Raised bed Owners, What to do about grass?

[vfem]

I like the tree laying there... that would make for an awesome stand for pots! Cut some flat table like sections out at different heights, that would be cool. We cut down a tree last year and turned the trunk into a couple of chairs out by the pond for the guys to sit and fish. They weren't too thrilled when I painted butterflies on them though! LOL

I think you've done a fabulous job... how do you keep the chickens out?!

 

[Reinbeau]

Last year the chickens weren't a problem, they were little balls of fluff. First thing this spring will be a fence, believe me!

 

[sunbury chick]

Reinbeau,
That is absolutely beautiful.You've sure put alot of sweat into that garden,I love it.

 

[Athena]

Rienbeau,

Such a beautiful garden indeed..... I grew up in Mass, and I miss the gardening up there.....

 

[kellygirrl]

I'm curious, anyone try a hula hoe for weeding grass around raised beds? I bet it'd be perfect. (I borrowed one for a while once, it seemed like a great tool).

 

[Catalina]

Don't do what I did last year.
Following some advice I put a thick layer of newspaper over my grass lawn, watered it heavily and put landscape fabric over the top.
Then I put my raised beds down and mulched with wood chips between the beds.
Fastforward 2 months - CRAB GRASS!!!! Everywhere!
I tried pulling it out. But, of course, it had grown up through the landscape fabric.
I had to rip everything out in the Fall and start over.
The crab grass made huge mats of roots underneath and wrapped around and through out the landscape fabric.
It was so heavy!
I had to cut the landscape fabric into little squares and take it out that way.
Then, I had to sift throught the soil for each tiny crab grass root.
I'm sure I will be fighting crab grass for the next million years.

 

[kellygirrl]

Wow. I started so many beds with newspaper or cardboard and mulch. My whole front lawn, for example. Your crab grass has a power my annual vegetable starts can only dream of.:/