[SoFlaVeg] Lay Off the Weed Killer

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Misty L. Trepke

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Lay off the weedkiller

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/main.jhtml;$sessionid$1DCGWN3VBG

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There are plenty of other ways of dealing with the

brutes, says John Walker

 

The sunniest March on record has propelled plants into

growth, including those we'd rather not have around.

If you are determined to keep on top of weeds this

summer, act now. Prevention, prevention, prevention is

the

mantra of all weed-wise gardeners and for good reason.

But effective weed control doesn't automatically mean

resorting to quick-fix weedkillers: there are plenty

of organic solutions that are safe, effective and

kinder on the earth. One is to rely on mulch.

 

The majority of weeds don't even get off the starting

blocks if the ground is kept permanently mulched. The

effect is simple: a 2in-3in layer of bark, cocoa

shells, grass mowings (avoid those from

weedkiller-doused lawns), straw/hay, rotted manure or

shredded prunings prevents sunlight reaching the soil

surface and any weed seeds lying there cannot spring

into life. Even when the soil is warm and moist, weed

seeds stay dormant in darkness.

 

Mulching all bare soil when the first weed seedlings

appear as tiny green specks, could mean the difference

between hours of hard, ineffective and demoralising

weeding this summer and a largely weed-free garden or

allotment. Mulch also keeps the soil moist and acts as

a buffer against dramatic swings in temperature.

 

For established perennial weeds, such as couch grass

(Elytrigia repens), which are pushing through quickly

now the approach is slightly different but the

principle of total blackout at the soil surface

remains. Again, prevention is the key, but here you're

aiming to starve already established weeds of

life-giving light, preventing them from developing

fully so that eventually they weaken, die and rot down

in the darkness.

This could take some time - up to two years in the

case of pernicious perennials - but the resulting

crumbly, weed-free soil is well worth the wait.

 

To deter perennial weeds you will need to call on some

of the more heavyweight mulching materials such as

large cardboard sheets, full thickness newspapers,

black polythene or old natural-fibre carpet.

These should overlap at the edges by 6in-12in and must

be weighed down with a covering of bark, straw,

mowings, garden compost, decent topsoil, rotting

leaves or stones and bricks laid along the seams. This

also means you won't have to wince at the thought of

looking at the ugly sheet mulch.

This technique can be used on small or large areas.

 

Apart from the black polythene all these mulching

materials will gradually decompose into the soil,

boosting its humus content and increasing fertility.

Earthworms will also have a field day pulling down

straw and lawn mowings.

 

If you have just moved house and are starting from

scratch this spring don't fret over getting it all

designed and laid out. Instead, make weed prevention

your top priority and cover the ground with whatever's

available. Bare soil is a weed invasion just waiting

to happen.

 

How to beat tough weeds

 

After any weeding session you will be left with

bucketfuls if not barrowfuls of weeds - a mixture of

shoots, roots and soil that can be returned to the

garden as compost. Soft and sappy annual weeds can go

straight into the compost bin. Perennial weeds, with

tough roots, runners or rhizomes are trickier: even a

small fragment can regrow into a new plant, so finish

them off first:

 

Wilt and weaken Chop them up with a spade (or even put

them through a shredder) and spread them in the sun.

Once dry and shrivelled, compost them.

 

Bag them up Turn an old compost bag inside out, fill

with chopped and wilted weeds, puncture some air holes

in it and soak the contents in a mixture of one part

urine to 10 parts water (to kick-start the composting

process). Seal the bag and put in a sunny spot where,

being black, it will heat up. In a year's time, empty

out the rich, dark compost and spread immediately.

 

Drowning Fill a bucket or barrel with weeds, cover

them with water and weigh them down below water level

with a brick. Starved of air they'll rot down into a

pungent slurry which can be added to the compost bin a

few

weeks later.

 

Security check

 

Plants from nurseries and garden centres are usually

free of perennial weeds but they could still be

harbouring fast-spreading annuals such as hairy

bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) or their dormant

seeds. If you have any doubts (look out for weeds when

you're buying) scrape off the top inch of compost and

bury it deep in the garden, or put it in the dustbin.

 

Another, more surreptitious way in for serious

perennial weeds such as great bindweed (Calystegia

silvatica), is with plants lifted from other gardens.

Before you plant, check for unfamiliar roots, washing

away the soil if necessary. As an extra precaution,

pot the plant up and grow it on - lurking weeds will

also grow and can be removed.

 

The Daily Telegraph Weeds by John Walker is available

from Telegraph Books Direct, price �12.99 including

p & p. To order call 0870 1557222.

 

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