Gardening????
Question:I have a space on my patio that i want to turn in to a garden. I know the type of plants that i want to use and everything. The problem is, i have pulled the previous plants that were there up about 3 wks ago but they are growing back. (i think that they are weeds but i was told otherwise) the plants are on the outside of the gate as well. I have tried to pull the roots and that is not working either. what can i do to keep this stuff from growning and how do i know if the soil is good enough for plants? plsssssss help
Answers:
They are weeds if they are "plants out of place, growing in useless abundance," according to a very old botanical classification of Weeds.
That is, if you do not want them there, even though they may be "flowers," you can consider them weeds.
If pulling them up does not work, you should dig them out. Certain plants spread by a root system that connects each plant to every other of the same type. When you pull one, it breaks the root, and everyplace there is a root break, a new plant springs up.
Another thing you can do is allow the plant to grow to about 8 inches and then CAREFULLY (use a small paintbrush--do NOT spray it), paint on the weed-killer ROUNDUP.
Then let the plant sit in the sun until it dies. You may have to apply it twice over a one-week period. The ROUNDUP goes down into the plant and into the root, and kills it.
ROUNDUP will kill whatever it touches, so be very careful it does not get on any plants you want to keep.
Good luck. If all else fails, keep breaking it off at the base and it will eventually die off. NEVER allow it to bloom, as that spreads the seeds far and wide. If even that fails, you could move (grin).
You may have a plant with rhizomatic roots.. that is, the plant spreads by sending roots outward. To keep it from spreading into the new garden, install a barrier of plastic sheeting down into the soil as far as you can.. maybe 8-12 inches deep. the roots can't go through this, so you should be able to keep them out of the new garden. Think of this piece of plastic like a dam on a river.. it has to hold back the roots, so be sure it is continuous all the way across the space or the river will just flow around it.. know what I mean?
You'll have to pull out all of the old plants, along with the roots and then plant the new plants. Be sure you mulch and fertilize the new plantings..
Good luck!
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