Weeds after my holiday ..... OMG

[Kitchen Gardener]

Went down to our plot yesterday after our three week holiday .... OMG I did loads of weeding before we went and expected to come back and find a bit to do, but oh dear, don't know where to start (apart from I should be there now and not playing on computer!!). I can hardly see my plants for weeds, I think I am going to have to hand weed the whole plot again, trying to pick amongst my plantings. Does anyone have any idea how to keep this blasted chickweed down? We have only had the plot a few weeks and thought we were doing so well and now feel so upset. Anyway will set off now and I think start by trying to find my potatoes!!

[rustylady]

Have fun At least it's chickweed and not bindweed which is the bane of my life

[vikkib]

Went down to our plot yesterday after our three week holiday .... OMG I did loads of weeding before we went and expected to come back and find a bit to do, but oh dear, don't know where to start (apart from I should be there now and not playing on computer!!). I can hardly see my plants for weeds, I think I am going to have to hand weed the whole plot again, trying to pick amongst my plantings. Does anyone have any idea how to keep this blasted chickweed down? We have only had the plot a few weeks and thought we were doing so well and now feel so upset. Anyway will set off now and I think start by trying to find my potatoes!!

I feel for you! I had exactly the same experience when I first got my plot and seeing that sea of green just made me want to cry!

RL is right though, chickweed is definitely one of the better weeds to have!

The only answer I've come up with is to cover the ground with a mulch of some description.

If you've got areas where you don't have anything planted yet, and the chickweed isn't flowering you can just cover it up with cardboard or newspapers soaked in water. You can cut holes in these to plant through.

For the areas with plants I think it might have to be hand weeding but once you've cleared an area mulch around your plants straight away! Again, use cardboard, soaked newspaper, soaked shredded paper, grass clippings, straw anything to keep the light out!

I mulched my spuds this year with soaked shredded paper, some straw/grass clippings and cardboard and although there's a few weeds coming through now it's nothing compared to my neighbour who left bare soil in between!



Have a little search of the threads for 'mulch' and see all the clever ideas people have come up with!

[Feral007]

Yes, to the paper and cardboard. I'm going to cover over the grass that's taken over the front garden during winter. Will just cover it all with wet newspaper. And will plant thru it, and then add some mulching hay around them on top of the paper. Best way to manage it. Unless you cover it, they will just keep coming Best of luck.

[mrgrower]

Have fun At least it's chickweed and not bindweed which is the bane of my life

So it's not just me who feels Bindweed is the bane I can deal with the Mares, the Thistles the Docks and even the Brambles but Bindweed needs a good Fokoshemaring

( Howls at the Moon )

[Two_Sheds]

chickweed is a right pain isn't it? Best answer is to smother it with sheets of wet newspapers. Pulling it just breaks it off, the roots don't come out.


As for general weeding, let them grow. Until they're flowering, then you must pull them out or they'll go to seed.
Seriously, let the weeds get big: they'll crowd out their smaller weed neighbours so you have fewer weeds overall. When the weed gets big, pull it, chop it and drop it on the soil as a mulch. A permanent mulch will suppress other weeds.

Weeds really don't compete that much with your crops: I had my best-ever crop of onions the year I moved house, and the onions got smothered in chickweed. As a living mulch, they kept moisture in the soil for the onions.

Holt Hall's polytunnel is full of weeds, but they still get loads of veggies

[Kitchen Gardener]

Thanks so much for your ideas, will try the newspaper