garden question

[moday]

I'm not sure if I should post this here or in "gardens", so I'll do both.

I have a pretty good sized garden (40 x 150 ft). It's really become overgrown this fall, as I fell behind in my roto-tilling in some areas, and other areas I could not till (due to vining crops; ie: pumpkins, ghords, and squash).
Now I have a weedy mess that I'm not sure how to get under control for winter.

I did add 3-4 yards of what was thought to be old horse manure per the advice of my extension office, so that may have helped in the addition of many weeds. There are only a few varieties of weeds, but short of pulling them all by hand.... what else could I do? The main weed crop looks like a bunch of little tiny dasies at the bloom, and the flowerhead is about 0.25 inches. The leaves do not resemble daisies. They pull fairly easy out with root and all but it would take me days to do it all. I'm worried about more seeds being put back in if I just mow them down.

Should I use a killer? Should I continue pulling? Should I try a York Rake (which I don't own)? Should I mow it all? I have a plow and disk, but I didn't really want to plow and sink all my latest addition of organics. Maybe the seeds have already made there way there for next year?

Please advise and thanks! Fall is here in Michigan so I need to act fast.

[michiganfarmer]

I like round up but its expensive. Id like to find a non chemical weed killer but I havent had time yet.

Ive had a thought in the past about after pulling the weeds, getting them right out of the garden so their seeds dont germinate, and make more weeds in the garden. I havent been diligent enouhg in my garden to test that theory either.

[7thswan]

I burn my garden off in the fall.

[MullersLaneFarm]

I like letting a hog or two into the garden for a few weeks after it is harvested. Then sheet compost it about 12".

[used2bcool13]

If you can get your hands on some chickens and can fence them in, your work will be done in a week tops!

[Danaus29]

If you're not growing crops any poultry will take care of your weeds. If you can get hold of them, about a dump truck load of leaves spread out and left on all winter will kill the weeds. But that also invites slugs. Again, a few birds will take care of that.

[michiganfarmer]

Originally Posted by 7thswan

I burn my garden off in the fall.

thats interesting. That might even kill the weed seeds

[wy_white_wolf]

Short term. I'd cover everything in black plastic and rototill in the spring.

Long term. I'd change my gardening style. Sounds like the garden may be too big for you to keep up with. I might look at fencing it into 2 areas. Each say 40x75 and building a chicken coop with openings to each side that could be closed. Each year garden in 1 half and let the chickens have the other. In the fall change areas and let chickens do there thing and other area will be ready to garden in the spring.

Just a thought not ment to offend.

[Callieslamb]

I have no problem with chemical weed kill once a year in my garden if the weed is a perennial and nortoriously hard to get rid of. Burning might do it. My chickens don't do an adequate job of weed consumption- or, the weeds go right through them.

You don't say where you are so I don't know if you have time enough, but many perennial weeds can be controlled by simply tilling every 10 days. You might till as often as the weather will allow this fall and then repeat again in the spring. Till, let the roots start to resprout top growth and till again. Repeat 3-4 times or until no top growth.

[goatlady]

If th ere are flowers on those weeds the seeds are NOT mature and will NOT sprout so go ahead and mow like mad, gal! Once theplant is mowed the seeds CANNOT continue to grow and develop plus all that "greenery" will just add to the humus in the soil.

[Jukes23]

You could also put down a ground cover, like buckwheat or something. It grows really quick pushing out the weeds. Plus it helps revitalize your soil...just a thought.

[Wolf mom]

If you don't have clay soil, just burn the mess! That'll get rid of the weeds and many seeds. Just a few hours spent & you're good to go again, maybe this time with a modified plan.

[uncle Will in In.]

Just mow it close and rototill it a couple times. There will be plenty of seeds for next years grass and weeds no matter what you do. Till it early next spring but wait a couple weeks before you retill it again and plant. You will get a head start on the weeds by killing the early ones that way. My neighbor uses a push mower between his rows when the weeds overtake things. <>UNK

[moday]

I have lots of clay soil, so should I not burn?

The extension office suggested that I use sulfur this year as I had put too much wood ash in the garden over the years. To this thought, burning is not an option.

I'm going to pull what I can and mow what I can.

Is the buckwheat better as a winter crop that the wheat or rye that I've been using?

How does it smother the weeds out?

What rate per sq foot garden do you put in Buckwheat?

[HermitJohn]

Frost will kill buckwheat. Its a warm weather cover crop. You want rye grain or there is some kind of Austrian pea or something that tolerates cold.

Either lawn mower or if too much for that, then brush hog it. I never use chemicals on something I am going to eat and be shame to waste the organic matter burning it.

[geo in mi]

Best you can do now is to mow it and make it look neater. Chemicals are not an option this late in the year, and any plant in bloom will probably just mature on out and make seeds. Burning, perhaps, if you get a streak of dry weather, but any seed that has already fallen on the ground will just scatter as you rake the plants into a pile. Relax this year and regroup next year.

[ronbre]

go through and pull anything that you see seed heads on..and then mow anything left..once you get it down protect any perennial plants and spray the remaining duff with roundup in the fall..and then again in the spring as you get a new flush of growth from seeds that have already dropped..

you got a lot of your weeds from the horse manure..which is notorious for weeds but a great manure.

you need to start using a thick mulch to keep the weeds down next year in your garden..get as much stuff as you can to mulch between your rows..and around your plants..the mulch will keep the weeds down and any weeds that come up between the mulched area or in the mulch can be much more easily pulled.

also a big problem is planting in rows..as it leaves so much un cared for ground to set weeds..

try a more intensive gardening approach..only haveing paths every 4'..or so..and plant your plants closer together..that way you won't have so much area for weeds to grow as the leaves of the plants will touch and shade out the weeds.

rototilling is something i do not do..every time you disturb the ground you bring up more seeds from the weeds and give them the light and air they need to sprout..if you mulch and dig holes or furrows in the mulch for planting..then you won't do that..

one site to check out is www.permies.com on no till type gardening

[edmonds]

I plan on doing the same thing I did last year, which seemed to work fine.
1) mow everything down
2) rototill
3) plant crimson clover
Crimson clover will serve as a cover crop for winter and should grow fast and thick enough that weeds cannot grow. Clover also helps add nitrogen to soil. Next spring I will mow the clover and then rototill it in.

[Wolf mom]

pH lower than 7.0 is considered an "acid" type soil. Above that it's considered alkaline. (clay) when you add ashes you are increasing the alkalinity of your soil.

You need to find out what your pH is and adjust by adding additives (natural or chemicals - your choice). The basis of a good growing garden is the soil.

[fishhead]

Originally Posted by wy_white_wolf

Short term. I'd cover everything in black plastic and rototill in the spring.

Long term. I'd change my gardening style. Sounds like the garden may be too big for you to keep up with. I might look at fencing it into 2 areas. Each say 40x75 and building a chicken coop with openings to each side that could be closed. Each year garden in 1 half and let the chickens have the other. In the fall change areas and let chickens do there thing and other area will be ready to garden in the spring.

Just a thought not ment to offend.

I second that idea.

Here's before 50 chickens in a 30'x30' abandoned garden spot.



Here's after. I didn't pick more than a handful of weeds all summer and my plants were lush green.