Gardening Friends Community Group

A place to share tips, ideas, and our love of gardening! Post pics of your garden's progress, ask questions, give advice, and share stories (like the dandilion that just wouldn't die!)

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Weeds !!!

MrZtwo
MrZtwo
I hope this is a good time to talk about weeding. Your crops will do better if it has little or no competition and weeds are unfair competitors. They suck up moisture, take up space, eat up nutrients, shade your crops. Natural selection has made them survivors, very good survivors. Garden plants are cultivated to produce a crop or a particular flower and not necessarily to compete. So how's your weeds doing so far? Know any good recipes for ragweed? pig weed?
Community LeaderThePepperMan
ThePepperMan
Hmmm, I'm tempted to say I collect my weeds, dry them out, and then sell them to hippies! he he he

I try to pull them by hand, then I compost them with the rest of my yard waste.
MrZtwo
MrZtwo
Not those weeds!!
Aren't you afraid of putting weed seed back into the garden via compost? I've seen virtual weed-free gardens and am envious. I do an acceptable job but I'm looking to improve.
Community LeaderThePepperMan
ThePepperMan
I figure that weed are organic too, so compost is compost. If I have too many weed seeds that do NOT get killed by the heat then I just pull more weeds from my garden. I don't think that weeds hurt the soil/plants until they get much larger. But that is just my guess.
MrZtwo
MrZtwo
I used to be more casual about weeds when I had a larger garden, and of course it was a lot more work too. But as I squeeze my garden into a smaller space, every square foot becomes more valuable. My weeds go into my compost too, but if I overlook one until it gets to flower stage it goes into the lawn where the seeds can compete with lawn.
PepperMan,
Do you grow potatoes in LA?
naturegirl65
naturegirl65
I pull weeds when I can but it is a never ending battle especially when we get rain. They multiply over night. Lol

I was curious about making your own herbicide or weed killer so I looked it up and Ehow Has directions on how to make some by using
Distilled vinegar
Salt
Dish detergent

It says the mixture will kill any plant it comes into contact with so avoid spraying it on the vegetation you do want to keep.

I might give it a try. I wonder if it will be ok to use on patio stone. I don't want to stain or ruin them but I get weeds popping up in the cracks all the time.
Community LeaderThePepperMan
ThePepperMan
It has been ages since I grew potatoes, I suspect that the last time I grew them I was just a kid.

But I may give them a try next year. I forget when it is the best time to plant them.
MrZtwo
MrZtwo
naturegirl, Vinegar, salt, & detergent sounds like it may work.
Pepperman, St. Patty's day, or as soon as the ground can be worked. Mine are starting to die back, I already dug a few up to try them. They are another cool weather crop. Tell me about your peppers, can they winter over in LA?