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Talkback: Controlling weeds

Reluctant GardenerReluctant Gardener Posts: 10
in Talkback
I too have an obelisk in the garden, and have planted it with sweet peas. Weeds have already popped up in the centre to mock me, well before the sps. With another tower (for climbing squash, made with branches and wire) I've left one side open so's I can get in and weed (and hopefully pick the squashes) more easily. So it isn't too late to try your newspaper and soil method: thanks.



http://www.mandysutter.com/day-570-a-friend-in-weed-is-a-friend-indeed/
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  • BookertooBookertoo Posts: 1,306

    Weeds will come first, as they are the natural plants to the area and the country (unless it is an un-natural import such as balsam and japanese knotweed) so have the resources to grow well here.  A weed is ony a plant you feel is in the wrong place, your sweet peas will grow and catch up, outgrowing low growing weeds, but I'm afraid you will still need to keep on top of them if your imported flowers -i.e. sweet peas, are to grow well.

    We all love our imported flowers, me included, but do tend to forget where they originated and developed, then wonder why they sometimes don't do well when we offer them opposite places in which we expect them to grow.   Export pansies to Africa, and they won't grow there either, without a vast amount of care (I know, I tried!).

  • BookertooBookertoo Posts: 1,306
    I now what to do about daisies in your lawn - enjoy them, they are natural and gorgeous.
  • Vikki SangsterVikki Sangster Posts: 1
    Every year when my husband starts cutting the grass I
    place newspapers (about five pages thick) along the
    gap between my raspberry rows and then pile up the newly cut grass to a height of about six inches. Eventually it rots down during the year but I always think it helps retain moisture along the rows and stops the weeds between the rows also. I have done it for years and I find it very successful.
  • muckingfuddlemuckingfuddle Posts: 6
    Hi Adam ,Tony from Tolworth Surrey I like the rain that we have just had because as it finishes I go out and weed ,the rain makes it so easy unlike dry weather the soil holds onto the roots but after a good soaking they just slip out and there is always Robin waiting for the worms such a hard life init.
  • muckingfuddlemuckingfuddle Posts: 6
    Hi Vikki, great idea with the grass cuttings we used to have a old guy who put his cuttings on and around the potato's one to keep weeds down the other to cover up potato's to high up in the soil stop them going green .
  • Lizzie3Lizzie3 Posts: 5
    Unfortunately this doesn't work for some weeds such as ground elder, mare's tail and other creepers as they just burrow along and come up further along. I have lifted membrane before now only to find spaghetti jungle of roots underneath, even after months being covered.
  • kayderosskaydeross Posts: 2
    There is a creepy crawly weed on our property that is impossible to destroy. Winter before last, the lamp post garden was covered with black plastic in the hopes of killing some overly ambitious dianthus, as well as those creepy crawly weeds (haven't a clue what the name of them is.) The plastic was close to impossible to remove because those miserable weeds grew right into it and were flourishing in the warmth underneath!



    If anyone has a solution to that, I would so appreciate getting even with those horrible weeds!
  • kaycurtiskaycurtis Posts: 111
    weeds out of control because not many people actually look after their gardens so many of us have to suffer endless back breaking clearing if every body looked after their gardens there wouldn't be millions of seeds flotting around.
  • figratfigrat Posts: 1,619
    Interested in trying the newspaper thing for obelisks...next year! Just sorted out the strawberry bed, impressed by how the straw mulch kept the weeds down.
  • sotongeoffsotongeoff Posts: 9,802
    kaycurtis wrote (see)
    weeds out of control because not many people actually look after their gardens so many of us have to suffer endless back breaking clearing if every body looked after their gardens there wouldn't be millions of seeds flotting around.

    True -but we are not living in a sterile world-birds spread seeds about as well -it is just something you live with.

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