To be honest, it's probably not the most interesting thing to either do or to talk about but I reckon it is the biggest reason why people give up on their dream of growing their own food. In the 23 years that we have been tending our allotment plots, we have seen a lot of people come and go on the surrounding plots and I would say that the overriding reason for this is because they have failed to get on top of the weeds.
As much as I hope my guides to what to grow are of use to you, I figure it is just as important that I give you a guide on how to weed because without it, the rest of it is irrelevent.
When we took over the allotment all those years ago our plot was waist height in weeds and this is a fairly typical scenario. Oh, where to start?! Or even how to start?! It can seem daunting or impossible.
The answer is, of course, to just make a start. And there are no shortcuts.
In fact, trying to find a shortcut can be a huge mistake. Please, please, please do not think that the answer is to use machinery. Tractors, rotovators and ploughs will only chop up weeds and redistribute them. Some of the most persistent weeds, such as bind weed and couch grass, will actually be made worse by this process as each tiny piece of root will regrow into a new plant.
There are basic rules about getting rid of weeds and these work whether you are starting a new plot from scratch or whether you are maintaining your plot.
Firstly, if weeds are particularly tall, then cut them down a bit to make them more manageable but do not cut them off at ground level as you may lose track of where the roots are. Secondly, use a hand tool or a garden fork to dig out the root. This is important for perennial weeds and particularly so for those with tap roots, such as dandelions, or ones that break off easily at ground level such as goosegrass. Thirdly, collect the weeds as you go and dispose of them rather than leaving them on the soil where they might regrow. Most weeds can go into your compost bin but some will continue to grow in there so should be disposed of in your green bin collection (when it is up and running again) - this includes bind weed, dandelions and mares tail..
The main aim of weeding is to completely remove perennial weeds from the ground as they will just regrow if you don't. If you just remove the bit above ground level then it may weaken it temporarily but it will be back. With annual weeds, chopping them off at ground level could well kill them off completely and this is particularly true if they are still just tiny seedlings.
It is also important to keep on top of weeds so that they don't have chance to re-establish themselves. Some weeds quickly produce seed heads that then scatter their seeds readily to the surrounding area and start the problem all over again so it is ideal to tackle weeds before they can seed. Others propogate by spreading out, either rooting where they touch the ground (such as brambles), or by spreading out more roots underground. So, again, keep them at bay before they can spread. In addition, if weeds are allowed to grow, they will quickly out-compete the plants that you are trying to grow and these will suffer.
Once you have cleared the ground of weeds, the easiest way to maintain it weed-free is to use a hoe to break up the top layer of the soil and to cut up the new weed seedlings before they can get established. For this reason, when sowing rows of seeds, it is a good idea to leave a minimum width between rows that is the same as the width of your hoe. It is also useful to sow seeds in straight lines so that you can easily run up and down between rows with your hoe. In addition, sowing in straight lines can help you tell the difference between the seedlings of the things you are trying to grow and the weeds. If you have a line of something all the same then that is your crop and everything else is weeds.
Even with regular hoeing, you will still need to do some hand weeding too. This will be for the bigger weeds that the hoe can't tackle and also the ones that are growing right in amongst your crop plants and can't be removed with a hoe. When hand weeding, it is best to use some kind of tool that can dig in underneath the weed to remove it roots and all, and it is also useful to have some kind of seat or knealer because otherwise you will find it a strain on your back. Make sure you are wearing gloves too as this will protect your hands from stings, spikes and other unpleasant defence mechanisms deployed by weed plants. My other top tip is to take a photo of the weedy patch before you start and then again when you have finished so that you can see that you really did make a difference!
At the end of the season, it is ideal to remove the remains of your crop plant and weeds at the same time and then cover the fresh ground with something that will stop new weeds connolising over the winter. This could be old compost bags, old carpet or specially designed weed surpressing plastic, weighted down with bricks, milk bottles filled with water or similar. This is the best thing to do whenever ground is going to be left for a while and you will be very grateful for your efforts come the spring.
Similarly, it is useful to cover pathways with some kind of weed surpresser to help to keep them weed-free. If paths are made out of hard materials such as paving slabs then this does the job but if they are just spaces between beds then cover them with carpet tiles or horticultural plastic. You can also use wood chipping or gravel, either on their own or on top of the carpet or plastic. Wood chippings, gravel or other mulching materials are useful around perennial crops too such as fruit or asparagus. These allow rain through, help to keep the ground moist and surpress weeds too so they are very useful. We use spent hops from Concrete Cow Brewery to mulch our asparagus bed and that works out well both for Dan from the brewery and for us.
It is worth remembering that weeds are just plants growing in the wrong place. As lovely as poppies, daisies and dandelions are in their own right, if they are out competing your lettuce then they are weeds and need to be removed. Remember too that even fruit and vegetables can become weeds. If you leave any kind of scrap of potato in the ground it will regrow the following year and it is not convenient to have a potato growing in your row of onions. Strawberries will send out runners and soon expand the size of your strawberry bed if not kept under control. All soft fruit can grow from dropped fruit from the previous year or by sending out underground runners and it isn't useful to have a raspberry plant in the middle of your path! Please don't ever put mint or horseradish directly into your soil or it will overrun everything else. Remember, you need to be in control so if it is in the wrong place, dig it up!
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