MULCHES PROVIDE CONTROL
Good Steel Hoe First Line
Of Defense In War On Weeds
Ix't's face it. weeds are among a
gardener's worst enemies.
No matter how many you till or
pull out by hand. there are count
less niore waiting to rear their ugl\
heads.
Fighting this never-ending battle
is even more frustrating it you have
routinely maintained the garden by
watering, fertilizing and adding soil
amendments.
Although every gardener hates to
deal with weeds, it weeds are not
destroyed they will pre> upon the
root system of your vegetables and
flowers.
In gardens, weeds compete with
vegetables for soil nutrients, water,
air and sunlight, because ot this
competition the gardens produce
fewer vegetables. In addition to re
ducing the crop, weeds provide a
home for insects and diseases.
What to do?
First, learn to identity the type of
weeds that are making their home
in y our garden or landscape. Dan
deloins. quackgrass and ragweed
are among the most common, but
hundreds of less familiar weeds
plaque gardeners as well. Setting
the interlopers is easy. It 's a sure bet
anything you didn't plant yourself
is a wee.
According to Larry Bass, exten
sion horticulture specialist at North
Carolina State University in Ra
leigh. a steel hoe is one of the most
effective tools in fighting the weed
war A steel hoe is accurate, .selec
tive. effective and inexpensive, he
said.
Hoes come in different shapes
and sizes related to specific tasks.
As your local hardware or garden
eentei retailer tor advice on select
ing the right weapon.
Hoe as shallow 1\ as possible to
restrict the amount oi weed seed
brought to the soil surface and re
move weed debris from the garden
after hoeing.
However, weeds usually require
more than a good hoe to keep them
down.
In some cases, hand weeding
works best, especially for removing
weeds growing close to the base of
a plant.
To avoid back injury, pull weeds
from a sitting or kneeling position.
The best time to pull weeds is when
the earth is loose or soft, such as in
the spring, a day or two after n light
rain, and prefeiably in the evening.
Because a weed's roots can grow
much longer below ground than its
above ground height, it's important
to pull straight up. Also, grasp the
weed at the crown, the thick-stem
med area just above the soil sur
face. to pull out the entire plant.
Nevci hi! comfrey. dandelions or
Jerusalem artichokes, which can re
produce easily from tiny hits ot the
original root. Instead, dig these no
torious garden thugs out by hand.
No garden will ever be complete
ly weed free. Attacking weed prob
lems early in the season, before
they set seed, is the best defense.
Mulching is the most effective
and safe way to prevent weed es
tablishment Mulches usually pro
vide effective annual weed control
and will suppress perennial weeds.
However, bermuda grass and yel
low nutsedge may emerge through
any type of mulch.
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MIULIKEN HOME CENTER
LANDSCAPE FABRICS, like other mulches, are a need-hater's
best friend. Thousands of micro-funnels in the fabric allow air and
water to reach plant roots, while blocking out the light weeds need
to grow.
Mulches fall into two categories,
organic and inorganic.
Organic Mulches
Organic mulches decompose nat
urally in the soil. Inorganic mulches
do not decompose and must be re
moved from the soil after serv ing
their moisture retention and weed
reduction purposes.
Organic mulches are the most
common types, including hark
chips, compost, grass clippings
from yards that have not been treat
ed with broadleaf weedkiller,
leaves, manures, peat moss, saw
dust. straw and wood shavings.
Because they are most useful in
conserving soil moisture and reduc
ing the soil temperature during the
summer, they should not be used
too early in the spiing.
11 organic mulches are applied to
cold gardens, the soil will warm up
slower, reducing the growth rate of
the vegetables.
After the soil warms up. said
Bass, apply organic mulches to a
depth of two to four inches around
well established plants. Be sure
there is adequate moisture in the
soil before applying the mulch.
According to Bass, mulches such
as sawdust, wood shavings and
corncobs can cause a nitrogen
shortage in the soil as they decom
pose. To correct this, add one to
two cups of 8-8-8 or 10-10-10 fer
tili/ei to each bushel of those types
ol much.
Inorganic Mulches
Inorganic mulches, such as clear
or black plastic and landscape fab
ric should be applied prior to plant
ing.
Before using the materials, make
sure that the moisture level in the
soil is high.
To apply, place the material over
a pre-fertilized row to be planted.
then bur> the edges to prevent the
wind from blowing it away. To de
posit the seeds or transplants, cut
little slits in the material with a
pocket knife.
Clear plastic increases the tem
perature of" the soil by S to 10 de
grees. The soil warms faster with
clear plastic than with any other
type of mulch.
Because the clear plastic does
not exclude light, crops as well as
weeds will begin to grow under
neath. Remove the plastic as soon
as the seedlings emerge through the
soil.
Black plastic increases the soil
temperature by 5 to 6 degrees early
in the growing season and reduces
weed growth. This material is rec
ommended for crops with fruit on
the ground, such as melons, cucum
bers, squash and tomatoes.
Landscape fabrics, or geotextiles,
can also be used to deter weed
growth around permanent orna
mentals such as trees, plants and
shrubs. They are usually set in
place before planting.
Thousands of tiny funnels allow
free flow of air and water while si
multaneously blocking sunlight and
weeds. Life of the fabric can be ex
tended sometimes indefinitely with
the addition of a protective layer of
organic mulch.
'"The decision of whether to use
an organic or inorganic mulch real
ly depends on the season of the
year and what you are trving to ac
complish through iis use," said
Bass.
It you're still losing the battle
against weeds, there are more op
tions. Add gravel pathways,
groundcovers, stepping stones and
other hard surfaces to the landscape
so that weeds will have fewer
places to poke up.