I wrote an article about Weed Barrier Fabric and lots and lots of people said; “Hey Mike, if weed control fabric isn’t good, how do we control weeds? So here’s the low down on weeds and how they think.
Think about weeds and what they need. They need water, nutrition and sunlight to thrive. Since those are all the same things the plants in our gardens need to thrive, as we tend to our gardens trying to create the perfect home for our plants we are at the same time creating the perfect home for weeds. Water and nutrition are must have things for our garden and even without our intervention there is plenty of nutrition in the soil and water comes naturally. So the only thing left that we can control is the amount of sunlight that we allow the weeds to receive.
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Bingo! That’s it. We can control the weeds simply by controlling the amount of sunlight that we allow them to receive. That’s great if the bed is to be mulched with some kind of material that will block the sunlight. If for instance you don’t want to mulch your garden, then you have to use other measures to control the weeds. But let’s first consider ways to block the sunlight.
Two to three inches of mulch does a pretty good job of blocking sunlight. But the secret to using mulch to control weeds is to get the garden almost 100% weed free before you apply the mulch. That’s a mistake that a lot of people make with their gardens. They never get ahead of the weeds! I am growing thousands of plants in beds and it’s really too much area to mulch so I use pre-emergent herbicides and I’ll explain that in a minute. But even with the pre-emergents I still get weeds. And if I don’t stay on top of it I have a mess on my hands.
For the past week or so I have spent my time pulling weeds in these beds. Some of the weeds are 18″ tall or taller. But I want the situation under control so I am going through the beds and the isles and I am pulling all the weeds. In the aisles where I can run a rototiller I will leave a weed if it less than 2″ tall. Even then, I pull most of those too! Anything larger than that I pull because I want the weeds gone. After I pull the larger weeds I go through the bed with my Action Hoe and loosen the soil between the plants and remove any tiny weeds that I might have missed when hand pulling weeds. Once I’m done hoeing (is that a word?) I rototill the isles and when I’m done the weeds are gone. Immediately I apply a really good pre-emergent herbicide that will last for several months.
You should see those beds now! They are spotless. I know they won’t stay that way, but what I just did will last a long while.
Using Newspaper to Control Weeds
Now, for you at home, you have to do the same thing. Get all of those weeds out of the beds before you do anything else. Then if you are going to mulch, put down newspaper 8 or 9 pages thick then cover it with mulch. The newspaper will blow around easily so lay the newspaper down as you mulch. Don’t worry about the ink on the newspaper, it’s all soy based these days and will not harm your plants. Then if you want to use a pre-emergent herbicide like Preen you can apply it after you mulch. Read the label carefully. They might suggest working it into the soil. I don’t think so, but if that’s the case you can just apply it before you put down the newspaper.
These are the steps.
1. Weed the bed until every weed is gone.
2. Lay down newspaper or brown paper grocery bags. Newspaper should be at least 5 pages thick, but 8 or 9 pages thick is better.
3. Put down two to three inches of mulch.
4. Apply a pre-emergent herbicide like Preen.
If you do a really good job weeding, put down the newspaper and the mulch, you probably don’t need the pre-emergent herbicide for a while. Pre-emergent herbicides prevent weed seeds from germinating. When applied they create a vapor barrier that nips the tiny weed sprouts as soon as they germinate.
If you don’t want to use chemicals that’s fine, you’ll get good results without them if you stay on top of the situation.
The Biggest Secret of All!
You have to stay on top of the situation. Weeding is not a once a year job. It’s something you do several times a week as you enjoy your gardens. Now when I say several times a week, I don’t mean get out the gloves, the bucket, the knee pad, the dirty jeans and get down and dirty and start pulling weeds. But as you casually stroll through your yard reach down and pull the weeds you see. If you do this, you will not have any weeds in your yard and you won’t have to dedicate a day to pulling weeds for a long, long time.
What if the Area is too Big to use Newspaper?
Chemicals? Or No Chemicals?
If you have a large area that is full of weeds and grass or one of the other and you want it to be a really nice garden you can make the area weed free simply by tilling the soil or turning the soil. All you have to do is till the soil, tilling in all the weeds and grass. Wait about 5 days in warm weather then till again. Just keep repeating this process over a period of several weeks until you see absolutely no sign of weeds.
This is what happens. You till the soil and some of the weeds and grass that you tilled in will be near the surface. The hot sun will bake them, drying them out until they are no longer viable. Other weed and grass plants will not be near the surface and will be suffocated being under the soil. When you till again you are once again exposing viable weed and grass plants to the surface and the sun. At the same time you are pulverizing the weeds and grass that are not exposed to the surface.
As you are doing this there is a third process that is taking place but going unnoticed. The soil is full of weed seed. Weed seeds often germinate in a matter of days. After your first tilling their are thousands of weed seeds that are trying to germinate. When you do your second tilling you are literally cutting them off at the pass and stopping them in mid germination. Once the seed germinates and is terminated by you through this tilling process, it is no longer viable. Several days later you till again. Thousands more weed seeds are rendered no longer viable. The more times you till the soil them more weed seeds you are eliminating.
Of course it would be foolish to think that we could completely eliminate all of the weed seeds from the soil. They blow in by the thousands.
So . . . with this in mind think about your veggie garden. You don’t want to use chemicals in your veggie garden, but if you can keep it tilled or cultivated on a regular basis you can keep the weeds at bay that way.
Chemicals
Rule #1. Read the labels and wear protective clothing.
Yeah, I know. Many people reading this article think that nobody should be using chemicals to control weeds. I love that idea but I’ve pretty much done nothing in my life that wasn’t somehow gardening related and I know the realty of people not using chemicals. We want nice green, weed free lawns so we apply chemicals. We don’t want the Japanese Beetles to eat all of the leaves from our roses so we apply chemicals. The garden stores have a complete isle of gardening chemicals. Therefore as a garden writer I have to address the subject.
And I have to admit, already have admitted in this article, that I use chemicals to control weeds. Basically there are two kinds of chemicals for controlling weeds and unwanted grasses. Pre-emergent herbicides I’ve already mentioned in this article and post emergent herbicides.
As mentioned, pre-emergents are designed to do one thing and only one thing and that’s to prevent weed seeds from germinating. They have absolutely no control over weeds that are already growing.
Post emergent herbicides are designed to kill weeds and unwanted grasses that are already growing. For the most part when you are buying a post emergent herbicide for home use you are buying what is called a non-selective herbicide. Unless you are buying something for your lawn. The weed and feed products that you use on your lawn are “selective” herbicides. In other words they will kill broad leaf weeds like dandelions, but they won’t kill the grass that you are trying to make prettier. But if you accidentally get them on the plants in your flower beds, they will see those plants as broadleaf and could kill those as well. They are designed to not harm anything in the grass family.
The most common “non-selective” herbicides contain glyphosate which is a non-selective herbicide that will kill weeds, grasses and other plants that it touches. I use a generic (don’t ask me the name, I don’t remember, I get it at the farm supply store) to spray the weeds on the edges of the nursery. I pretty much use it any place where there are weeds and grasses that I want to completely eliminate and I can spray and not get the herbicide on other plants.
For instance, when I get ready to landscape the old house I showed you in the other article I will first mark out the beds with orange spray paint, then spray any and all weeds and grasses inside of the beds before I do anything else. That saves me having to dig them out and it’s 100% effective at eliminating them so they don’t come back and haunt me.
Once you spray weeds or grasses with a glyphosate product you have to leave them alone giving the herbicide a chance to work. Glyphosate is sprayed on the foliage of the leaves and grasses that you want to eliminate. More is not better. All you have to do when applying these non-selective herbicides is wet the foliage. If you spray to the point that the product is running off the leaves you are apply too much. Just wet the foliage. Then wait!
The way that Glyphosate works is it is absorbed by the plant and the chemical is trans-located through the plant. That’s why when it’s first applied you won’t see any immediately sign of the weeds dying. You have to give the chemical at least 72 hours to do it’s job. After 72 hours the weeds and grasses won’t look dead, but for the most part they are. After 72 hours you can dig and chop, till the weeds in etc. Doesn’t matter, if you’ve applied the product correctly and given it time to work, those weed and grass plants are dead.
Does it linger in the soil?
People who are very committed to nobody using chemicals will tell you that it does linger in the soil. People like me who use it on a regular basis and have been doing so for many, many years will tell you that it does not linger in the soil. I believe the manufacture claims that it does not linger in the soil but I suggest you research that on your own if you are concerned. All I know is that I can spray a bed or a section of my lawn with glyphosate and three days later sow grass seed or install plants and the plants do fantastic and the grass seed grows just fine.
Tips for applying post emergent herbicides.
As I mentioned, read the label and take all of the recommended precautions.
When you apply it you should have a small one gallon sprayer that is clearly marked with a permanent marker, “for weed spray only”. Never use the same sprayer for any other task around your house.
When you spray you have to be really careful to not allow the spray to drift or to get any over-spray on the plants you want to keep. The nozzle on the sprayer is adjustable. You can adjust the spray from a long stream to a very fine mist. The very fine mist is the most likely to drift. So I do two things when I spray a non-selective herbicide. One, I only pump the sprayer just enough to deliver the product. The lower the pressure the less of a mist you will have. It takes pressure to create that fine mist, and I don’t want a fine mist. So I only pump the sprayer just enough so the product comes out the nozzle.
The second thing I do is adjust the nozzle so the spray pattern is not a steady stream, but a heavier spray pattern and not a fine mist. The heavier the spray pattern the larger the spray droplets and the lower the chance that they’ll be carried by the wind.
Third. Never spray a non-selective herbicide on a windy day. Wait for nice calm day to do your spraying.
Now keep in mind, a non selective herbicide will get rid of the weeds that you have today, but it’s a very short lived, step one. Three days after you spray the weeds and grasses that you want to get rid of, you have to employ one of these other strategies to keep that area weed free.
Okay, lots of good information here on weed control. I hope you find it useful.
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Thanks !!!This info was very helpful, i have these weeds that will not leave my flower beds they are green and white star shaped flowers..but they are weeds..i will do the newspaper thing !!!
I have those too by the hundreds in my beds!! I pull them daily getting ready for planting season!! I’m going to try the newspaper too….Good luck!!
Sorry for the misspelled words and name-I sometimes have fat fingers and hit wrong keys.
Mike-I love reading your article. Here’s a questio9n for you ! How can I get rid of scrub oak,yopan and other obnoxious scrub brush?? I have dug with a transplanting shovel but oh my aching back. Need something easier. Thank you-Ingeid
Ingrid, even if you spray these things you’d still have to dig out the stumps and roots. Hire a big ooff of a guy and let him do all that digging for you.
Our WHOLE backyard is WEEDS! Too bad you weren’t here in Canada Mike!
Michelle,
I love a challenge. This place was solid weeds, brush and trees when I started in 2010, http://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2011/07/mikes-new-nursery-from-the-beginning/
Forget to tell: newspaper also help reserve moisture in soil. Also newspaper and leaves dissolve very well in the soil after a long winter and wet spring.
2nd year of newspaper treatment, garden has a lot less weeds coming out.
I use newpaper every year. I cover up garden with black plastic painting sheet, throw old carpet, board, or bricks to hold it down. After planting, immediately cover bare ground with 10-12 wet newspagers. I collected whole lot leaves every fall and use it as mulch on top of newspaper. It is a lot work to do this. But after it is done, the whole season is weeding free. Pulling out a couple of weeds here and there is not a big deal at all.
Hope this help somebody a little bit?
Did you really mean 8 or 9 inches of newspaper? Or should it have said 8 or 9 layers? 8 or 9 inches is a lot! I’m gardening chemical free. I’d rather have weeds than chemicals.
Did I say inches? Layers, I meant layers!
Got any tips on getting rid of a groundhog that is ravaging my arugula, swiss chard and herbs and is sure to be all over my squash corn and tomatoes? Havahart trap is a mere garden decoration to him.
20 gauge
lol
I was thinking Bazooka….good luck groundhogs can be hard to catch..
I feed my groundhog apples!!!! He (she?) loves watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew melon rinds too. Never bothers my vegi garden 🙂
awww….that’s sweet 🙂 We too feed our groundhog…I love the little guy!!!
Try chewing gum the like juicy fruit. They will est it and die because they cannot pass it through their system just put a couple of sticks of unwrapped gum in your yard or garden and cover with a pot or lid. I’ve had huge success with method for gophers and moles. And they never come back to the surface so you don’t have to worry about disposing of them.
Karma will get you for that………
They wont touch Juicy Fruit (Moles anyway)
I have had success with boiling hot peppers, add a little dish soap and spray my plants with the solution.
1/2 inch cpvc or pvc pipe stuck down in the tunnels with about 18 inches above the ground. Then take soda can or any type tin can about the same diameter as a soda can. Set it center on top of the pipe, As the wind blows the can will tap the sides of the pipe, causing a vibration which moles hate. The will leave for good. It worked for me 3 years ago and we are mole free. Hope this helps.
Jerry,
This is an interesting approach. Recently I discovered that my lawn is full of Japanese beetle grubs that are ruining the lawn. So far, no moles or skunks digging up my lawn, but I know it’s only a matter of time. In the next few days I will do a post about this as I explore the grub infestation and apply an insecticide to get rid of them. Moles are part of the problem, but the grubs will destroy a nice lawn and skunks will completely destroy the lawn looking for the grubs. Especially in the fall when skunks are trying to fatten up for the winter. Search this site using the terms, moles, skunks and Japanese beetle grubs. I should have this completed around October 1st, 2015.
left over tar paper was used for between rows of my rasberry bushed. I lasted many years an I did not slip out side when it got wet. It really looked rather nice and clean around many of my other rows. It was the roofing tar paper that was 2ft. I think in width. Loved it.
Really? Is that safe? I’m not anti-chemical, but that sounds a little risky.
Sorry should have added paragraph for the correction:
Now, for you at home, you have to do the same thing. Get all of those weeds out of the beds before you do anything else. Then if you are going to mulch, put down newspaper 8 or 9 inches thick then cover it with mulch.
Mike you are saying 8-9 “inches” thick…I think you mean 8-9 pages thick. Correct me if I’m wrong!
I’ve been using newspapers for a long time in my garden all along the edges of my plants and through the walkway between them. Works well, but I have to throw some dirt on papers to keep them down. In fall, the papers get turned into the dirt and are finally used as compost.
What about nutgrass? I recently added a flower bed and used top soil to fill in. Now I’m fighting nut grass. Any suggestions for getting rid of that stuff?
How about using cardboard? Won’t that last longer and be easier to work with than newspaper?
Yes, I forgot to mention cardboard.
I’ve used cardboard. I works great, although it is not as easy to shape to the size of a specific bed as newpaper is. The tape on old card board boxes becomes a problem as you find yourself pulling out little scrapes of tape for years to come. One of the boxes I used once hatched out cockroaches. I think the box was from Korea, and the roaches didn’t make it through our winters, but at the time I was very upset to see them running out of my cardboard.
Once our plants emerge large enough to work around in the vegetable garden we remove the weeds and place a couple of layers of newspaper and then place straw ontop. The pathways are covered with cardboard. We rarely have to deal with a weed all summer. In our raised bed area we use chunky mulch, mostly cedar in the pathways. The beds are treated the same way as the other garden, newspaper and straw once the plants emerge. Gardening has been so much easier since we started doing this and the garden looks and produces great without the competition of weeds.
Like all your INFO. Help. I have Berry Bushes. What is the best product to use to get ride of them for good????
I live in Washing State.
Thanks
Ed
Ed, cut them down the spray any new growth with glysophate and just keep spraying until they quit coming back. Or cover with cardboard then a thick layer of mulch.
I read once that some have used very thick layers of straw to control the weed population. I experimented with this and it helped but as the straw breaks down it makes a lovely place for things to germinate. I also experiemented with the fibrous mexican fan palms putting just one layer down on the ground with mulch over top and I haven’t had a weed in two years. On a large side area of my home the weeds were insanely out of control so I added the fabric weed block over the palm branches and will wait to see what happens but I am expecting excellent results!
I think if you can use something organic it is better but sometimes just to get control extra measures should be taken at least at first to ensure eradication. Periodic maintenance is key for catching new weeds before they get out of control!
I have grass it grows under about a foot ,the roots are like asparagas,I,ve been fighting it for years in my perienal garden,any help
Lynn, the newspaper or cardboard should work or you can paint on a non selective herbicide with a foam paint brush. Be very careful what you paint.
I have Virginia button in my lawn, everything I have tried kills the grass. It seems that the button weed comes back. I have used vinegar and dawn that does a fair job. Any suggestions as to what I can do?
Virgina,
If all else fails just get a small bottle of weed control for lawns. That should do the job.
You too? After 17 years i am finally giving up on the quack grass and I’m building raised beds throughout the yard.
Preen is not the best pre-emergent. It is limited in control. The chemical you need, UNDER the mulch, is Treflan 5G. Totally safe for 90% of your plants, will last for years as long as no soil is exposed through the mulch. Over the top pre-emergent, just spray it over your mature perenials and shrubs, is Surflan AS. A good 3 month controll. Mike is right, get all the weeds out of where you are going to plant, however, pulling is NOT a good way as these beasties will go like crazy from the little bitty roots that tear of. Glyphospahte, round-up, is the ONLY way to go. Roots and all are destroyed. Then plant, apply treflan, and at least 2.5 inches of good mulch. Make sure you keep the area mulched as it will “rot” off in a season and again expose the soil, thus allowing the weeds to go at it again. Soil contains millions of weed seeds just waiting for a chance to make your life a nightmare. Glyphsate, round up, and Treflan 5G, will do wonders to make the area weed free for a long time.
Is Treflan 5G a restricted use chemical and do you know if typical L&G centers carry this ?
I’m glad you made the correction a few lines later .. I was about to go out to gather all the newspaper by the curb today (its the day we put out papers for the recycle collection). I would need them all to make 8 to 9 inches of cover.
roger
Now, for you at home, you have to do the same thing. Get all of those weeds out of the beds before you do anything else. Then if you are going to mulch, put down newspaper 8 or 9 inches thick then cover it with mulch. The newspaper will blow around easily so lay the newspaper down as you mulch.
Did I really say 8 or 9 inches thick. You folks have to keep me on track.
YES MIKE. IT REALLY GOT MY ATTECION. I WONDER HOW I WAS GOING TO APPLY THAT MUCH NEWSPAPER. GOD JOB MIKE .GOD BLESS YOU.
I would like to add a couple of things. I see this happen next door EVERYYEAR! If useing herbicides (selective or non-selective)it is important to do it before the weeds are ready to bloom. As you explained, the herbicide takes a few days to move through the plants during that time many weeds (whose singular function is to multiply) will bloom and set seeds. Not only have you wasted the season and chemicals but also you have exposed the pollinators.
When using a nonselective in a planted bed, it can be “painted” on weeds like wild morning glory and kept away from bedding plants. Also cardboard masks can protect plants when spraying nearby.
The best weed killer I have ever found is BURNOUT II. It works waaaay better than Roundup. It is organic also! I love it so much that I became a dealer.
Please send me your BURNOUT website. I’m
trying to keep 5 A. with a well organic
for the native plants & Shrubs and vegetable
garden.
Thank you,
Windee
I would like to know the ratio for Susan’s bleach spray. Also if it kills all plants or just some.Thanks Mike I totally LOVE your website.
I use chlorine bleach in a sprayer to kill weeds. After 24 hrs. the weeds are all dead!
Thoroughly water before seeding or planting to remove residual salts from the soil and it’s good to go. Sorry, Mike, I had a *fit* when my son sprayed Round-Up on some weeds here. I picked a particularly nasty patch of weeds where I wanted to plant sunflowers and my “test” area was weed free and ready to plant before the Round-up weeds were dead.
==Susan…what are the proportions of bleach-water? Thx in advance….
How strong was your bleach solution.
Chlorine bleach kills earthworms! Use it with extreme caution.
I have a great suggestion for those who do not wish to use glyphosate “non selective” herbacide.
I use a propane driven Weed Dragon that melts the protective outer layer of weeds and grass, killing them. It’s a safe, fast and inexpensive way to rid the garden of weeds without any chemicals.
Thanks MIKE, yes its a battle
Under using newspaper to control weeds, could you apply the pre-emergent weed control solution before the application of newspaper to kill weed seeds before they sprout?
Hi Mike,
I want to send for your book just don’t have any extra money, after I buy hay for the horses and pet food and gas for my car and maybe is $5.00 left.
I love the paper in the gardner I have used for yrs. The first year when we move to the country 12yrs ago I forgot to put the black paper down for the garden and thought I could pull weeds for the summer after about a week the weeds got so tall that I gave up.
Question – what can I use to keep the weeds growing in my raspberry patch? I keep pulling them but its a losing war. 3 yrs ago I did use paper it work great. then last 2yrs i got sick and could not weed. now I am tryting win the war again. What type of much to use grass clippings or straw?
Mike, how ’bout an article on fire ants and poison ivy? If it weren’t for acres of both, I would have gone organic.
Not sure about the poison ivy, but a few teaspoons full of Amdro sprinkled around a fire ant hill will kill it in about two weeks. Our daughter had two acres in LA with at least a dozen hills in her yard before I started applying the Amdro. It took most of the summer to clear the entire yard of fire ants, but it worked great. They have a product specifically for fire ants, but I used their And Block and it worked just fine.
I’ve been using food-grade diatomaceous earth (a.k.a. DE) on the ants around our house. Sprinkled some on a large ant-hill in the yard, and within two days they were totally gone. Same with sprinkling around the edges indoors where I saw them – under the bathroom and kitchen sinks, mostly. DE works mechanically, not chemically, by making tiny cuts in the exoskeletons of insects, and drawing out the moisture in things like slugs and snails but it doesn’t harm earthworms! Basically, when an ant walks through the DE, the powder clings to its body. The ant is a fastidious creature, so it cleans itself, licking the powder and ingesting it. The DE begins slicing the insides of the ant, and because it is hydrophilic (loves water), it absorbs the moisture from the ant, drying it out from the inside, and the ant dies. This doesn’t happen immediately, but gives the ant time to return to the colony and shed some DE on its companions. If enough ants do this, especially if the hill itself has been dusted, all the ants get enough DE to kill them. Voila! No chemicals, and no fire ants!
DE is a super-fine white powder, much like cornstarch in consistency, made of silica and trace minerals (the fossilized shells of diatoms, a type of aquatic algae). The best DE in the world is mined in the American West (www.permaguard.com), and it’s sold in many feed and farm-supply stores around the country – cheapest in 50 lb sacks. Be sure you get human food-grade white powder, not the stuff mixed with bentonite, and NOT the DE sold for pool filtration systems! That has been heated and converted to pellets, and will not work to kill bugs. You also can’t eat it.
Our veterinarian recommended using DE in the dog kennel to control intestinal parasites (worms), because it works the same on them as it does on ants and other insects – while not harming mammals, fish, birds, reptiles or other animals larger than insects. Earthworms seem to be an improvement on other types of worms, because they’re immune to the effects of DE, too. In fact, many worm-farmers use DE in their worm-beds to control other insects that would harm or compete with the worms.
Other uses include using it on chickens to control lice and mites – add it to their dust-baths and nest boxes; dusting on cattle, horses, dogs, etc. to control fleas and ticks; dusting on plants (not on flower – it will kill honeybees and other pollinators, too) to kill aphids and other sucking and chewing insects. It is completely non-toxic and harmless to everything except the bugs we don’t want eating our plants.
Don’t breathe in the dust, as it will scratch the lining of your lungs, and cause infection.
Pam, I don’t know about poison ivy but I do know if you sprinkle dry oatmeal near their nest, (or whatever), they will carry the oatmeal back inside and as it moistens it expands and, wala! ant hill is gone. I’ve use it for a long time and have almost no ant hills left in the yard.
put the oatmeal by the ants home.
Does oatmeal work for gorphers?
My mother used the newspaper, with dirt or pulled weed clods on the corners, for her huge annual veggie gardens for decades. Just 3 layers snugged around each plant once everything was up. One preliminary weeding with hoe. It took a LOT of time, BUT once finally done, that was it for the remainder of the hot Ga. summer. By fall, all was easily plowed under. We left the stacked newspaper in the rain beforehand, to slightly dampen so as to prevent blowing away before weighting corners. No mulch over. Goodness, I would have been a really grouchy teen if we’d added time for that. She canned/froze enough that we only used the groc. for staples like flour. Older cows from their dairy sufficed for meat.
I am interested in seeing answer to Mary Hook’s question above about the newspaper dissolving each year and will newspaper keep mums from coming up?
Thanks,
I’ve used the newspaper and mulch combo before and it works better than anything else we have tried… my husband thought I was a frugal nut for doing it but most of the expensive products will not work any better and will end up being a ton more work in the long run!
Mike,
Really? Newspaper 8 or 9 inches thick? You must have stock in the local newspaper.
Just kidding, 8 or 9 pages is my guess.
Thanks for the article.
In the south we have a weed called briers that have roots that go to the center of the earth. you can till for ever and they still come up, through newspaper, maybe not 8-9 inches, but many pages. Herbicides are marginal, roundup will not touch it, brush begon isn’t much better.
Any suggestions? Most of the local nurserymen are not much help.
Mike, this was a very informative article and enjoyed reading it. I have a real problem with grass between my hostus. We put down fabric and mulch last year, now the grass is coming through and just like you said it is a nightmare. Thank you so much for all your info. I am planning to order your program,just gotta find the right time.
Your weed control article says to lay “8-9 inches” of newspaper down. REALLY?????
All good information in your articles. Just a few more items. Spraying should be completed before 2pm. In the hot sun, plants are shutting down, not absorbing liquid like they do in the morning. The spray will sit on the leaves overnight and be diluted by the morning dew, reducing the effectiveness of the spray. I sometimes use a handheld piece of cardboard as a barrier to protect plants while spraying. Be careful not to flip it over and rub the good plants with glyphosate soaked cardboard. Another tip is to work backwards so as not walk in the spray and leave footprints on the lawn. If you accidentally get glysophate on your shoes, scuff them on bare soil. The glysophate is readily bound to the soil and this will help “clean” the shoes. Working in close areas presents some challenges with overspray. A foam paintbrush works well as does the “Glove of Death” Google this phrase for an explanation. Your newspaper trick works well, I have been doing this for many years in my vegetable garden. I simply pin the paper with rocks and pick up the rocks at the end of the season. The paper is nearly gone at this point and easily tilled into the soil.
many many thanks.a good and very useful article you have posted.
DOES THE NEWSPAPER DISSOLVE INTO THE GROUND COMPLETELY EACH YEAR? IF SO THEN EACH SPRING IN THIS ONE PARTICULAR GARDEN – IT GETS NO ANNUALS, ONLY EVERGREENS, MUMS AND ONE JAPANESE MAPLE – AND NOT MUCH ROOM FOR A GARDEN SPADE LET ALONE A TILLER – I WOULD START OVER WITH PREEN, THEN NEWSPAPER, THEN MULCH, THEN PREEN AGAIN. RIGHT? BUT WOULD THE NEWSPAPER KEEP MY MUMS FROM COMING UP OR SHOULD I LEAVE THAT AREA EXPOSED?
I cut a hole and put my plants down in it and pull the newspaper close as I can to the plant.
Where I news-papered this year, I put in new soil. So, I put the newspaper and then the several inches of new dirt and then my mulch. I also ended up putting in Hosta in the dirt, so the roots will maybe grow down through the newspaper by next year.
I have not had to replace newspaper every year. It has taken a couple of years when I placed it around a pond area that I had several years back.
I hope this helps you out.
Kim
In your response you state newspaper 8-9 inches thick…do you mean pages thick as 8-9 inches would be quite a lot of paper. thank you for your great tips and advice. app0reciate it.Beverly
Mike, your information is always so complete and useful, but also easy for the average person to understand. I try to convey information in the same way to my customers, so I really was delighted when I found your website by accident about a year ago. Keep up the excellent work!
thanks for the info, my husband loves to use roundup, but I always tell him, ‘I’ll weed, like that I know they are gone, and I don’t have to look at that ugly brown stuff.’
About growing plants at home, I am elderly, love potted plants, but don’t like to throw away cuttings. I have at least a hunded plants, all sizes, and about 26 varieties. I had a plant sale, but they didn’t move very well, so I still have a bunch. How can I get them sold without getting your backyard growing system. I’m 74 years old, and can’t start that now at this sage of the game, I don’t know how much longer my health will allow me to do the thing that I love. Will appreciate any info.-Mary
Mary: I would be interested in some of your plants if the price is right and you know for sure what they are and they are not patented. Also, I am in Michigan and need to know that they would survive our winters here.
Look forward to hearing back from you. Natalie Brocieus
Mary, I also would be interested in some of your plants if the price is right and you can ship to Tennessee.
Under your “Using Newspapers To Control Weeds” you mention 8 or 9 inches of newspaper. I believe you meant 8 or 9 pages.
The nasty fact is that in Southern California, NOTHING gets rid of weeds. Our climate is a blessing and a curse.
Anita, I’m in SoCal & I have HUGE tumble weeds, last 2 years, now new Green ones growing. I wish I could burn them or something, but that’s not going to happen, boiling water is Not the answer, any ideas?
Thanks Mike for your response, appreciated it so much. I bought your program several years ago, but was not able to implement it. The time is still not right. I just retired. After we sell our house and move to where we are planning on living I really would like to sell bedding plants as you have outlined. We are looking at places to live with that in mind.
Have appreciated your emails and being able to learn about gardening that I have been able to implement now.
Ruth
Always GREAT ADVICE…
But I have a question:
My lawn has been diagnosed with “BROWN SPOT MOLD/FUNGUIS” not from animals. Do you have any suggestions to treat?
Here is some information about brown spot in St Augustine grass. We had this problem in central Texas and the cornmeal treatment cured it!
“You can treat brown patch organically -apply cornmeal at the rate of 20 lbs. per 1,000 square feet and dry molasses at the same rate. Cornmeal works better as a preventative so try to apply it in August before brown patch becomes active. 10% Terraclor is a great curative fungicide.
Hope this helps.
I have never seen the term ‘”dry molasses” ?
Great article with good information!! Just what I needed to know! Thanks Mike!!!
Mike,between the rows in my garden I lay down cardboard boxes, usually two layers thick. Not only does it prevent wees from growing it also makes getting on your knees less dirty and it elininates to till the middles of the rows.
sOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA. I HAVE SEEN VEGETABLE GARDENS WITH 12″ DEEP SAWDUST, IT IS CLEAN, NEAT, AND IT HAD NO WEEDS. HE ADDED ADDITIONAL INCHES EACH GROWING SEASON TO GET THE FINAL 12″
Meredith, fresh sawdust, or almost any sawdust will rob the soil of much need nitrogen. It will keep the weeds down, but sawdust needs nitrogren to decompose so it will pull it from the soil, robbing your plants of nitrogen.
My father will not stop dumping the horse manure in the same spot it’s slowly killing the trees on our property line which blocks a house about 300 yards from our house iv looked for trees that like nitrogen to no Advail I think this sawdust think might help our problem ????? What do you think
Email adress [email protected]
I have never seen the term ‘”dry molasses” ?
Mike, Is there ever a time that weeds are actually beneficial?
I read the whole article and excellent stuff there…but one thing you didn’t mention (if you did, I missed it…sorry) and I question this, too…but if you spray Weed and Feed, Weed B Gone (anything liquid) if you spray it in weather hotter than I think 80 degrees, it will drift in the air and kill stuff next to where you spray…IS THIS TRUE? Can you use it on a hot, summer day??? and thanks for your input!
I believe the labels on Weed-be-gone say you should apply it in the spring and fall when weeds are coming alive.
ALWAYS read the manufacturers label on ANY product. It will tell you what the purpose of the product is, how and when to apply it. It is not wise to apply any chemical on a windy day. Ever!
Mike or anyone, how do you get rid of out of control Trumpet Vines? Mine is taking over my fence and back yard.
We have a trumpet vine that a past owner placed on the property line. It is growing up under our new neighbors car that sits idle, and is coming up in our yard in 36 places all along the side of our lovely home.
HELP HELP WHAT CAN WE DO??
Meredith, spray it with a non selective herbicide or just keep digging it out.
My weed control of choice for this would be to dig up the root if possible, if not then bring along a kettle of boiling water and pour it sparingly on the plant at it’s base. Be careful whatever it touches will also die, but if it’s something you can always reseed then you are home free, no toxins in your soil just good old water way too hot to allow the plant to survive. I have used this on dandelions too where I can’t get all the root out and it usually works on one application. Check the results next day and see if you need to do it again. the offending weeds will be brown and dead, just take them out or till them in!
Yes. 2-4-D is volatile, and on a hot day, it will evaporate from the target plant and move around the garden. There is a less volatile form that is used in warmer climates. Read the directions. Read what the active ingrediants are. Research the active ingredients.
“Then if you are going to mulch, put down newspaper 8 or 9 inches thick then cover it with mulch”.
did you mean 8 or 9 inches thick or 8 or 9 layers thick? and what kind of mulch will stay on a hillside?
I LOVE your articles…but in the beginning of this article you said to use 8 – 9 INCHES of newspaper….we all know that you meant sheets or layers but I thought it was worth replying to just in case someone tried to put down 8″ – 9″…lol…again, LOVE your posts.
Glyphosate, which is the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Round Up works by blocking a plant’s ability to take up vital minerals. The toxin works by starving a plant to death. Monsanto has created genetically modified “Round Up Ready plants” that are able to over-ride this disability; however, they will not take up the minerals either.
Glyphosate does not degrade in your soil, so when you plant your vegetables in the soil you poisoned, it is sucked into the roots of your plants. If you’re eating them, this means that they will be devoid of minerals they– and you– need to be healthy.
If you use compost produced by plants that were subjected to glyphosate or manure produced by chickens, cows, rabbits, or other animals who ate plants grown on land that was poisoned with glyphosate, then your soil will contain glyphosate and your plants will not be able to take up vital nutrients.
There is a link between allergies as well as diseases such as Alzheimer’s. I forbid the use of toxins on my 74 acre ranch. I forbid the use of GMO seeds or plants on my land. It is a matter of protecting my little postage stamp of land and making every effort to heal the land so battered and abused by Man.
Mike – I’m with you on the newspaper and constant weeding. These methods work. I also abhor weed barrier cloth – ugh! But I don’t use herbicides – don’t want to poison my soil or the local wildlife.
3-Bell Ranch – How do you control your weeds? Help us out here. I’m still looking for a less labor intensive wasy after 61 years of gardening, especially after 61 years because it’s getting harder not easier!
I have a 40 acre farm. We grow squash, zucchin, onions, melons, watermelons to sell at our produce stand. Every season I find myself out on my hands and knees pulling weeds. don’t want to use chemicals and I can’t see using newspaper or weed fabric in a field that is 50’x100′. What do you do??
I have had good success in my fruit garden with using used carpet. I basically tile the area between rows. Periotically I remove it to tear off the few things tough enough to grow through it, but there isn’t much. Put it fuzzy side down.
Carpet is a win over landscape fabrics in that it doesn’t blow around.
For an annual garden like yours, you’d have to take it up completely each fall.
You can also use straw. Get a hold of weathered bales. You want bales that have been wet for a year. These will have very little viable seed in them. Place the straw down in ‘books’ to not blow around. Once your squash sprout, tuck the straw around them. This will not eliminate weeds, but it will allow them to be pulled more easily. In the fall either rake up and store for spring, or till in and add some fertilizer to get it to degrade into compost.
Sherwood, some folks have had issues with mold using old carpet. I think the guy that I’m thinking of used it in a closed hoop house and had problems because of the mold in the carpet.
3 Bell Ranch- Sure appreciate u sharing those facts on weed chemicals.. For something that important, u would think more of us would actually spend the time researching weed chemicals. But, I’m as guilty as anyone so thanks again.
Thank you for posting this. I totally agree with you!
Question: U just moved back to my rental home fur good and my render filled my front entryway with lithodora. I had a guy remove basic plants and thought I could do the rest but it keeps rejuvenating itself. I’m going crazy here! What can I use to kill the lithodora which is sending out millions of tiny seed starts? I’m 75 and just can’t do it any more. Please help. Thank you
Sorry, my auto correct sent out errors in my typing. Can you help me please? So very much appreciated, Julie
Julie,
Clear the area best you can, lay down cardboard covering the entire area, then mulch over that. The other option is to spray with a non selective herbicide and spray any new starts that come up. Don’t allow them to become established.
Mike:
In your article on weed control, you wrote to lay down newspapers 8-9 inches deep. I think you meant to write “pages deep” not “inches”
Take Care,
John