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zengeos

solarization

zengeos
16 years ago

I have been reading up a little on soil solarization as a good way of reducing weeds and pests in new beds. Has anyone tried it here in Maine? I planted a large perennial/bulb bed last fall, and expect to do another this coming fall, of similar size. My main concern with the last bed is weeds. I suspect that the first year or two will require significant weeding, so anything organic, to help diminish weeds in any of my new beds would be a great help. I did go a bit crazy with the bulbs last fall though...1000+ bulbs of various types may have been a bit....much....but I got them all planted at least!

Zen

Comments (6)

  • veilchen
    16 years ago

    With bulbs and perennials already planted, you won't be able to solarize the bed without killing some bulbs/perennials, along with the weeds. Solarization is for an empty bed before you plant.

    If there is room between plants, place a section of newspaper down, then mulch on top. The newspaper really stops any sunlight from reaching the soil and blocks seeds from sprouting. If there isn't room for that you will have to hand weed. If it is bad the first year, just remember that the more you keep up on it, the less weedy it will be in subsequent years.

  • zengeos
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Good point on the paper. it works well for many weeds except crabgrass. I was planning on solarization for next years' fall bed. I may move this years bulbs into that bed next year, then redo this years bed the following year, IF the weeds are bad.

    So does solarization work for you?

  • veilchen
    16 years ago

    I've never tried solarization (except when I accidentally left a greenhouse panel on the lawn too long!). When making a new bed I usually do the newspaper or cardboard/mulch on top method. The newspaper/cardboard blocks any light from reaching the seeds so they don't sprout. Also smothers those that do, along with any perennial weeds. But it only lasts a year or less, then you have to replace, which is hard to do around existing plants.

    My method for keeping weeds down is newspaper/cardboard on top soil when I can, and always a thick layer of mulch on everything. And weed frequently what weeds do come up before they get to be too many.

    I would be skeptical solarization kills all weed seeds. I have seen crabgrass sprout in a 1/2" deep crack in hot blacktop and grow just fine. And with solarization, you also are killing a lot of the soil micro-organisms that are beneficial to fertility.

  • adirondackgardener
    16 years ago

    Keep in mind that "solarization" is a pretty drastic step to take. Done properly, it not only kills some pests, some pathogens and some weed seeds, it also kills beneficial microbes that help build your soil. I liken it to chemotherepy for your soil. You should know that your soil problem is serious and can be solved by solarization before you start killing off everything to solve your problem.

    I might try it if I were plagued with soil-borne pathogens. For anything else, I'd try typical organic controls and not keep the bed out of production for the full growing season as required for effective solarizing.

    Wayne

  • adirondackgardener
    16 years ago

    >I liken it to chemotherepy for your soil.

    Actually, I meant to write that I liken it to "radiation treatments for your soil." Hopefully it kills off all the bad things before it kills off too many of the good.

    "Chemo for your soil" is what the ag. chem companies try to convince us our soil needs.

    Wayne

  • zengeos
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    I concur on crabgrass. I did the newspaper thing on a bed...actually, used a couple layers of brown painters paper since that isn't bleached I think. Crabgrass wasn't bothered by it at all...grew right through it. However, most other weeds were stopped and all I had to pull was the crabgrass...and vetch
    However, that was a different bed that I plan to rtedo this year with semi shade loving plants as I have 3 6= foot evergreen trees in the bed..and no understory/perennials

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