| Do you use herbicides on your vegetable garden? |
| Never |
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83% |
[ 10 ] |
| Sometimes |
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16% |
[ 2 ] |
| Regularly |
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0% |
[ 0 ] |
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| Total Votes : 12 |
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Uncle Jabba
Just Arrived
Joined: 16 Jan 2007
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 38
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| Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 5:45 pm Post subject: Organic weed / Grass control? |
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Hello All:
I am looking for help with organic methods of weed and grass control. I am more interested in the grass control. My yard is planted with Bermuda grass that creeps, well actually it runs  , into my garden.
I have had all that I can take of this in my garden and I have a bottle of round-up in my garage…and I’m not afraid to use it. So everyone  let me know how to get rid of this grass from my garden permanently. It has been 5 years since I have put any chemicals on my garden so stop me with some great organic methods. 
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dooley
Official Garden Turtle
Joined: 03 Jul 2005
Location: Arizona, U.S.A (Map)
Posts: 3249
PlantStew: 2 |
| Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 5:56 pm Post subject: |
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I sometimes use pest sprays but not in the garden. I usually dig the grass. I dig in the fall and again in the early spring and again before I plant. I was told this exposes roots to dry out and seeds and bugs for the birds to eat. But, this fall I did not get it done. Too many things to do and I started part time work. I've been raking now on nice days and will start turning the dirt, hopefully soon. I just use a shovel and foot power to dig the dirt. I'm glad I didn't use a tiller as I discovered the first year that our water line cuts across the middle slantwise and it's only about 4 inches below ground. I marked it and now just dig around it. Doolwy
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jubabe296
Official Garden Fairy
Joined: 18 Mar 2006
Location: south central Texas (Map)
Posts: 1180
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| Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 6:03 pm Post subject: |
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I'm allergic to pesticides so I would be harming myself also. So herbicides and pesticides are a big no/no at my house and in my gardens. My grass is horrible so I just try to plant as many flowers and plants as I can to make up for the ugly grass!lol
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 "Cat's motto: No matter what you've done wrong, always try to make it look like the dog did it."
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toni
Mistress of Garden Junque
 Moderator
Joined: 07 Jan 2006
Location: North Texas (Map)
Posts: 4979
PlantStew: 520 |
| Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 6:09 pm Post subject: |
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Not sure how permanent any method is really.
This may not prevent you having to use the hoe or getting down on your hands and knees to weed, but I would suggest some sort of edging around the garden and then several inches of mulch.
The runners might still creep in but since they will be on top of the mulch they will be easy to yank out of the bed.
If they are creeping in underground then you could try layering the bed with sheets of newpaper, overlap the sheets really well and don't use the colored sections, wet it down really well, then cover with several inches of mulch. When you are ready to plant the seedlings, scrape the mulch to the side, cut an X in the paper and plant the seeding, then put everything back in place.
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reggaefan
Official Poet Laureate
Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Location: Zone 8b Louisiana (Map)
Posts: 2520
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| Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 6:19 pm Post subject: |
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For creeping grasses I use a trick my grandfather used to keep Bamboo or cane reeds in check we used tin but now you can buy precut metal edging it need ro be 8-12 inches wide use your shovel go down at least 4=6 inches do not remove dirt work shovel back and forth until you go around bed insert edging use your foot to close furrow and it will stop above and underground spreading
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Richard
"We have met the enemy,and it is us." POGO
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glendann
Official Garden Angel
Joined: 19 May 2006
Location: Texas (Map)
Posts: 6480
PlantStew: 182 |
| Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 6:49 pm Post subject: |
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I have used Seven dust on squash bugs.I do use Round up at the edge of my house.If you use roundup be sure your plants and ground are covered with plastic as on the most calm days it will drift and if it drifts on the earth are plants .Your dirt can not be used for app 6 weeks as anything planted will die or any plants it touches will die.I use it only at the back of the house and on the roots at the front only at the roots.
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Live today to the fullest because tomorrow is not promised.
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Frank
Happy Gardening
Administrator
Joined: 25 Jan 2005
Location: Malmö, Sweden
Posts: 8994
PlantStew: 1504 |
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reggaefan
Official Poet Laureate
Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Location: Zone 8b Louisiana (Map)
Posts: 2520
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| Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 8:05 pm Post subject: |
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I agree not bad to use round up I just don't.
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Richard
"We have met the enemy,and it is us." POGO
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EJ
Allotmenteer Extraordinaire
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Location: Essex
Posts: 1317
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| Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:49 pm Post subject: |
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I'm a digger I'm afraid. We have couch grass on our allotment which is also a runner, and the underground shoots are like knitting needles and easily pierce any weed supressing membranes or plastic that you put down to try and smother it. The reasons I don't use chemicals are simple - firstly I am totally ignorant as to what they do long and short term so don't use them, also I worry about my urchins coming into contact with chemicals as they do spent 75% of their life outside in amongst the plantlife, also I am a cheapskate, and I know that with a lot of chemicals you have to apply repeat applications, which would cost me cash so that is a definate no no. Nope, I am a digger. Sorry I can't be any help at all. 
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cajunbelle
Daylily Diva
Joined: 04 Jun 2006
Location: zone 8b Louisiana (Map)
Posts: 2969
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| Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 3:12 am Post subject: |
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A friend of ours plants monkey grass around all of her beds to hold the soil in place. It must also work well on creeping grasses bc she doesnt'seem to have that problem.
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Sharon
Phil. 4:13
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gardenlil
Just Arrived
Joined: 18 Jan 2007
Location: s w france
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 7:13 am Post subject: |
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I plant comfrey around the edges where I have scutch grass, works really well, and it grows quick and divides easily. here In Europe there is talk of banning Round Up as it contaminates the wtaer table. I 'm almost sure it's banned in Denmark already.
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Gardenlil
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bethie
Highly Skillful
Joined: 08 Jun 2006
Location: WestTennessee (Map)
Posts: 1593
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| Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 12:38 pm Post subject: |
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We use Roundup here on the really impossible things. With wild blackberries and kudzu nothing else seems to work. 
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pondlady
.
Joined: 05 Aug 2006
Location: New Orleans, La
Posts: 1829
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| Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 2:43 pm Post subject: |
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I am an organic gardener and use no chemicals at all...in the house either. To keep my St Augustine grass out of the raised garden beds, I dig a 4" moat around the bed and fill with mulch. That keeps the grass out most of the time and makes it easy to pull if it does decide to make its way into the bed.
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muddybob
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 17 Jul 2006
Location: WA st.
Posts: 461
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| Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 3:01 pm Post subject: |
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The chemicals used in round up and similar products have been linked to lymphoma in dogs. Our dogs eat grass. After Ron lost a dog to lymphoma three years ago we no longer use this class of chemicals.
St. Gabriel has a product that is clove oil and industrial strength vinegar (the vinegar in the grocery store is too dilute). Some weeds are killed and some just get the tops burned. But half the battle for me is to get them before they bloom and this product helps me do that.
muddy
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toni
Mistress of Garden Junque
Moderator
Joined: 07 Jan 2006
Location: North Texas (Map)
Posts: 4979
PlantStew: 520 |
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