite a distance away. Hasn't seemed to bother them in the ten years I have had the bed?

  • lavender_lass
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I saw Preen at the store and was curious, since I'd seen it on TV. The first thing I saw on the package was...this will not work if you have manure in your soil! Obviously, not used in my garden :)

    Flora- Actually plonking down bought plants in bought soil is designing...and landscape designers often make a lot of money, doing just that! LOL

    I'm not a landscape designer (far from it) but I do buy annuals to add to the garden, since most flowers I start from seeds are just starting to bloom when I get my first frost...due to our short frost free season.

  • mary_lu_gw
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    lavender, after reading flora's post and then your post as well, I have been doing some research as I don't want to use a product that could be harmful to the environment.

    But I have to ask. I looked up the label for Preen and found that it said "Do not apply Preen Garden Weed Preventer to muck soils or to soils containing more than 10% organic matter". I have a very sandy soil and moisture as well as nutrients quickly pass through the soil.

    Then I look up organic matter in soils and found the following info: "Fine-textured soils can hold much more organic matter than sandy soils for two reasons. First, clay particles form electrochemical bonds that hold organic compounds. Second, decomposition occurs faster in well-aerated sandy soils. A sandy loam rarely holds more than 2% organic matter."

    So I would think that even if I do add manure or other organic materials to my gardens, that it quickly decomposes and is not held long in my sandy soil. Doubt I would have the 10% that is mentioned on the Preen label.

    I am not doubting that there are those that do not want to use this product and I understand why. But I will continue to research it so that if I do continue to use it in the future, it will be with knowledge of the product.

  • lavender_lass
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Mary lu- I put in half aged horse manure and half soil in my gardens! Rather extreme, but I have heavy clay and without it...it's slime in the spring and cement in the summer. That's why I laughed, when I saw the no more than 10% organic matter. LOL

    I know, this wouldn't apply to most gardens (and I'm not recommending it for everyone...it just works for me)...and I had to find some way to recycle my horses' contribution :)

    As for the other ingredients...I have no idea, but if you're concerned, maybe check with your local Master Gardeners. They should have more information.

  • mary_lu_gw
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh if only I had access to what you have! Years ago, before I really got into gardening, we lived in the country and had 3 horses. But alas, when we moved to town we were forced to sell them. So....no organic matter readily available now! :-)

  • organic_kitten
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow! What a lot of responses to this thread. It is a fine thread, too.

    No, I don't really mind weeding, in fact, it is a time planning and daydreaming...I actually find it to be soothing but I don't love to do it.

    The most annoying weeds to me are the ones with little threadlike roots that you can't really get rid of...so the weed always comes back again.

    I just weed when the weeds get noticeable.

    There are weeds that grow year round, so I am always having areas that need attention.

    I take my time, I have two tools I use...one of them is the cobra hook, and the other is an old fashioned weed puller. I use for weeds with taproots and wild onions...which I really hate! Some weeds just require hand pulling.

    I have a little stool that you can vary the height on...I use it (there's almost always room for it's two wheels,) but sometimes I sit flat on the ground. I can't squat or kneel because of the bad knee.

    I toss the weeds in the wheelbarrow.

    I use mulch or Preen where you can't mulch (iris) and find it cuts my weeding chores tremendously.

    I empty most of the weeds from the wheelbarrow onto the compost pile, but if I fear fungus, I trash them.
    kay

  • hansie
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    i weed every day, having inherited a yard that had grown over and gone to seed every year for decades. once this occurred to me i stopped planting and decided weeding was my gardening for awhile. one plot is fully planted and is full of oxalis pes caprae, so it's very frustrating. i dig out big scoops of topsoil with a hand spade around the new growth. i have to squat with a big plastic bag ready. i have laid down newspapers and mulch to slow them down, otherwise i couldn't keep up.

    the other side of the yard is more or less bare. i spent two days digging in rows some massive dandelion roots and while i know there are more i'm just focusing more on the oxalis problem and waiting for the dandelions to show themselves before attacking. i took down a wall of noxious grass from alongside the building with glysophate, raked up and bagged the debris, and put down a heavy layer of antiemergent for the thousand of seeds sure to have carpeted the area. i have dandelions growing along the cement and the gate, and when they get big enough i'll have to spray those too. i prefer not to use sprays but the situation i have at hand calls for it.

    i don't mind dandelions much and generally allow them a space or two in the yard and just pull the flowers before they set seed. but currently the roots populate the entire plot, and so they have to go. oxalis i despise with all my being. one day i will go to south africa so i can appreciate its perkiness in its natural environment.

    the other weed i hate most is generally the dense, invasive grasses most of you call lawns. i pulled mine up. that took some effort, but aside from a few sad hanger-ons, i seem to have been successful.

    i weed with an old butter knife and a garden spade and a spray bottle. if the weed i spray is too close to a wanted plant, i use a tiny paint brush. i throw the dandelions and grass in a plastic bag to rot before composting. the oxalis and excavated soil gets double bagged and put in the landfill trash, because the bulbs can survive both composting and fire. (seriously. i hate oxalis.)

    i don't mind weeding but i don't think i've ever been in such a daunting position where i won't win despite all my persistence. sometimes when i think of the mess i started with and the years ahead battling the invasives, i get mad. when i get not-so-pretty california natives wandering in, i will happily let them be.

  • rosefolly
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Do you like weeding, or is it nothing but a chore for you?
    I really love weeding. It feels very contemplative to me. When life is spinning out of my control, I weed a patch of garden and it makes me feel better. It is my meditation.

    What is the most aggravating weed growing in your garden?
    We have so many! We live next to an open field and have a year-round mild climate so it is an unending battle. Bindweed and oxalis are the most prolific.

    How often do you do it?
    I weed in spurts all year long. I use a mulch so that helps keep weeds reduced in the beds, and I weed them anytime I notice unwanted plants. It is the unwatered areas between the beds that need the most attention. We live in an area that does not rain in the summer.

    Does it depend on what time of the growing season it is?
    Whenever the weeds are prolific, I weed them, though I do find that I tend to take garden "vacations" from time to time when I do very little at all, exhaustion no doubt. We lack a winter break, something I actually miss. At those times I turn my attention to other activities, reading or sewing or knitting.

    Do you take your time and do it section by section?

    Usually, though if I am in a hurry I just pick a few big juicy ones that stand out from the crowd. But most of the time I am enticed into sitting down and clearing out a patch.

    Where do the weeds get tossed as you are weeding?
    If they are small and have not gone to seed, sometimes I just leave them where they fall to return their nutrients to the mulch or the soil. If there are a lot and I am concerned that they will be overwhelming, I put them in our home compost bin. However if they have seeded or are close to it, or if they are weeds that will sprout from root fragments, I put them into the community yard waste recycling bin each household has here in my town. The hot composting they do destroys weed seeds, which my home cold compost will not.

    What are the weediest parts of your garden?
    The semi-grassy, unwatered, gopher-infested areas between planted beds.

    What is your favorite weeding tool(s)?
    My bare hands. If thorny, my gloved hands. If the weeds have a deep taproot, I sometimes use one of those Japanese garden knives, the name of which escapes me at the moment.

    Funny question, but do you sit on something while you weed? Or is everything so crowded that you kind of have to do the "tiptoe and squat" dance around the beds?

    I start out standing and bent over, but soon my back protests and I plop right down on the ground.

    Do you use anything to reduce the amount of weeds you have?

    One intensely weedy area where I never could make any headway got the newspaper and mulch treatment, as did the areas under the fruit trees and some of my rose beds. It is very effective. In regular beds that are more heavily planted I just use mulch. My mulch is coarse wood chips I get free from local tree trimming services.

    Full disclosure: I spray Roundup on poison oak. I also spray the invasive weeds out on the steep hillside field. We are required by law to clear vegetation to reduce the fire load caused by dry, unwatered vegetation. It is far too steep to mow and discing (which we used to do) actually makes the weeds worse. I have been planting trees out there that will eventually solve this problem as they grow and produce shade, but it will be years before this happens.

    Lastly, what do you do with all the dug up weeds?
    See above -- composted in situ or go to community composting. And we can get the finished compost back free, which is a lovely thing.

    Rosefolly

    This post was edited by rosefolly on Mon, Sep 2, 13 at 13:43

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