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I agree that pre-planting prep goes a long way toward saving a lot of aggravation down the road, in terms of weed eradication.

Part of my problem with a Bermuda grass infestation was spreading manure from my horses that had been getting Bermuda grass hay.
By the time I realized the source it was all over the place. I composted the manure first, but it would take a pretty hot pile to kill all those millions of seeds.

thistlebloom said:

I agree that pre-planting prep goes a long way toward saving a lot of aggravation down the road, in terms of weed eradication.

Part of my problem with a Bermuda grass infestation was spreading manure from my horses that had been getting Bermuda grass hay.
By the time I realized the source it was all over the place. I composted the manure first, but it would take a pretty hot pile to kill all those millions of seeds.

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oh, ghods... condolences.

If you used the plastic for solarizing only, then removing it before applying the cardboard, leaching shouldn't be a big issue. The way he used the window was in just that manner, to kill the surface vegetation, then used the cardboard to suppress the roots from putting out further vegetation.

flowerbug said:

if you are trying to get rid of it in a large area a big roll of heavy mil black plastic is probably the surest way to do it without using a lot of pesticides or having to dig it all up repeatedly.

the issues around what the black plastic might leach into the ground are probably not nearly as bad as most of the herbicides that could be used instead, but i doubt anyone really has much concerns about this sort of thing other than a few of use die hards who are trying to do organic growing in the middle of chem-ag-wastelands.

the other issue with black plastic is that you have to know your drainage situation for that area as you don't want a lot of water sitting on top of the black plastic and mulch or you'll have mosquito problems. so having the low areas covered with a barrier fabric that does let water soak through is how i've done that here (and then the rest of that higher area around those low areas are the black plastic).

in terms of cost it isn't too bad. depending upon what you can come up with for mulching materials on top of the black plastic you can cover a pretty large area with one big roll and a truckload or two of mulch.

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I tried the black plastic and it was pretty successful but the problem is the water that you discussed creating mosquito haven and if you try to put mulch on top then you either have to remove the mulch to get the plastic out from under it when it starts breaking down. If you use a water porous covering then it's quite expensive.

Finding God in the garden said:

I tried the black plastic and it was pretty successful but the problem is the water that you discussed creating mosquito haven and if you try to put mulch on top then you either have to remove the mulch to get the plastic out from under it when it starts breaking down. If you use a water porous covering then it's quite expensive.

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i only put patches of that in the low spots to let water through. so it doesn't take as much...

Beekissed said:

If you used the plastic for solarizing only, then removing it before applying the cardboard, leaching shouldn't be a big issue. The way he used the window was in just that manner, to kill the surface vegetation, then used the cardboard to suppress the roots from putting out further vegetation.

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if i am smothering an invasive weed that is tough to eradicate i wouldn't be doing a short term cover/solarisation as it would not work. tough weeds/plants can take several years to be effectively smothered. which is why i would put the plastic down and then mulch over it.

cardboard will work, but it will likely have to be renewed once or twice more to get the full smothering done for very tough weeds.

note that when smothering is done that doesn't mean you won't get other weeds starting in that area once you remove the covering mulch to begin gardening again. like you've found with the deep mulch, that if you don't keep adding more it will eventually be broken down enough and become great starting soil for further growth.

The garden has a new, thick blanket of mulch hay and a duck house for the winter. The ducks are trained to return to the garden each evening for supper and sleep, so that will be their winter abode. I'll move the duck house on occasion, though there really doesn't seem to be a need, as they don't poop in there.

Long about Feb when we get our coldest weather, I hope to frost seed a multispecies cover crop on the whole garden, utilizing some old seed, newer seed and other things I've got on hand. A mix of turnips, radish, lettuces and greens, sunflower seeds of two varieties, wildflowers, red clover, peas, beans, etc. Come spring, when that all comes up well and before I have to plant a garden, I'll run the sheep through there to graze and trample it into the garden.

Building a few raised beds this next year, extending the garden to include a couple of apple trees, but overall not planting too many veggies~spuds, a single row of beans mixed with cukes and a few tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, rhubarb, asparagus, flowers. Nothing much that requires a lot of attention until harvest...got too many irons in the fire this coming spring~new lambs, fence building, sheep barn building, etc.

I'll be moving the raspberries out of the garden to a spot near the woods but close enough to monitor and pick berries as they ripen.

Bee, did I miss something? You have sheep? How many?

Mary

I want to hear about your sheep!

ninnymary said:

Bee, did I miss something? You have sheep? How many?

Mary

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thistlebloom said:

I want to hear about your sheep!

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Thought I had told you folks about the sheep....I'm getting old, you know. Never can remember who you told about things. The good, good Lord allowed me to get some sheep this summer and we added two more this past weekend. We now have 4 ewes and one ram~I'll have to tell you the story of how I got that ram lamb before it's over. God apparently wanted me to have THAT sheep, in particular.


What started out as getting a few lawnmowers that don't require costly repairs and a lot of gas each season and that can replicate themselves each year, has morphed into intensive grazing/management of the land with the use of ruminants, getting the woods selectively timbered of over mature trees(that currently just uproot and fall across our access roads, structures, and other trees) to open up the forest floor in places to create silvopasture, and a better use of the land, while also producing more protein per acre than we currently produce.

After I get some pics of the new sheep, I'll post some pics of them all. The oldest gal is 7 yrs old, the youngest three are 6-7 mo. old. Got one in the middle that is 3 yrs. Going to breed next week and should have lambs in mid-April.

I really don't know where it all will end up, but God's driving this bus and I'm just a very excited and joyful passenger. Don't really care where it goes as long as He's driving! LOVE the sheep, BTW. Love to see them out on the land, love developing a relationship with them.