Weeding

jackp · May 2019

This has probably been discussed before but what is generally the best way to keep weeds under control ? There is a large garden which I've been maintaining for some friends for about 6 months .they have got some large fruit and veg borders which seems to always be a loosing battle trying to control the weeds .they like it kept weed free and after various attempts at weeding them it seems like a waste of my time as only 2 weeks later there overrun again with weeds .weed control fabric not an option .what I've been doing so far is forking up as much as possible each time and disposing of them in the green bin and not the compost heap .I have been wondering if after weeding next time a layer of well composted stable manure applied as a mulch might help? It seems to be mostly chickweed,bindweed ,ground elder and dandelions and there is 2 borders roughly around 4x3meters
any ideas please

Lyn · May 2019

Those are the same weeds as I have, I just dig them out when I see them. I don’t like using poisons, that’s gardening it’s a never ending job.

fidgetbones · May 2019

Regular use of sharp hoe.

I confess to not using one as often as I should. Most of my veg go in as plants, that gives them a good start and they tend to thrive even if I don't weed as often as I should. You have to develop a bit of a blind eye if you have a large patch and want it pristine. A mulch would stop annuals, but not bindweed or dandelions.

Dovefromabove · May 2019

I agree ... regular and frequent use of a sharp Dutch hoe is the way to keep those weeds under control.

Skandi · May 2019

Don't fork it over, just scuff the surface with a hoe, forking it over brings up more weed seeds, stable manure will probably bring in even more.

jackp · May 2019

I had tried doing it with a hoe but the ground there not the easiest to work.but maybe I will try again with that method but probably the roots will just regrow back into weeds giving a similar outcome to my previous attempts ? for the amount of time it takes to maintain these borders I'm tempted to suggest to just turf over them.I personally see it as a bit of a pointless waste of time with not that many crops in return for the amount of work that goes into it .probably in fact the worlds most expensive asparagus

Helix · May 2019

If the ground isn’t the easiest to work with a hoe then suggests it could be a bit compacted, especially if you have taken off the top layer with the weeds.

I would suggest that you see if they will get some inert mulch - not manure as too many seeds in it - but composted wood chippings or similar. Then that will suppress new weeds germinating and also be easier to hoe regulalry.

Rob Lockwood · May 2019

Depends on how big the borders are (2x4x3 doesn't seem too bad but then depends how much time you've got) but I've managed to eradicate dandelions, ground elder and various others in my place by going at the b****s every time they appear. I still get the odd dandelion rosette but any flower lasts at most a day before it's in the bin which obviously limits the issue until you get round to digging the rest out. Ground elder weakens in the end if you starve it of photosynthesis but I had to put a mini barrier in to stop it coming through from next door!

Dovefromabove · May 2019

The trick is to learn to differentiate between the weeds that will regenerate if you chop their tops off, and the little weedlings and seedlings that will die when you hoe them and leave them to fry in the sun on the surface of the soil.

Keep a trowel or small hand fork in your back
picket so that you can get the first out properly and the rest will become much easier.

Weeding

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