Controlling Weeds Organically

Being mindful of the growth patterns of many weeds can help us control them without chemicals: http://tinyurl.com/8qurh

Thanks for the link. I just took a graduate-level course on pesticides, and you can bet I won't be using any in my garden! We just moved into a new house with a great garden and somewhat-natural landscaping. I'd like to be able to take good care of it organically (rather than neglecting, which we did at our old house)-- so you'll probably be seeing me a lot more on this forum!

--Dana

Thanks, Yuksa.

Danak, I'm in your boat: old house with about an acre of neglected flowerbeds. This year I'm ashamed to say the weeds have kicked my butt. sigh... next year...

I am having success with the following:

1. During the rainy season, I flame the weeds with a Dragon flamer http://www.planetnatural.com/site/weed-dragon-flamer.html

2. I hand pull weeds that are in the vegetable beds
3. I hoe weeds periodically
4. If weeds get ahead of me in the dry season, I spray them with pelargonic acid (Scythe, organic herbicide). http://www.planetnatural.com/site/scythe-natural-herbicide.html

5. I mulch with cedar mulch and shredded paper.

The one weed I'm struggling to control is a white flowered oxalis that produces little nutlets that sprout everywhere. What I'm doing is: weekly, trying to pull them up, nutlets and all, and pulverizing the bulbs and nutlets. I'm not letting any flowers set seeds. When I dig up a bed to replant I try to sift out all the roots and nutlets, and pulverize them before putting them in the compost bin.

Great info Clover1! Thanks! I'm new at this and we definitely have plenty of weeds to deal with. :)