From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Bristol R.I. USA

Every time the plant kick in so does the nasty weeds!

5/28/2012 11:29:41 PM

Anamosa, IA [email protected]

We have the solution here. No rain = no weeds.

5/29/2012 7:57:06 AM

Lexington, Ky

Weeds.....organic matter

5/29/2012 9:16:57 AM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Stirrup Hoe

5/29/2012 1:36:00 PM

Bristol R.I. USA

Round up and another till. God I hate weeds. Their like rats at the harbor and pigeons to a statue and the annoying people at every wedding sitting at table 7. Oh the joy of battle with my hated enemy Mr. Weeds and his ever populating family.....pass the asprin.......

5/29/2012 2:17:42 PM

Little-TON - Colorado

Spray'em with molasses...in the heat of the sun......

5/29/2012 2:56:42 PM

Littlerock, WA

Stirrup hoe the morning of a hot day then let 'em cook in the afternoon!

5/29/2012 5:46:50 PM

Bristol R.I. USA

I may just go the chemical route....roundup the area then another till.

5/29/2012 11:24:05 PM

Ohio

I agree with Linus, stirrup Hoe, get the weeds when they are just sprouting that way later you wont have a lot of bigger weed plants to deal with.

Trick I learned from a Mr LaRue about 7 years ago, and if you don't have a stirrup hoe, Another great tool is using the back flat part of a metal rake by moving it back and forth kinda like you would with a stirrup hoe.

5/30/2012 5:12:35 AM

Muddy Waters

There's nothing like a good HOE!

5/30/2012 6:33:53 AM

Muddy Waters

I keep tilling No rain, no worms to kill,no roots yet to chop.Keep away from the Kins!

5/30/2012 6:35:34 AM

Hinckley MN

tilling after round up just brings more weed seeds to the surface to germinate. you should either shallow cultivate repeatedly through the summer OR use round up, not both.

5/30/2012 8:08:31 AM

Rhode Island

we tried something different this year that had some unexpected benefits.our initial concern was getting all the spring addition of nutrients and such down so early that by the time our plants grew out some of these ammendments would already be washed either away or taken to deeply into the soil.

what we did was
1-we started out by adding our ammendments and just tilling under the cover crop of winter rye just in an area (a tad bigger) than where the greenhouses ( 5ft w x 7ft L )would go.( no worries regarding soil compaction and such-etc)
2-after a couple weeks we ammended the rest of the patch then tilled under only a larger strip (approx 8ft on each side @ front of g-houses )(this also gave us a boarder as well for walking on when setting up wind protection 1ft inside the tilled area)
3-in another week or so the balance of the patch will be tilled under allowing all benefits of winter rye,mico and ammendments to be available to the growing plant.any wind fence adjustments can also be made at that time.

the added benefit besides the obvious? much less trampling of the soil if your walking and working (setting up wind fence ,etc, with rye under your feet rather than freshly tilled soil.

pap and ron

5/30/2012 9:24:32 AM

Rhode Island

ps ---also forgot to add. weed families have been held down greatly because of this method. i know at some point we will be dealing with weeding but very little so far. using this method.

5/30/2012 9:26:53 AM

Bristol R.I. USA

Yeah Pap, I put the roundup on the patch and also tilled the rest of the weeds in. I should have waited a bit longer to add the round up but I'm pressed for time this week and the patch was almost being overtaken by the weeds. I'll be giving the patch another till just to get the rest of the smaller weeds under the soil. Then next week the plants will be free of any greenhouse protections and the silt fence will added around the patch along with some around the individual plants. I have little critter preasure so I'm able to use more time on vine maintenence and proper growing.

5/30/2012 12:39:24 PM

Bristol,RI,USA.

good read pap and ken ! pap hope to see you soon maybe i can drag ken the heat with me when i come for another beat down learning experience ! your humble student

5/30/2012 4:22:32 PM

Zurich, Ontario Canada

Try corn glutten. Spead it in patch, work it in, water it in. No weeds for three to 4 months. Kills them as seeds germinate. Does not effect plants that are already up except will add a little nitro gen. It works. Been doing it for ten years now. Many people in Canada have been using on lawns since chemical bans have been put in place. Good Luck!!!!

5/30/2012 6:29:25 PM

Bristol R.I. USA

I believe that corn glutin is what garden preen consists of. Last year I ued a bunch of it. I still got a ton of weeds. I believe to much will inhibit root growth.

5/30/2012 7:29:59 PM

Zurich, Ontario Canada

Really!!!! Corn glutin is a bi-product of the corn milling process. It is mainly used in livestock and dog food. I would recomend that any one trys it in a section of their garden to see what it will do. It has saved me alot of work!!! I'm not saying your wrong Kenny but I think I'm right.

5/30/2012 8:47:46 PM

Bristol R.I. USA

Joe, lat year I ued garden Preen on my patch amd I beliieve its active ingredient is corn gluten. It did control weeds pretty good. The only drawback seemed to be a les then perfect root structure in my plants. I just didnt see the aweome root structure I had seen in priviouse years. Ive heard many thoughts on useing such products. Ome say its not harmful others have said it may retard growth in the rooting system. I used a decent amount on my patch last year and thought it hurt mu plants as if the plants where fighting through some issues. I do believe that such things used to kill or prevent weeds do have an effect on soil biology. Maybe omebody ha ome solid proof.

5/31/2012 12:07:44 AM

The bottom of New Jersey

Could using corn gluten be worse than using Round Up? I don't think so. I personally believe the hoe is the way to go.

5/31/2012 5:57:26 AM

Bristol R.I. USA

I really think that any type of chemical applied to the soil will be harmful in one form or another. Many growers feel that pulling weeds is just good growing....lol

5/31/2012 6:13:27 AM

Ontario

I'm a hoe man, give me a sharp hoe anyday,thats the key(sharp).My favorite is a collinear hoe, designed by Eliot Coleman,the dean of organic farming,its used in a sweeping motion. Johhyseeds sells this hoe ,the blade can be replaced,and it 's sharpened with a file,great product,and the best time to dispatch the buggers is when their small. Terry

5/31/2012 9:10:26 AM

Ontario

Thats Johnnyseeds. Terry

5/31/2012 9:13:11 AM

Ohio

Is there a diffrence in using cracked corn (feed for animals,) verses using corn glutten?

Would you get the same effect for keeping down weeds?

I have a hard time finding corn Glutten in my area.

5/31/2012 9:18:50 AM

Roselle, IL [email protected]

This corn gluten product was available at Ace Hardware in a 50 lb bag.. Trying it out on my neighbors patch this year http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003B6BDPQ

5/31/2012 10:03:20 AM

Taylorsville, California

Quantum Ken-the active ingredient in Preen is trifluralin, which was sold originally under the brand name Treflan. It acts by killing weeds when they germinate by preventing the shoots and roots from elongating. Preen organic vegetable garden weed preventer consists of 100% corn gluten without trifluralin.
I know many organic growers who have used corn gluten for years with no detrimental effects, good stuff Joe!

5/31/2012 1:01:22 PM

Bristol R.I. USA

Thanks for the clarification.

5/31/2012 2:19:04 PM

Zurich, Ontario Canada

Brooks B Cracked corn is not pure enough to do anything plus it would attract rodents. Try your local live stock feed mill. I used to work at a livestock premix plant and we used it in alot of the feeds. I was able to buy it in a 55 pound bag for $15. What ever you don't use, just spread it on your lawn because you don't need much. Just a dusting!!

5/31/2012 9:01:11 PM

Omaha, Ne.

Good to know. I used Preen last year, that could of been what happened to my kin...Or I just didn't know what I was doing.

5/31/2012 9:28:58 PM

Bristol R.I. USA

Darren, Preen isn't good to use on any Garden product. I've heard that it will retard the growth of rooting systems in the plant. It can't be good.

6/1/2012 11:34:19 AM

Little-TON - Colorado

I know Preen and PepperZ do not get along nicely

6/1/2012 12:25:58 PM

North Smithfield, RI

Hoe-Hoe-Hoe
That's the way to go !

6/1/2012 6:24:35 PM

Ohio

Thanks for the info Phat and George, I have a Ace Hardware about a half hour from me, never gave that store a thought before.

thanks again!

6/2/2012 4:57:44 AM

Bethlehem CT

Pap I like your idea of tilling strips of rye as the plant grows. They have done trials with corn planted into fields that have had rye recently disc harrowed into the soil. The fields with the disced in rye, always have much fewer weeds in them compared to the ones without the rye. I have seen similar results in my garden, The tilled in rye seems to suppress weeds for several weeks.

6/2/2012 9:16:22 AM