Now is the time of year when many people allow weeds to take over their garden. But if you continue weeding now, not only can you grow cool season vegetables for the fall and winter (as well as cool season ornamentals), but you'll have an easier time weeding next year. That's right. Weeding now means fewer weeds next year.The best way to weed is generally still the manual way. A sharpened hoe is a good way to go, as is hand pulling. For best results pulling by hand, wait until after a rain, or weed just after watering. The weeds will come up much more easily. A dandelion weed puller is a nice thing to have while hand weeding, but a long flat screwdriver works just as well to get those long roots. Otherwise, you just need a bucket to put weeds in, and perhaps a kneeling pad for comfort. (When you're done, weeds can go in the compost pile - as long as they haven't gone to seed.)
Sometimes weeding can seem overwhelming, especially if an area has been living with weeds for a long while, or if you have neighbors who don't weed. In such cases, I sometimes use Roundup. However, it should be used cautiously. I never spray it where the children play, and great care must be taken not to accidentally spray desirable plants. In addition, some weeds are now resistant to Roundup, so it makes sense to use other weed control measures whenever possible. Here are a few to consider:
Boiling Water: Ordinary boiling water is a nice choice if you only have a handful of weeds to kill. Just boil water in a pot and carefully pour it onto weeds. Several applications are usually necessary.
Vinegar: The acid in vinegar can dry out and kill weeds, but according to experts, ordinary kitchen vinegar is rarely effective, even with repeated applications. Instead, they say, look for a vinegar that’s 10 to 20 percent acid; commercial food suppliers often carry this type of vinegar, since it’s used in canning and pickling. Honestly, I've never been able to find this sort of vinegar locally, but I have successfully killed weeds with ordinary kitchen vinegar. Just spray the vinegar directly onto young weeds. Older weeds may require repeat applications.
Flame & Infrared Weeders: Hand held flame weeder machines kill weeds with targeted fire. Infrared weeders are similar to flame weeders, but have no open flame. Instead, the flame is inside the machine; weeds die because the machine radiates high temperatures (1800 to 2000 °F). Both types of weeders works best on young weeds.
Corn Gluten: If applied before weeds appear, corn gluten meal prevents seeds - weed seeds and desirable plant seeds - from germinating. Available at many gardening center, corn gluten meal also adds beneficial nitrogen to the soil. (Too many years of using corn gluten can lead to imbalances in the soil, however, so make a habit of testing the soil every spring, and avoid fertilizers with high levels of nitrogen.) To work well, apply in the early spring, at least 3 weeks before weeds begin sprouting. Apply again in early autumn. Sprinkle the corn gluten meal evenly over the soil, water, and allow the meal to dry. If it rains a great deal after application, reapply.
Plastic: If you want to start a new garden next spring, laying plastic over the area now will kill all the weeds and grass. Some gardeners say black plastic sheeting works best, while others say clear plastic sheeting is best. Either way, lay the plastic over the area, weigh it down with bricks, stones, or some other heavy object, and leave it alone until it's time to prep the soil in the spring. Neither method will kill any weed seeds in the area, but this is a great alternative to preparing a garden bed with Roundup.
One last little tip: If you have weeds that are flowering, but no time or energy to fully pull them, just yank off the flowers. This prevents the weeds from producing seed heads, which in turn prevents more weeds from growing. Hint: This is a great job for the kids!
P.S. Some weeds are edible - and quite tasty! Instead of killing all your weeds, you may want to eat them. For more information, read the foraging articles on this blog - and check out The Ultimate Dandelion Cookbook!
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