Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
What is the best way to get rid of weeds in a veggie garden? Could I use hay to cover them to smother them out? I am currently picking them out, but they just seem to be resprouting. It makes my garden look messy!
By ftsik
Yes, you can use hay. Mulch helps also. They also help hold the water in around the plants and doesn't cost a whole lot if you get it in a big bag. They also sell this black mesh net stuff that helps (you lay it down like carpet). It isn't hugely expensive either.
My mother once laid black trash bags along the rows of her gardens to keep weeds down. (Secure with rocks or stakes.) You could of course, use weed killer, but I don't personally "approve" of using weed killer type poisons on anything (it hurts our earth and us too, IMHO).
You could also spray vinegar directly on the weeds, but you have to be careful as it might (probably will) also kill the veggie plants if it gets on them. Really, you can't completely get rid of weeds without serious poisons and maybe not even then... but you can try to keep them to a minimum.
I have used shredded newspaper ( black & white only) also broken down boxes that all with deteriate. Just lay in walk ways and shredded paper around the plants to hold moisture.
I recently weeded my garden and placed a thin layer of pine mulch on it. Now I have weeds growing like wildfire in my garden bed. Everything I've looked at in stores harms other plants. Is there any way to get rid of this problem without harming my hostas and azalea bushes?
By Toni
Why a thin layer of mulch? Mulch should be at least 3-4 inches deep to block weeds. As it decays, it should be top dressed yearly, if needed. Some people place a layer of newspaper under the mulch to help block weeds, but this depends where you live. I live in the south, where we get in a drought every year and the soil is dry at least 18 inches down; newspaper stops rain/water from reaching the soil and the plants roots, and the plants bake--no matter how moist the soil is when put it down.
I have a new allotment that is heavily weeded over with docs. What is the best method to remove them which will also allow me to plant vegetables as soon as possible?
Get a weed killer called Root Out, which isn't allowed to be sold in the UK any more, due to illogical EEC regulations. It's made of ammonium sulphate, and is now sold in the UK as a compost accelerator.
I have a weed that is growing in my hydrangea bush, how can I kill it since pulling it does not do the trick?
By Glenn
Using an old, small paintbrush...saved just for this job. Paint some of the leaves of the weed, with weed killer. Don't get the weed killer on the hydrangea leaves. It may take a while, but this will do the trick!
If I use boiling water to kill weed roots, how long before I can plant potatoes?
By Bev
I am about to give you an alternative you all might want to try.
During the 70's, Mother Earth News came out with an issue that included growing spuds. If you have clean sawdust, that is boiled and then allowed to dry, you can grow spuds in it. Honest.
I will provide you with a link to prove I am not crazy.
In a 55 gallon tub, you can line the bottom with about 4" of clean sawdust. It has to be weevil free. Put some cuttings that have at least 2 eyes and have sat till they are almost black down in the dust until they are barely covered.
Moisten but don't soak. Leave for a few days till more sprouts come up and cover with more dust. Keep doing this till the leaves turn from green to yellow in the late summer or early fall.
Tip the tub and you should have a "ton of tubers"!! Hope that helps. Sandi/PBP
www.ehow.com/
What can I put in my hydrangea to kill the dandelions and other weeds, but won't harm the hydrangea?
By D. Smith
My husband passed away in January and I am attempting to battle the overgrown garden, but have several large weed roots and a Russian vine root that I would like to kill. Does anyone have any ideas please?
The Russian vine has a root that is about 12" wide we did try to dig it out last year, but it has grown again.
By Sue
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
You can use newspaper for weed control, place 3/4 inch overlapping layers of newspaper around your shrubs/plants. Soak it down with water and wait for 24 hours before you place decorative mulch on top.
