root
We have plenty of proven alternatives for weed control.
paul tradingpost@lobo.net
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Once vegetable plants are established, if they have been planted close
enough to each other, they will shade the soil and prevent the growth of
many weed seedlings. This is the effect achieved by a well-planned raised
bed, in which plants are spaced so that the foliage of adjacent plants
touches and forms a closed canopy at a mature growth stage.
http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/mg/vegetable/weed.html
Close planting shades the soil, keeping it cooler and moister for good root
growth, and discourages the growth of weeds. Instead of planting in rows,
use triangular or hexagonal spacing to maximize the number of plants that
can be fit into the bed
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1257.html
Crop rotation can be used to suppress weeds, pathogens and insect pests.
http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/concept.htm
Leaf canopy in optimum spacing makes a microclimate that conserves soil
mosture and shades weeds
Getting the Most from Your Garden p.14-15
The close spacing 3 tends to create a nearly solid leaf canopy, acting as a
living mulch, decreasing water loss, and keeping weed problems down.
However, plants should not be crowded to the point at which disease
problems arise or competition causes stunting.
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/envirohort/426-335/426-335.html#L3
You don't need to weed as much when crops grow close together
Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening p.508
Closely spaced plants form a"living mulch" along with standard mulches, to
cut down the time spent weeding
High-Yield Gardening p.xi
With the interplanting system, vegetables are closely spaced together so
the leaves will come close to touching at maturity. Thus, the leaves act
as a living mulch, shading the soil to reduce water evaporation and weed
growth. http://www.clemson.edu/fairfield/local/mark/intensgard.htm
Block planting (close or optimum planting) shades weeds
Bob Flowerdew's Organic Bible p.142
Transplanting rather than direct seeding works with intensive planting for
efficiency and weed control
Coleman, New Organic Grower p. 125
*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********
Very interesting. Tho I'm sold on no-till I believe in digging up the soil
at the start, if only to mix thoroughly with amendments. It should get the
biological processes going and build fertility and structure faster. Here
our topsoil is too thin and low in organic matter, can't really double dig
so have to build up. Does the bed shape matter? Don't know that it does,
long as you can plant intensively and still reach the middle from the
walkways without getting on the growing soil and compacting it. Avoiding
compaction to hold what moisture it gets is mandatory here with about ten
inches a year.
Also interesting about mixing tomatoes in different areas. From what
several writers claim, I'm also convinced that mixed planting confuses
pests. Where we lived last year our brassica beds were covered with those
guys. Those nice rows are like a public announcement to pests, "look
everybody - dinner is served!"
paul tradingpost@lobo.net
*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********
disturb
> the weed seeds. And the other thing is, and maybe more importantly, there
> had not been any sun or water to these areas in six/seven years so maybe
> the
> seeds died? But I think the most important was the very close planting
that
> I did. Not out of knowledge, but out of greed.
raised
> garden beds either and used the key hole bed shape instead of rows to get
> more growing area. I was thinking about another design for this spring,
but
> I did rows for winter crops and like the key holes better. But I will
plant
> very close together again. I also planted the same thing, like tomatoes,
in
rows,
> use triangular or hexagonal spacing to maximize the number of plants
that
Planting taller plants close together also inhibits bermuda grass too!
When my giant ragweed is in full growth, the bermuda grass that had been
growing under it declines to near non-existence. In a garden, a few
twigs are far easier to remove than a full thatch. Sun is power - give
that power to your garden plants by structuring the garden creatively
and you'll deprive the weeds and bermuda grass of their competitive edge.
Be well,
Mike
--
Zone 8, Texas
http://www.taroandti.com/ Exotic Plants and More...
http://www.mjv.com/ Home...
Gloria C. Baikauskas wrote:
Leave weeds with the brassicas....and weed debris...IOW the ones you
do pull leave the tops on top of the soil. The insects will instead
eat them. See, the reason they go after the brassicas is because
they don't have the other to eat. Their job is to eat what is spent,
for the most part, not what is new. Of course some insects don't
fall into that category, but by and large it has been my experience
when doing my 'experiments' in the garden that that works incredibly
well.
Planting closer together shades the soil which makes it harder for
the seeds to grow, and in some cases germinate because some seeds
need light to germinate. Tilling, or digging in any way, brings the
weed seeds to the surface and helps them to germinate. Weeds grow
best in disturbed soil. I keep reading that in books lately.=20
When you double dig, or till the soil to add amendments you are often
making a mistake because....if the amendments are below that 2 inch
mark from the top of the soil they simply go down through the soil
with the rain, or water from the hose. Leave them on top to be
combined naturally and the insects put them where they are needed
most
Disturbing the soil discourages the soil critters you need to keep
the amendments where they should be. Remember that the worms, and
the microscopic guys, the ants all work together to constantly remix
the soil below the surface. That means that when nutrients
to where they are needed.=20
If you think about it, you have read, or been told, by those who do
no till now
now. They have changed their minds. I speak here at this moment
about KH in particular
