Weeding Techniques

[Shades-of-Oregon]

@flowerbug thanks for the suggestion.

How about those wild blackberry canes that grow from birds droppings and pop up in the crowns of plants. So far I just clip them down a far as possible. I swear they grow a foot a day. In winters I try to dig the blackberry tap roots up hoping not to damage the surrounding garden plants . It seems like one of those necessary jobs that grows larger every year.

 

[ducks4you]

I didn't know Where to post this article about 5 common weeds "you Should grow in your garden."
Before reading it I thought maybe purslane, perHaps dandelions, but chickweed?1?!?
There is a link to a book recommending cultivating weeds.
This is purely food for thought and discussion:

5 Weeds You Want in Your Permaculture Garden

Do you know which garden weeds are beneficial? Increase the productivity of your garden by knowing how to harness the power of these five weeds.

www.tenthacrefarm.com

https://www.amazon.com/Weeds-Guardians-Soil-Joseph-Coannouer/dp/1312939079/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=sl1&tag=tenthacrefarm-20&linkId=204564f7dc6436ef500c56e242ae7d7c&language=en_US

 

[flowerbug]

I didn't know Where to post this article about 5 common weeds "you Should grow in your garden."
Before reading it I thought maybe purslane, perHaps dandelions, but chickweed?1?!?
There is a link to a book recommending cultivating weeds.
This is purely food for thought and discussion:

5 Weeds You Want in Your Permaculture Garden

Do you know which garden weeds are beneficial? Increase the productivity of your garden by knowing how to harness the power of these five weeds.

www.tenthacrefarm.com

https://www.amazon.com/Weeds-Guardians-Soil-Joseph-Coannouer/dp/1312939079/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=sl1&tag=tenthacrefarm-20&linkId=204564f7dc6436ef500c56e242ae7d7c&language=en_US

in a different world perhaps. none of those are acceptable to Mom so they must go... and i don't really like the looks of chickweeds in general, they are a pain in the butt if you are trying to keep some creeping thymes looking nice.

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

Weed techniques in my garden I pull em, smother em, and use pre emergents, horticulture vinegar. If all else fails I use a pasture weed blend made and recommended by Oregon Ag university.

 

[ducks4you]

I like cardboard, myself.

 

[digitS']

Hey. I have tried eating weeds and have enjoyed some of them. As with everything, a compromise is needed when 2 or more people live together or one may find his or herself off in a corner with a . Well, most plants were not worth the isolation .

DW tolerated dandelion greens well enough that she wanted to try the Italian chicory known as a "dandelion." Neither fit in the desirable column for my tastes. Yes, water was changed twice during cooking. And yes, 1 or 2 batches of the roasted roots made an acceptable addition to lower caffeine in coffee. So, DW could eat the greens and I could drink the root beverage?

Chickweed had a fairly good flavor but I wasn't willing to mess with the tiny plants to harvest a mess for the kitchen. Also, they can form a mess of  weeds blanketing garden soil. Maybe not as bad as purslane (another edible) and with a better flavor but, nah.

Did the author mention pigweed? I like it but it's too competitive. Lambs quarters give me few problems and I like it as a green. However, it requires attention to its short harvest period and DW doesn't care for it.

Similar, and related, are amaranth and orach. Okay, how broad do we want to define a weed? Both volunteer enthusiastically! One should be very selective about how many mother plants and where they remain for the following year's crop. We may "weed out" our current purple amaranth for a purchase of  green amaranth in 2025. We both like it! DW doesn't have much appreciation for the purple colored veggies . I like the flavor but also that the volunteers have some resistance to bolting when hot weather hits.

Orach used to be greatly appreciated by me, fairly much alone, and in the corner with my . Then, we left one garden with its volunteers (without saving the seed!). Purchased and gifted seed didn't produce the same vegetable I had come to like . I had forgotten the origin of the original seed after more than a dozen years of enjoying the volunteers. It wasn't all that special in appearance – just a little purplish.

I'm thinking of buying seed specifically for green amaranth and green orach this Winter .

Steve

 

[ducks4you]

Wow, never thought of Amaranth as a weed, but I will take Your word for it.
Never heard of orach:

What Is Orach: Learn How To Grow Orach Plants In The Garden

If you love spinach but the plant tends to bolt quickly in your region, try growing orach plants. What is orach? Click the following article to find out and learn how to grow orach and other orach plant info and care.

www.gardeningknowhow.com

PLEASE be honest, SO MANY plants are supposed to taste like spinach, and they Don't, just like meats that as supposed to taste like chicken...and they don't.

 

[digitS']

My opinion?

Orach tastes better than spinach. I even prefer it raw to spinach.

Yes, I know what you mean. I've even seen some of those brassicas compared to spinach ...?! Spinach bolts quickly here. Orach does a little better but moving some volunteers slows them down more and that's what I did with my preferred variety.

They are related: spinach/orach, amaranth/orach, orach/lambs quarters, amaranth/pigweed.

 

[ducks4you]

I have actually been weeding this winter. Every time we have a thaw I am able to pull out some stubborn dead weeds to throw in the burn pile.
I am anxious to start attacking my garden beds and do more weeding there.
I noticed in town there are city workers digging up and removing messy growth.
I am leaving all sidewalk areas with leaves bc there are probably insects overwintering there and I don't want to disturb any of my "helpers."

Delay Garden Cleanup to Benefit Overwintering Insects

You can support butterflies, moths, bees and other desirable insects by delaying your garden cleanup until spring. Learn simple ways to encourage overwintering insects and how to time spring cleanup.

extension.psu.edu

Insect Overwintering - Driftless Prairies: Native Ecosystems

driftlessprairies.org

 

[Branching Out]

A couple of weeks ago I forced myself to get out and pull weeds too, and now I am so happy that I did. There were so many buckets full that it filled an entire compost bin. Some of the dandelions and hairy bittercress were huge, and flowering. Shortly after that the weather turned cold. The ground has been covered in snow for a week, with no indication of it melting anytime soon. I am especially pleased that new weeds can't grow in my garden as long as the ground is frozen!!