I belong to Women Homeowner’s Network of Santa Cruz County www.womenhomeownersnetwork.com and at our monthly meeting one of our members shared this bit of gardening news with us.
As a property manager who handles yard maintenance for many properties I thought I would share her thoughts with all of you.
Diane Flowers – Landscape Design & Maintenance, Sol Inspirations
Weeds have evolved to colonize bare soil. The first line of defense is organic matter, fertile soil is relatively weed resistant. Compost is the best nutrient for all plants from small plants to enormous trees.
Secondly, especially in perennial beds, lay down a thick layer of organic mulch. Use a weed whacker or pruners to cut the weeds to the ground if they are really tall, and then put down cardboard to smother out the crab grass, oxalis, and other persistent weeds. Flat sheets of cardboard can be found at Cosco. The flat board is placed between the pallets if you don’t want to tear up boxes.
Ideally use mulch materials already at your home such as grass clippings, fallen leaves, pine needles, or even dried weeds that you have already pulled out. Pine needles are also great for azaleas, hydrangeas, rhododendrons, and camellias, and for your strawberries and blueberries since they acidify the soil. And, slugs don’t like pine needles.
Weed seeds can lie dormant under thick layers of soil and mulch so avoid tilling beds; just add organic matter on top. See there is a reason to not dig up that old soil.
Round-up alternatives are vinegar, rubbing alcohol, boiling water, and cabbage…cabbage??? Cabbage, Brussel sprouts and other cruciferour plants contain thiocyanate, a chemical toxic to newly germinated plants. Blend those Brussels sprouts or a few cabbage leaves in the blender with water and pour in the cracks of your sidewalk to get those seedlings.
Vinegar and rubbing alcohol work on sunny days if you pour it directly on a weed. Boiling water in the cracks works too, especially for established weeds and grasses it is also recommended for poison oak and bramble roots and it is useful to rid an area of ants.
Other odd ways for weed control, Nick at Iowa State says cornmeal inhibits seed germination and fertilizes as well with its 10 percent nitrogen. He says just sprinkle it over the area before the growing season.
My new favorite read for garden and household ideas, using things you have at home, is Slug Bread and Beheaded Thistles, by Ellen Sandbeck, a $10 humorous approach to gardening.
Diane can be reached at diane@solinspirations.com
