I HATE WEEDS!

Weeds...the arch nemisis of anyone trying to grow a garden or have a nice walkway/driveway.  How the heck do you expect to do anything with weeds taking over?  That has been my exact thoughts every spring.  So, how are you supposed to kill the weeds without having to worry about the kids or animals getting into some crazy poison?  

I'm glad you asked!  I was wondering the same thing...so I tried some stuff out.  To my surprise I found a recipe that works really well.  Now you have to remember this works really well for a non-poison herbicide.  Not like the stuff we used when I was a groundskeeper.  (I think that stuff was part agent orange).  Fill a large squirt bottle with white vinegar and add about a quarter cup of dish soap.  After mixing well, I sprayed this on the weeds and in about 4-5 days the weds were totally fried.  I read an article that said this killer will also "poison" the soil for about a week.  I have not tried to plant where I sprayed due to the fact I don't want veggies growing out of the cracks in the driveway.  

If you are worried about weeds in the garden there are a couple alternatives.  First is the old fashioned way.  Go out and pull out all the weed green and roots.  Down side to that is it takes forever if you don't keep up on it.  Second is get a black tarp or sheeting and lay it out.  Cut holes where your plants are to be planted.  Down side is watering.  If the hole is too big it can get weeds if it is too small you can't get enough water to the plant.  Lastly, plant your veggies making sure they are the only thing green in the garden.  Then place a thick layer of straw (Not hay!  Hay is grass and contains grass seeds, straw is the stems from wheat stalks, containing no seeds.) covering the open ground.  This needs to be as dense as you can keep it.  If it is too "fluffy" it could allow weeds to sprout.

Something my parents are trying is laying down a layer of cardboard down (if you use newspaper be sure not to use the glossy sales ads and not to layer it more than two layers thick) then covering it with your dirt and planting it there.  The idea sounds great.  No tilling, limited weeds, and in theory the plants should be able to break through the cardboard.  I'm sure we will have an update towards the end of the season. 

These are a few of the things I have tried.  If you have any other ideas leave me a comment and let me know.  Be sure to follow us to keep up on our adventures!