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Garden Gate:  Large scale weeding?  |
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Woodswoman
True Blue Farmgirl
512 Posts
Jennifer
Altamont
NY
USA
512 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 12 2009 : 5:18:59 PM
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Hello,
I was hoping for some ideas or suggestions for a situation.
I took over running the organic garden at our school last year.
It's going really well, except for the weeds.
The garden was rather neglected for a few years, so some of the weeds have gotten really well established around the perimeter, and have spread into the planting beds.
The kids at school help with weeding, but we are talking about a half acre garden, so its hard to keep up with.
So, anybody have any great ideas for dealing with large-scale established weeds? Oh, and some of them are thistles, which are hard for kids to pull, and are all over the darn place!
Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
Jennifer
Farmgirl Sister #104
"Nature brings to every time and season some beauties of its own".
-Charles Dickens |
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Tina Michelle
True Blue Farmgirl
6948 Posts
Tina
sunshine state
FL
USA
6948 Posts |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jun 13 2009 : 08:12:15 AM
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I agree. You want to get the newspapers several inches thick. You can also cut out cardboard to be the first layer and since that decomposes slower that also helps a great deal too! You can then put a mulch over the newspapers if you want to help keep them weighed down. Make sure they stay a bit damp so they down' start blowing away on you!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Jun 13 2009 : 08:30:22 AM
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Old carpet, I go into town, hit up the carpet stores. They have to pay to take the tear-out to the dump, so they will give it to you free. Cut strips the width of your paths between rows. I have the carpet right up to an inch or so from the plants and in-between plants in rows. The water go right thru the carpet , the earth stays moist longer, and NO weeds.
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl
13055 Posts
Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts |
Posted - Jun 13 2009 : 1:06:11 PM
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I do the newspaper, but be sure to put a thick layer of newspapers. I usually have to weed the edges, but compared to doing the entire thing, I don't mind. Good luck.
Marly
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross |
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asnedecor
True Blue Farmgirl
1054 Posts
Anne
Portland
Or
USA
1054 Posts |
Posted - Jun 13 2009 : 7:39:37 PM
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newspapers are great and if you can, put wood chips on top. Usually you can get wood chips for free from any local arborist, they are always looking for a place to dispose of these.
Anne in Portland,OR
"Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them" Eyeore from Winnie the Pooh
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kmbrown
True Blue Farmgirl
459 Posts
Misty
Waynesboro
Pennsylvania
USA
459 Posts |
Posted - Jun 14 2009 : 04:08:30 AM
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| We do the end rolls from the newspaper and then we layer our grass clippings on top of the newspaper. It works very well. Good luck with your garden though!!1 |
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Woodswoman
True Blue Farmgirl
512 Posts
Jennifer
Altamont
NY
USA
512 Posts |
Posted - Jun 14 2009 : 4:56:27 PM
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Thanks so much! I'm going to e-mail the other teachers in my building and have them start saving newspapers for me! You're right-it sounds cheap and easy!
Jennifer
Farmgirl Sister #104
"Nature brings to every time and season some beauties of its own".
-Charles Dickens |
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gramadinah
True Blue Farmgirl
3557 Posts
Diana
Orofino
ID
USA
3557 Posts |
Posted - Jun 15 2009 : 2:27:28 PM
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The county's noxious weed agent in my county says to cut Thistles off just below the dirt line they will then die. They are an annual weed and by pulling them the root sends out new shoots for next year. So by cutting them off the root will stay in tack and the leaves which are cut off being where they get their plant food they die.So I keep my trusty swiss army knife and just cut them down.
Diana
Farmgirl Sister #273 |
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Garden Gate: Large scale weeding? |
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Large scale weeding?
