I need to get rid of tough weeds so I can plant vegetables. Any ideas?
Question:I am trying to plant a small vegetable garden, but the plot has been overrun for a few years with dandelions and crab grass. It's basically carpeted in weeds! What's the best way to get rid of them? I thought about chemical weed killers, but I don't know how long I'll have to wait to be able to plant veggies and have them survive. Any help appreciated. Thanks!
Answers:
If its not too big an area cover the ground with a dark tarp or black plastic bags to block all the sunlight. The dark covering soaks up the heat and bakes the plants below until they die. They cant live without light. Leave it pegged down for as long as it takes --probably three weeks for a good kill.
Once uncovered you'll still need to till or dig the soil to remove debris, rocks & roots. When you do, it's important to ammend the soil appropriately. If you have clay or hard packed earth you'll need to add some sand and compost to loosen the soil so your new plants can spread their roots easily.
Other than that, you should know that as you turn the earth you expose the existing seed bed to sunlight. They will germinate. You can count on it.
Unless you are planting seeds to start your plants use some Preen or another pre-emergent and it will keep the existing weed seeds from germinating. You can get it at any of the big box stores. It comes in a big yellow plastic container with a red cap.
water the area well... weeds are a lot easier to pull up when the ground is wet. get your gloves on and start yanking them out...
put up an edger or a border to keep new ones from coming in and then kinda hoe up the whole are ripping the roots that you didnt get out.. then plant your veggies... plant them in rows so that way you know anything that some up in between those rows any new weeds and pull those out as you garden.. good luck!
I would say diesel fuel
Thoroughly wet the patch, then use old carpet or black plastic to cover it well. Weigh it down and let the sun do its work. After some time all the weeds will be dead. Clear the patch, turn over the soil and add any manure appropriate to what your soil needs or for what you are about to grow. Edge your patch to stop encroachment of weeds and other nasties. There are plenty of chemicals that are SAFE to use to clear the weeds and allow planting of vegetables without any concerns for your health. While waiting for the patch to be ready to plant, think about using any old tubs as 'mini' gardens and get started. You will be amazed how well things grow in their own little patches. Have fun and good luck with the veggies.
spread a tarp or black plastic sheet over the area you want to clear. The plants under tha plastic should die within a week. You can then dig it over to remove the roots.
Some chemical weedkillers will kill only the leaves and dont leave a resiue that would affect your vegetables.
Just digging it over with a fork and hoe will get rid of the weeds. Wear gloves and after you fork over the ground , pull out the weeds and get rid of them .
Some people put out black plastic out on the plot and cover until all greenery dies or you could dig them out and replace soil with dirt, compost, and peat moss. for the perimeter you can use a weed and grass killer. Then just keep an eye out for them every other day you can pull new growths.
If your plot is VERY small, the tarp thing might work, but I've tried it with an area about the size of an average bedroom, and it was the biggest waste of time.
Your best bet is to just mark out your patch, get some Roundup and spray it. Everything should die within a week. I doubt you have to wait longer to plant than it would take for the weeds to die under the tarp (which, trust me, could take a very long time). I'd just call their customer service and ask them how long to wait. Or you can probably find out on their website: www.roundup.com
Alternatively, you could rent a small tiller (perhaps from a local nursery?) and turn over the soil. Or you could turn over the soil by hand with a shovel/spade. After turning over the dirt you could cover it with tarp, as it would probably be more effective AFTER tilling, if you want to avoid chemicals.
If you want to plant NOW the best thing would be to dig out the weeds, getting as much of the roots as possible. If you have a dormant season, that is the time to cover with a tarp or heavy mulch. That would have been the best way to start. Crab grass is very hard to get rid of. Don't till as that will just make millions more of it. Dig each bit out if you can and keep at it. I would not advise using chemical weedkillers in the vegetable garden.
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