Beat the war on weeds in the garden and flower bed

First, where do all those weeds come from? Many weed seeds come in with a load of soil, manure or compost that has not gotten hot enough. Birds are also very efficient at planting anything that goes through them on a trip over your garden. Add to that all the mice and chipmunks that like to plant things, the wind that blows in seeds, the lawnmower — well, you get the picture.

Weed seeds are viable much longer than most garden seeds. Kochia, pig weed and purslane can remain viable up to 50 years — just waiting to be brought close to the surface when you till or hoe. Because of this long viability, weeds will always have the advantage in a garden or flower bed.

We are not going to get rid of weed sources so one approach is to beat them with good garden practices. If you till your garden, do it in early spring. Better for the health of all the microorganisms in the soil, it also brings up the weed seeds so they can germinate before you plant your vegetables. Then, when you see that first flush of weeds, do a shallow hoe in two directions. It will disturb as many roots as possible.

After the garden is planted and the seedlings are up, mulch heavily between the rows to reduce weeding and retain moisture. We like shredded leaves; others use dried grass clippings or straw. Just remember that grass often has dandelion seeds and could be contaminated with pigeon grass, hoary alyssum or who knows what other weed seeds.

Plastic weed blockers are also good at reducing weeds and allowing moisture to penetrate. The only disadvantage is the cost every year and the need to stake it down.

Always mow away from gardens or flower beds. Installing wood, concrete, or plastic edging helps stop the invasion of quack grass and other grasses. Flame weeding is another technique that works very well for certain weeds but has to be done carefully to avoid collateral damage!

If you use commercial fertilizer, fertilize in bands next to the plant rather than broadcasting over the entire garden. That way the nutrients are there for the plant you are growing but not for the weeds in between.

Solarization is a chemical free method to prepare a new garden spot. First, mow any weeds or grass very short and cover the plot with clear plastic. Seal the edges with soil, bricks or boards to prevent leakage. After a day in the sun the temperature under the plastic can reach 140 degrees or more, effectively killing grasses and weed seeds. This is a slow process, however. Cloudy weather can delay the process; check the soil temperatures to a depth of many inches to assure seed death.  Quack grass may present greater challenges! If you don’t remove it prior to planting, you will regret it.

The last advice is the hardest — plan to get down on your knees and pull weeds growing in the rows on a regular basis. It is just to demoralizing to let them get ahead of you. Like Santa says — hoe, hoe, hoe!

Look for information about horticulture on the University of Minnesota Extension Home and Garden Information page www.extension.umn.edu/gardeninfo or on the Beltrami Master Gardener site beltramicountymastergardeners.org. The local Master Gardener horticultural assistance voice mail is again taking calls so call 444-7916 with your question.