weeds,weeds,weeds - Wildlife Gardeners

will-o-wisp · 03-13-2012, 03:49 AM

Maybe it's because of the relatively mild winter but this year it seems I have more weeds then desired plants.
Chickweed, some kind of cress and grass have appeared in all the beds, in sheets.
Garlic grass, garlic chives and buttercups are happily romping through the garden, not to mention a few I don't know the name of but can identify them as weeds.
I have no idea how to get any sort of control.
Help.

Is anyone else having the same trouble this year?
You'd think with all the densely planted beds and the use of fairly assertive ground covers I wouldn't have this problem. That was the plan anyway.
How are you controlling the weeds?
I tend to hand pull areas as I pass by but I read that cutting back, so you don't disturb the soil, except for the grass that loves to be cut, would be better.

suunto · 03-13-2012, 05:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by will-o-wisp

Maybe it's because of the relatively mild winter but this year it seems I have more weeds then desired plants.
Chickweed, some kind of cress and grass have appeared in all the beds, in sheets.

The cress likely is hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) - see Hairy Bittercress
It appears to be more abundant that usual here as well - I hoe it where I can and hand-pull where hoeing is impractical, but it is getting out of hand and I also would be receptive to more advice...

linrose · 03-13-2012, 09:13 AM

It's pretty much a losing battle for me with our mild winters. We have to either hand-pull or smother the winter annuals with chopped leaves before they go to seed. Unfortunately common chickweed has the ability to flower year-round so fighting it can be useless. Mouseear chickweed adds to the fun because it's a perennial and even if you pull it there's plenty of long-lived seed still in the soil that will be happy to pop up to take its place. Hairy bittercress is one I really loathe, if it gets by me and goes to seed it spits them everywhere when you pull it, like it's thumbing its nose at me to try to destroy it. And forget about pulling Allium vineale, usually it breaks off in your hand before you get the bulbs out so you need a tool. There's so much of it in lawns here you'd think the grass was growing early but look closer and you'll see it's nothing but wild garlic. Smells delicious when the mowers come out every spring!
If you pull it while the soil is still moist after it has warmed up and the soil is loose like in a cultivated and mulched garden you may be able to coax it out.

I'm hoping to get some time in today to start on some areas, chickweed seems to be the main culprit this year. Then some chopped leaves will go down. There's not much we can do to prevent the little darlings, they'll even grow right on top of commercial grade landscape fabric or in a deep layer of organic mulch, they don't seem to need soil to grow! We just had a heavy rain, the temps are going up to 79 today and it's time to attack, after I preempt the pain with some Advil . . .

havalotta · 03-13-2012, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Chickweed, have appeared in all the beds, in sheets.

I swear I pulled ALL of the chickweed out just before Winter set in. Now that I've looked, I see, Like you say.... It has covered some of the beds ENTIRELY in sheets!

I feel like I'm in a loosing battle as it's slowly taking over bed after bed even though I pull and pull and pull.
Last year I bought many varieties of ferns hoping once they filled in I'd see mostly the ferns from above hoping I could live with ..... GADS........... Purposefully LETTING! the ever creeping invasive chickweeds grow beneath.

Things would be sooooooooooooo much easier if I could free myself from feeling the NEED to rip the weeds! I hope I can change my way of thinking of it as more of a compromise, than a loosing battle so I'll be more at peace when I do see it covering the beds.

Pulling it out isn't controlling it, slicing it off isn't either....
The only other options would be to get over it and leave it as an under-story plant OR spray the entire area with a post emergence (applied in the fall ) or an herbicide to kill it BEFORE the other things emerge but I myself try my darnedest to avoid using such products......

What I do know is, how MANY hours I have wasted pulling and pulling with no avail so something MUST change! I'm opting out! Going to release myself from this heavy, heavy burden and let it grow as an under-story. If I can't get over it.....I can always go back to the intensive labor of ripping.

havalotta · 03-13-2012, 10:09 AM

NOTE: I just found a chickweed plant growing UPRIGHT in one of my terrariums....Upon looking it up I see it can grow up to 20 inches tall!
Gads! Now what to do? I'll be seeing it poking its way THROUGH the ferns!!! So much for THAT great idea............

Gloria · 03-13-2012, 10:37 AM

Know your enemy to plan assault.

Each piece of stem is capable of rooting in moist conditions...
(so in spring you cut back to ground to keep from seeding but more effective in dry warm temperatures with dry dry soil.)

Leachate from composted household waste inhibits seed germination(that vermicompost leachage may have a use, what do you know).

There are indications that shallowly incorporating chopped straw reduces seedling emergence. This may be due to the release of toxins as the straw decomposes. Seedling numbers increase, however, following applications of organic manure.

Flame weeding. Like prairie burns or just a hand held flamer.

The seeds of common chickweed are consumed by several species of ground beetle.
(Hugelculture encourages beetles)

The fungus Peronospora media may be an important agent in the natural control of common chickweed.

Each year without soil disturbance decreases seed germination by a bit. 4 to 5 years down to less than 10% but make take 11 years to eradicate solely using this method.

These methods work for chickweed and the cress, but for the grass,shade and cutting back will work over time and not sabotage the effort to rid the other weeds.

NEWisc · 03-13-2012, 10:55 AM

Corn gluten meal helps prevent seed germination:
Corn Gluten Meal Research | Department of Horticulture
(note that it's corn gluten meal, not just cornmeal)
I've seen it work well on a rock garden.

Vinegar can be used as an herbicide. It only destroys the above ground part of the plant, so reapplication will be necessary for those plants that can regenerate from the roots. But even these plants will lose the capability to regenerate after a few regrowth attempts.
.

dapjwy · 03-13-2012, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by linrose

...after I preempt the pain with some Advil . . .

Hey, thanks for the reminder! I better go get the Aleve.

We have been having great weather and I've been working in the yard three days in a row now.

Mostly I was removing more bush honeysuckle and multiflora rose bushes that are starting to invade the field--gotta get them when they are small. Anyway, I did pull a few of the hairy bittercress that were growing under them...so, I'm still staying on topic!

dapjwy · 03-13-2012, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gloria

Know your enemy to plan assault.

Each year without soil disturbance decreases seed germination by a bit. 4 to 5 years down to less than 10% but make take 11 years to eradicate solely using this method.

Good advice.

More and more, I'm trying to avoid disturbing soil where I'm trying to control weeds.

I've been cutting the mugwort near the base, and using the leaves and stems to smother the new leaves that emerge--it isn't perfect, but it has been somewhat effective. Also, planting asters and other strong natives among them have given me something to "weed" around.

benj1 · 03-14-2012, 08:57 PM

I use a weeding fork and hand-pull just about everything. (Definitely an eccentric in the neighborhood.) My persistence paid off at my last house; this new one has many more herbaceous weeds, so it will be another test.

My battle-cry is "Feed the compost!"

I lifted and pulled just about all the Hairy Bittercress on the lot, and now I'm beginning to find Cuckoo Bittercress coming into bloom.

03-13-2012, 03:49 AM	#1
will-o-wisp Rock Star Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Piedmont area NJ USA	weeds,weeds,weeds Maybe it's because of the relatively mild winter but this year it seems I have more weeds then desired plants. Chickweed, some kind of cress and grass have appeared in all the beds, in sheets. Garlic grass, garlic chives and buttercups are happily romping through the garden, not to mention a few I don't know the name of but can identify them as weeds. I have no idea how to get any sort of control. Help. Is anyone else having the same trouble this year? You'd think with all the densely planted beds and the use of fairly assertive ground covers I wouldn't have this problem. That was the plan anyway. How are you controlling the weeds? I tend to hand pull areas as I pass by but I read that cutting back, so you don't disturb the soil, except for the grass that loves to be cut, would be better.

03-13-2012, 10:09 AM	#5
havalotta WG Prize & Gift Coordinator Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Michigan	NOTE: I just found a chickweed plant growing UPRIGHT in one of my terrariums....Upon looking it up I see it can grow up to 20 inches tall! Gads! Now what to do? I'll be seeing it poking its way THROUGH the ferns!!! So much for THAT great idea............ __________________ The successful woman is the woman that had the chance and took it! A walk among the elusive Whitetail Deer

03-13-2012, 10:37 AM	#6
Gloria A Bee's Best Friend Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Chicago Illinois USA	Know your enemy to plan assault. Each piece of stem is capable of rooting in moist conditions... (so in spring you cut back to ground to keep from seeding but more effective in dry warm temperatures with dry dry soil.) Leachate from composted household waste inhibits seed germination(that vermicompost leachage may have a use, what do you know). There are indications that shallowly incorporating chopped straw reduces seedling emergence. This may be due to the release of toxins as the straw decomposes. Seedling numbers increase, however, following applications of organic manure. Flame weeding. Like prairie burns or just a hand held flamer. The seeds of common chickweed are consumed by several species of ground beetle. (Hugelculture encourages beetles) The fungus Peronospora media may be an important agent in the natural control of common chickweed. Each year without soil disturbance decreases seed germination by a bit. 4 to 5 years down to less than 10% but make take 11 years to eradicate solely using this method. These methods work for chickweed and the cress, but for the grass,shade and cutting back will work over time and not sabotage the effort to rid the other weeds. __________________ All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. -- Gandalf http://pollinators-welcome.blogspot.com/

03-13-2012, 10:55 AM	#7
NEWisc Fox Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Wisconsin	Corn gluten meal helps prevent seed germination: Corn Gluten Meal Research \| Department of Horticulture (note that it's corn gluten meal, not just cornmeal) I've seen it work well on a rock garden. Vinegar can be used as an herbicide. It only destroys the above ground part of the plant, so reapplication will be necessary for those plants that can regenerate from the roots. But even these plants will lose the capability to regenerate after a few regrowth attempts. . __________________ Age is a biological fact. Old is a state of mind. I will age, but I refuse to get old.

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03-13-2012, 09:13 AM	#3
linrose WG Fundraising Coordinator Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Kentucky	It's pretty much a losing battle for me with our mild winters. We have to either hand-pull or smother the winter annuals with chopped leaves before they go to seed. Unfortunately common chickweed has the ability to flower year-round so fighting it can be useless. Mouseear chickweed adds to the fun because it's a perennial and even if you pull it there's plenty of long-lived seed still in the soil that will be happy to pop up to take its place. Hairy bittercress is one I really loathe, if it gets by me and goes to seed it spits them everywhere when you pull it, like it's thumbing its nose at me to try to destroy it. And forget about pulling Allium vineale, usually it breaks off in your hand before you get the bulbs out so you need a tool. There's so much of it in lawns here you'd think the grass was growing early but look closer and you'll see it's nothing but wild garlic. Smells delicious when the mowers come out every spring! If you pull it while the soil is still moist after it has warmed up and the soil is loose like in a cultivated and mulched garden you may be able to coax it out. I'm hoping to get some time in today to start on some areas, chickweed seems to be the main culprit this year. Then some chopped leaves will go down. There's not much we can do to prevent the little darlings, they'll even grow right on top of commercial grade landscape fabric or in a deep layer of organic mulch, they don't seem to need soil to grow! We just had a heavy rain, the temps are going up to 79 today and it's time to attack, after I preempt the pain with some Advil . . .

03-14-2012, 08:57 PM	#10
benj1 Fox Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Chesterfield, Virginia	I use a weeding fork and hand-pull just about everything. (Definitely an eccentric in the neighborhood.) My persistence paid off at my last house; this new one has many more herbaceous weeds, so it will be another test. My battle-cry is "Feed the compost!" I lifted and pulled just about all the Hairy Bittercress on the lot, and now I'm beginning to find Cuckoo Bittercress coming into bloom.