Lesson 4: A Labor Of Love
Weed Species And Their Controls
There are two classes of weeds, monocots and dicots. Monocots pop out of the ground bearing one leaf, while dicots bear two. Common monocot weeds are Quackgrass, crabgrass, tall fescue and bluegrass. Well-known dicots are: dandelion, clover, knotweed and plaintain.
Perennial weeds are those that live longer than 2 years, while annual weeds emerge, grow, flower, then die, depositing seeds all in one year. A third class, biennial weeds, grow the first season, while storing up seeds to deposit the following season.
The best defense against weeds in the garden or your lawn is a healthy vigorous environment. Weeds don’t compete well against healthy growing plants. Pulling any weeds up as soon as they are noticed, making certain to get the roots effectively halts the growth.
Many gardeners use landscape fabric beneath the soil in their planting beds. This works extremely well, especially if all weedy material has been removed first. You can buy the fabric in rolls from places like Home Depot or Lowes.
Mulches are great defenses against weeds. Cedar mulch or cocoa mulch in particular act as effective barriers against weed growth. Combined with an underlay of landscape fabric, weeds are no longer a problem.
RoundUp is great for spot weeding, and can be used throughout the garden. It is very effective in getting rid of weeds on patios, walkways driveways and next to buildings. As with any chemical, spraying should only be done on clear windless days.
Weedeaters are only effective in cutting down tall plant materials. They do not remove weeds. However, once weeds and grasses have been reduced to ground level, an herbicide can be applied. A word of caution: some herbicides are very toxic. When using them, please wear gloves, goggles and long sleeved shirts. When you have completed the application, toss every item of clothing in the washer. Make sure to wash off the goggles, and thoroughly wash your hands.
Flamers: small torches are sometimes used to burn weeds away. I do not recommend this practice. All it takes is a sudden gust of wind carrying a spark to set your dwelling on fire. There are other safer ways to get rid of weeds.
Aerating and Feeding the Soil
All plants need air, sunlight, water and feeding. In the first lesson, I discussed how critical healthy soil is to your garden. Just getting the right components together and adjusting pH is not enough though.
In order for soil to remain healthy air needs to be introduced on a regular basis. If your garden is too small for a tiller, using a shovel or hand trowel is equally effective. Clay soils in particular tend to form a hard “crust” once they dry out. Regular turning of the top 6 inches of soil and adding further amendments like GreenSand can help keep soil loose and non-compacted.
When soil compacts around the base of a plant, it prevents water and nutrients from reaching the roots. When summer temperatures soar, it bakes the whole plant and kills it. How often should you turn the soil? Once a week. This does two things: it keeps the soil loose and increases your awareness of the health of your garden.
When working close to the base of plants, a hand trowel is recommended so as to avoid damaging the plants. Reserve deeper digging for the outer areas of the plant system. A foot out from the plants is an excellent measure. When you are turning the earth, adding extra compost will give your plants an extra boost.
Raised bed or container plants may need the soil turned more often. In particular, potted plants tend to have some soil settling and compaction occur. This is perfectly normal. Working in more soil and aerating will help keep these types of plants growing strong and healthy.
Turning the soil is a practice you need to start from the beginning of your garden experience. Once in the habit, you will really begin to see the benefits of keeping your soil light and healthy.
Pinching, Pruning and Deadheading
Pinching, pruning and deadheading? Sounds kind of gruesome! What do these terms mean, and more importantly, why do we need to do them? These are all regular parts of basic garden care. When done on a regular basis, they help plants produce better, grow stronger and stay healthier.
Pinching is done to encourage bushier growth. Plants like tomato, chrysanthemum, petunia, and pansy all benefit from pinching. Plants that tend to get leggy or spindly looking can end up looking lush and green with proper pinching. How do you pinch a plant? Look for a central starting point on the middle of the plant. Taking your thumb and forefinger, pinch off excess growth back to this point. Do the same for any side shoots that are too long. Don’t pinch off too much the first time you try. The only way to get this right is by trial and error. Once you get a feel for how you want the plant to look, you can then hand shape it correctly.
Deadheading is simply removing the spent blossoms from a plant. Again, using your hand or a sharp pair of scissors, remove the spent bloom back to the healthiest set of leaves. This encourages more blooming. Leaving spent blooms on a plant diverts energy from new growth. Roses need to be cut back (using a 45 degree angled cut) to the second set of five leaves. This will allow the rose to create new buds, and help keep debris to a minimum.
Pruning promotes good air circulation and shapes certain hardwood shrubs. All pruning cuts should be angled cuts. Pruning shears need to be kept well sharpened. Making tearing cuts due to dull shears permanently injures and weakens a plant. When pruning is done to remove diseased plant material, the shears need to be disinfected before using them again.
