I know a number of members are green thumbs. I need to remove some weeds (dandelions, ivy vines, and other small things) from my landscape bed which contains some shrubs. I removed some of the larger ones manually. Does anyone have any advice on how to get rid of the other stuff? I also have some moss growing there. I thought about some of the available herbicides, but I'm not sure how they will affect the things I want to keep. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Mike
Replies
- MA
macnudeMay 30, 2010An application of Roundup will generally kill the unwanted vegetation. Apply only on windless days to avoid contact with the desirable plants. Use only as directed on label.
ReactReply - MEMemberMay 31, 2010I'm going to agree with TomTierney on this. I try to avoid chemical pesticides and weed killers in my garden. I weed by hand and go heavy on the mulch - it keeps the weeds down, the moisture in, and eventually enriches the soil as it decomposes. A good cedar mulch will also help to keep certain insects away as they don't like the smell. I, personally, don't remove moss per se as I like it. You should check outthe groupNude Gardenersfor more tips! JenReactReply
- CD
Cheri Donna DawsonMay 31, 2010Make sure the day has absolutely no wind blowing before you use Roundup. I've killed things I didn't want dead. You have to saturate the leaves to kill it. The plent(s) then grow themselves to death. It does work on poison ivy.
We have 7 acres, 4 of which are woods and a 47'x24' entrance bed that I want to invite anyone to come help weed. LOLReactReply - NJnjmikeOriginal PosterMay 31, 2010All, thanks for the tips! I thought about Roundup/herbicides, but had some reservations as I was not sure if it would harm the shrubs I wanted to keep. Plus, it seems a rarity nowadays we don't have wind here. I got most of the big stuff out this weekend (had to wear shorts outdoors,
, but a lot of small weeds remain. I wanted to clear that out before I lay some mulch down. I haven't used cedar much before, but could give it a try this time around. I'll also take a look at the nude gardeners group. There used to be these nice white landscaping stones in the bed the previous owners put there. Looked good too. Then one of the hownowners association boards suddenly decdied they were not appropriate (I guess since not all owners used them), and ordered me to remove them. Now I have to battle the weeds.
Thanks again all!
MikeReactReply - MA
MartinMay 31, 2010Just an idea, if you have a weed that is under other shrubs and there are other things around it, make up a solution in a can and use a paintbrush over the leaves. you can also drip some killer in to the centre of the unwanted plant. Make sure you use gloves and carefully dispose of the brush and can.
This doesn't work for large areas, but does work where you cant dig out the entire root of a weed.
My biggest problem is thistles growing up between rocks. The paintbrush solution works well on the pesky-suckers!!
Good luck!
MartinReactReply - NJnjmikeOriginal PosterJun 1, 2010
Martin, That's a good idea to try. I'ts been pretty windy here, so I've been leary about spraying anything. I could take out more manually, would just take more time.
As for Tom's post about inert ingredients: For household/commercial/indistrial products, the "inert" refers to the fact that those ingredients do not degrade the active ingredient or impede its activity, or enhance the product's activity. It's not refering to their toxicology patterns. For pharmaceuticals, everything gets tested. Most people probably are not going to be aware of this, unless you are a chemist. Thanks for posting the info, Tom.
Thanks again to all who responded, your advice is helpful!
Ciao,
MikeReactReply - MEMemberJun 20, 2010One of the easy ways to take care of weeds in the garden is to make it controllable by using the square foot gardening method. Raised beds make for easier pulling of weeds and thinning of plants.
ReactReply - M_
M_JimmieM_MJun 21, 2010a method I have read about but not tried yet was to use vinegar in a spray bottle. use it while it is hot and dry out. the vinegar removes the plants protective oily covering causing it to dry out
JimReactReply - RE
renebbareJun 26, 2010Roundup best applied when the sun is not too strong or the water evaporates leaving the product inert on the surface of the leaf. Leaves uptake moisture through the underneath of the leaf so whenever possible spray low down with as fine a mist as you can. Another trick is to spray a second time ten days/fortnight later. Good luck.
ReactReply - ST
SteveOct 18, 2010A sometimes-useful thing about vinegar is that plants differ a lot in sensitivity. A half-strength household vinegar spray will kill oxalis and all the mints & kin (such as oregano) but leave most things growing; full-strength will take out more things; 20% horticultural vinegar will kill any plant it wets (and do a job on your lungs if you get a solid whiff of the spray.)
ReactReply - OROregongirlOct 19, 2010
When my grandma used to do gardening she used to put newspaper down and cover it with mulch then water it. She said it kept the weeds away because no sunlight could get to them to make them grow, and then when she planted something new she would just plant through the newspaper.
I imagine the same thing could be used to kill off weeds, just lay down newspaper around your existing plants and then cover with mulch and water water water. I think the mulch is used to keep the newspapers from blowing away if they dried out so you could use any kind of covering you wanted, dirt or compost even I'd imagine.ReactReply - KR
kramtrohsOct 19, 2010With the Ivy, cut the vines back to the base & paint the cut surfaces with glyphosate, with the other stuff you only spray hte glyph untill you see small beads starting to form. Do it on a nice day though & make sure the sprayed surfaces do not get wet for a minimun of 2 hours.
ReactReply - AN
AndrewOct 21, 2010I do not have an outside garden as such, living in a block of flats/apartments here in the inner city, but I do love to have house-plants and they are I suppose, as a child-free person, MY babies lol.
ReactReply - CDCheri Donna DawsonOct 29, 2010
If you pick dandelions before the flowers go to seed, you'll have fewer. You can always pick the young leaves for a salad. ;)
ReactReply - MEMemberOct 29, 2010[quote]I know a number of members are green thumbs. I need to remove some weeds (dandelions, ivy vines, and other small things) from my landscape bed which contains some shrubs. I removed some of the larger ones manually. Does anyone have any advice on how to get rid of the other stuff? I also have some moss growing there. I thought about some of the available herbicides, but I'm not sure how they will affect the things I want to keep. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Mike[/quote] Mike Moss is very difficult to remove with the herbicides that say they will do it. The conditions are perfect for it's growth where it is under cover. If it is not an eyesore to you, leave it alone. for the weeds you could try a weed only herbicide killer and spray carefully, or manually pull everything. After the bed is cleaned and the way you want it, buy a product called "Preen" and it also comes with a fertilizer built in and sprinkle it over the cleaned bed. It will keep the weeds down. PeterReactReply
- NO
NoneMay 4, 2011Some people can spend all day in their garden and not use chemicals. Those of us with real gardens oh say the length of a football field and about 60 feet wide don't have the time or the energy to be organic gardeners. Oh we also maintain about 2 acres of flowers and fruit trees. Oh and we both work too. Yes use the herbicide but be careful with it. You can get the little bottles and put it on stream it will kill them. News papers work great the main reason your Gram used mulch was for looks. You can put rocks on them anything to keep them from blowing away. We are going to use newspapers in our entire vegitable garden this year. We love the fresh veggies but we want more free time.
ReactReply - RErenebbareMay 6, 2011
My gardening advice is - much though I love to outside naked - protect yourself!
I was bitten a couple of years ago and wouldn't wish that on anyone! Awww the itching it caused!! NO touching or scratching!!ReactReply - MEMemberMay 6, 2011One of the best (and easiest) remedies is one taken from Jerry Baker. I've used these methods for years. Best of all...they're inexpensive.http://www.jerrybaker.com/garden/information/archivedarticles/Dandelions.aspxReactReply
- CO
cocoboloAug 24, 2011[quote]I know a number of members are green thumbs. I need to remove some weeds (dandelions, ivy vines, and other small things) from my landscape bed which contains some shrubs. I removed some of the larger ones manually. Does anyone have any advice on how to get rid of the other stuff? I also have some moss growing there. I thought about some of the available herbicides, but I'm not sure how they will affect the things I want to keep. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Mike[/quote] Good morning Mike: Well, lots of different advice so far. Ivy is now considered a noxious weed in many provinces in Canada and many states in the U.S. English Ivy, that is. The best method is to persistently pull it up and burn it. A neighbor here brought one little plant to the island here over 40 years ago. It now covers a couple of acres and plays havoc with anything in its' path. It will even kill a large (100' tall) Douglas fir tree once it gets going. Dandelions I use a little digger made for them, as we prefer not to use any non organic chemicals on our garden. I have a pic of me using it on my profile. And as for moss, well, that grows almost anywhere there is moisture and shade. I have a small Japanese style garden, so I encourage moss growth. It is both appropriate and beautiful there. Lime will help get rid of it which is typically what you would add to your lawn.ReactReply - JA
jasonAug 24, 2011does the little digger you use look like a flathead screwdriver with a notch in it? the head is angled for prying leverage and the notch gets the root of the weed.
ReactReply - EV
EvansBetterHalfAug 30, 2011Hello all from Arizona! Well here it is in a nut shell....Fire ants. There are no visable mounds, the exterminator lays down some sort of pellet kill and they are back. I believe they maybe be the 'Southern Fire Ant' as opposed to the 'Red Imported'. As a nudist who spends a great deal of time in the yard, I want the biting little buggers gone for good! Whatever method it has to be safe for pets. Any good long term solutions short of torching the yard? (It is desert landscape so that could be an extreme option!)
ReactReply - DE
DesertRatAug 30, 2011If you get to the dandelions before the flower pops, they make a great salad.
ReactReply - MEMemberAug 30, 2011[quote]Hello all from Arizona! Well here it is in a nut shell....Fire ants. There are no visable mounds, the exterminator lays down some sort of pellet kill and they are back. I believe they maybe be the 'Southern Fire Ant' as opposed to the 'Red Imported'. As a nudist who spends a great deal of time in the yard, I want the biting little buggers gone for good! Whatever method it has to be safe for pets. Any good long term solutions short of torching the yard? (It is desert landscape so that could be an extreme option!)[/quote] Well, like the previous member mentioned GRITS....I also read that adding orange peelings to boiling water and let simmer few minutes---then pour hot mix over mound or opening where you see them coming out... also read that boiling lots of garlic cloves in water, then pouring it over area works too. And, one final one I read.....cheap baby powder sprinkled along areas where you see them traveling. Good Luck!ReactReply
- EVEvansBetterHalfAug 30, 2011
Did it nude and that's how I found them....got bit many, many times! LOL Thanks to all for the advice! Still thinking a flame thrower is the way to go.....
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