Plastic mulch in the perennial beds is the meaning of life.

Annuals are worse. Once you have the weeds in the perennial beds under control, they are way easier.
Oprah used to have, Tuesdays With Dr Phil. We have, Mondays With Weeds in the Lisianthus Bed. Next year we have to do better prep work before planting in that hoophouse.

Yep, I have to do way better prep work in the hoophouse, too. AND, although we TRY To farm organically, I'm about to go the poison route on the grasshoppers in the hoophouse. They have to go. I'm not going to mention it to my husband, though.

Really, plastic mulch? What about the black stuff that rain can get through? I'm thinking of that for perennial beds ... and since I might be starting all over maybe I can do it right this time!! I think we made a big mistake tilling under pastureland that we didn't really intend to use for a few years. Our intent was to put a green manure crop on it, but green manure unfortunately needs water to grow, so we ended up growing a field of weeds which ... well ... anyway, it's a danged mess out there. Next time maybe we'll plow under bit by bit and get control as we go along...

Kristen

Buckwheat is a great weed suppressor. If you can afford to prepare your plot a year ahead, two crops of buckwheat followed by one of annual rye over winter builds up the soil and controls weeds. It doesn't need much watering and will grow in poor soil. We prepare new garden space this way whenever possible.

This year too, on calm hot sunny days, I'm using a backpack sprayer of 5% white vinegar to drench our worst weed - sheep sorrel. The vinegar fries the leaves, even kills the root. Some weeds like dandelions may need a second application. It is said to have little effect on soil pH.

Kristen,
I know exactly what your saying! The weeds here have absolutely exploded in the last few days. I will never direct seed anything early again. Tilling right before you plant makes such a difference. The plants I direct seeded earlier are no where to be found. Infact, I hoed, and replanted some other seed yesterday. And where I planted my new lilies, I have tons of cosmos up, they reseeded themselves from that spot in last years planting. But it's been good weather to move them to other places. I do think mulch is a big help, as long as you've got the weeds under control before you put it down.
Paul, I've been meaning to tell you about the dianthus I planted last year. The dianthus barbatus, "Super duplex mix" has done beautifully, it's tall, and is about to bloom soon. And it's a ditto on the P. carnation, floristan mix. They both look great in their second year. If they end up looking like the amazon neon, then I can cross that expensive seed off my list. (Although the color on that is exceptional) I hope you found some seed, and have some started in your gardens.
Cheryl

I tried cover cropping with rye and vetch, the best combination for this climate, last year. They appeared to out-compete most of the weeds and looked great last year. Sowed them again this year, (with fresh seed, of course) but what I got is mostly bindweed and penny cress this time. ?????!!!! That's in the annuals beds. The perennial beds like penny cress and sheep sorrel best, but I can keep up on them because I use 3' wide black woven fabric, I think it's called Sunbelt, in all perennial beds. I still have to weed, but only in the little circles the plants are in. It becomes less every year if I stay on top of it. I have the T-tape drip tubing underneath. Supposedly rain gets through the fabric, but in reality it doesn't, so I have to irrigate somewhat more even in wet weather, but that's worth it.

Jeanne

Here in Michigan with our tropical summers, the weeds often outpace the little seedling plugs. In the perennial beds we use Dewitt Pro 5 Weed Barrier. It's permeated; and, the rain and overhead irrigation get through the fabric just fine. It does a terrific job controlling weeds. Awhile back Bryan in UT also mentioned that he uses this fabric in his perennial beds. We like the lines in it because it does help keep the rows straight when planting.

unfortunatly God made these two people called adam and eve and we have to live with it so weeds will always be around whatever we do.

I just posted this on another thread by Dapper Dahlia, so will quote here, in case you don't see it there.

"I'm a one-woman campaign on this pitch, but I truly believe that the best way to avoid weeds is to bring in the best planting mix you can find from a local landscapers' supply by the cubic yard, a mix with rice hulls, lava rock, sand & manure in it, and form it into raised planting berms--instead of amending existing soil. Less backbreaking work, more planting fun, & when weeds do appear, they come out easily. I put shredded cedar or redwood mulch around plants after planting, which further discourages weeds. On my garden's floor, I did install high quality weedcloth--not plastic--which is also covered by shredded cedar. When weeds emerge, even now, after 2-3 years, they're individuals, and pull up easily. I don't even have a hoe!
Many resist the expense--good soil can be $30-40 a cubic yard, but in the long haul, the cost-benefit ratio makes it well worth it IMHO!

Karen"

I will add, tho, that I don't broadcast seeds into my garden--tho it is all perennials--I tend to start with bareroot roses & 4" perennials.

I just found ( and am using ) something i never heard of before but read in the Gourd forum. I went to my local appliance store and hardware store and got all the card board they had and layed it out around my gourd hills. This is supposed to keep down weeds and keep the soil wet and will decompose and we'll plow it in next year. Now i wouldnt put it in the flower beds in front of my house but for a patch to sell out of that no one but me is going to be in i figured WHY NOT! And besides that i'm up to my eye balls in red root and i'm sick of hoeing it!

Kristen, I know what you mean. I am starting to wonder if everything we do needs to planted in black plastic though. I pinched the statice first crop and weeded 1/10 of a acre in about 20 minitues. I can't get close to that in the zinna or sun beds that are direct seeded.

I am starting to rethink the black plastic in perennial bed too. The weed barrier with bark on top allows for weed seed to start too easy. I hope everything is going good. The monsoon season has started with winds terrible winds and forest fires.

Bryan

Bryan, yes, it appears the monsoons are early this year-- we've had a week of monsoon-style weather pattern already.

Cardboard is a good one-- I've used that on beds.

I read somewhere recently that pretty much the ONLY way to kill bindweed once and for all is to put on the black plastic, or black permeable weed barrier, and leave it on three full years. I might actually attempt this, as our bindweed is bad... although you know, in the big scheme of things, I'm not that bothered by bindweed-- our climate is dry enough that it doesn't get out of control and choke things...it's like a lving mulch... it's not a toxic plant, like the dam* CANADIAN THISTLE which seems to create a toxic soil environment so nothing else will grow. But I"m betting the black stuff would take care of that, similarly.

Of course, then you still have to worry about new seed sprouting when you take the black off, but if you follow your three years with one year of regular tilling, it would seem you could get rid of these pernicious persistent weeds.

Well, I'm sure industrious mulching (with mulch of any kind) will really help with my perennial beds... We had a serious problem in the peonies, all this alfalfa and deep-root clover... we let the flood irrigation loose on the bed for a full day so it was wet four feet down, then we were able to pull it all out. Boy did that feel good. The rabbits liked all the stuff, too...

Kristen

What about chickweed and portulaca? I'm about to break out the roundup. Anyone have any friendlier sprays that one can use?