Comments on: My Victory Garden http://cookingupastory.com/my-victory-garden An online television show (and blog) about food and sustainable living Tue, 22 May 2012 14:46:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Ed Bruskehttp://cookingupastory.com/my-victory-garden/comment-page-1#comment-41373 Ed Bruske Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:16:45 +0000 http://cookingupastory.com/?p=9532#comment-41373 If you are growing organically, there will always be weeds. Some organic farmers lay black plastic over the ground, then plant seedlings through the plastic. Weeds have nowhere to go. But I don't think plastic is compatible with organics. I just accept the fact that weeds will be there. However, dealing with them--or your garden--does not have to take an inordinate amount of time. I probably spend no more than 10 minutes per day in my garden, which consists of 9 vegetables beds, each 3 feet wide and 16 feet long. That's a lot of vegetable bed. Those do need weeding. The weeds come in waves, according to the temperature and angle of the sun. There are cool weather weeds, and there are hot weather weeds. They germinate at different times. I plan on spending the better part of a day occasionally to pull weeds. Once these are gone, it's usually weeks before I have to do serious weeding again. In your case, you could probably take care of your weeds in an hour. You just have to make it part of your plan. Other strategies help: don't turn your soil. Just work the compost into the topmost layer. Mulch wherever possible. Pull or cut weeds before they go to seed, so they cannot replicate. Some weeds seeds remain viable in the soil for 50 years. There's no way to eliminate them entirely. If you are growing organically, there will always be weeds. Some organic farmers lay black plastic over the ground, then plant seedlings through the plastic. Weeds have nowhere to go. But I don’t think plastic is compatible with organics. I just accept the fact that weeds will be there. However, dealing with them–or your garden–does not have to take an inordinate amount of time. I probably spend no more than 10 minutes per day in my garden, which consists of 9 vegetables beds, each 3 feet wide and 16 feet long. That’s a lot of vegetable bed. Those do need weeding. The weeds come in waves, according to the temperature and angle of the sun. There are cool weather weeds, and there are hot weather weeds. They germinate at different times. I plan on spending the better part of a day occasionally to pull weeds. Once these are gone, it’s usually weeks before I have to do serious weeding again. In your case, you could probably take care of your weeds in an hour. You just have to make it part of your plan. Other strategies help: don’t turn your soil. Just work the compost into the topmost layer. Mulch wherever possible. Pull or cut weeds before they go to seed, so they cannot replicate. Some weeds seeds remain viable in the soil for 50 years. There’s no way to eliminate them entirely.

]]> By: Carolhttp://cookingupastory.com/my-victory-garden/comment-page-1#comment-41357 Carol Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:34:09 +0000 http://cookingupastory.com/?p=9532#comment-41357 Turning the soil can bring up all the old weed seeds that can lay dormant for decades in your soil. You didn't say what the weeds are so we'll pretend they are the easy ones. If your soil is well mulched most weeds are easy to pull and the mulch blocks the sunlight the weed seeds need for germination. If your weeds are a grass that spreads by rhizomes, that's another issue. You will need to get it out of there or it will keep coming back from the tiniest little piece. If you can schedule outdoor playtime in the cooler mornings a few days a week, the kids might join you in looking for bugs and picking veggies. My kids loved to be outside and I would work in the garden while they played. It sounds like you need a plan that includes the kids and the garden. Plant easy cutting flowers like zinnias that also attact butterflies to thrill the kids. There is a cool book called Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots that has loads of ideas for gardening with the kids. Have fun! Turning the soil can bring up all the old weed seeds that can lay dormant for decades in your soil. You didn’t say what the weeds are so we’ll pretend they are the easy ones. If your soil is well mulched most weeds are easy to pull and the mulch blocks the sunlight the weed seeds need for germination.
If your weeds are a grass that spreads by rhizomes, that’s another issue. You will need to get it out of there or it will keep coming back from the tiniest little piece.
If you can schedule outdoor playtime in the cooler mornings a few days a week, the kids might join you in looking for bugs and picking veggies. My kids loved to be outside and I would work in the garden while they played. It sounds like you need a plan that includes the kids and the garden. Plant easy cutting flowers like zinnias that also attact butterflies to thrill the kids.
There is a cool book called Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots that has loads of ideas for gardening with the kids. Have fun!

]]> By: Lisa Bellhttp://cookingupastory.com/my-victory-garden/comment-page-1#comment-41345 Lisa Bell Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:09:02 +0000 http://cookingupastory.com/?p=9532#comment-41345 Raised beds, I agree, make life much easier. Weed cloth and mulch really help too. Also found that planting really heavily helps...no room for weeds! Still, you've got 'maters and peppers...I am wishing for some NJ hot sun right about now.I also found that at the end of the summer you can clean up on perennials at sales, they won't be much of anything this year, but they'll big big, you can usually divide many into 3 or 4 smaller plants, and presto, next spring and summer, instant gratification and a head start on the weeds. Raised beds, I agree, make life much easier. Weed cloth and mulch really help too. Also found that planting really heavily helps…no room for weeds! Still, you’ve got ‘maters and peppers…I am wishing for some NJ hot sun right about now.

I also found that at the end of the summer you can clean up on perennials at sales, they won’t be much of anything this year, but they’ll big big, you can usually divide many into 3 or 4 smaller plants, and presto, next spring and summer, instant gratification and a head start on the weeds.

]]> By: Rubyhttp://cookingupastory.com/my-victory-garden/comment-page-1#comment-41331 Ruby Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:25:07 +0000 http://cookingupastory.com/?p=9532#comment-41331 Raised beds require a money and time commitment at the outset, but I've found that they are e-a-s-y to maintain during the season. Mine require very little weeding and because I keep them filled with compost and loomy soil, the weeds are easy to pull when they do show up. Hope you enjoy your peppers and tomatoes! Those alone are worth the work of establishing your garden. :> Raised beds require a money and time commitment at the outset, but I’ve found that they are e-a-s-y to maintain during the season. Mine require very little weeding and because I keep them filled with compost and loomy soil, the weeds are easy to pull when they do show up.
Hope you enjoy your peppers and tomatoes! Those alone are worth the work of establishing your garden. :>

]]> By: Roishttp://cookingupastory.com/my-victory-garden/comment-page-1#comment-41328 Rois Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:59:57 +0000 http://cookingupastory.com/?p=9532#comment-41328 I find adding mulch as soon as things are up and about 4 inches high helps with the weeds.The years that I have been extra busy I try and go out every other day and check for weeds.Or I pick one bed a day to weed.But really mulching is the clue to no weeds. I find adding mulch as soon as things are up and about 4 inches high helps with the weeds.The years that I have been extra busy I try and go out every other day and check for weeds.Or I pick one bed a day to weed.But really mulching is the clue to no weeds.

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