That’s it…I’ve had it!
I have one unplanted row in my cane berry patch. I plan on planting it in the spring. I have weeded it, mulched and weeded it again and again till I’m completely sick of it!
Yes I could cover the whole thing with black plastic but I want to kill, destroy, and otherwise annihilate the weeds, especially the thistle.
So I’m going to bring out the large artillery…I’m going to solarize it!
Solarizing is a method of essentially cooking any weed seed and lurking diseases in your soil. It is cheap, easy, and very effective.
First I’m pulling out all the weeds…I have mostly thistle and blackberry.
Then I will lightly work the soil, level it as much as possible (this was sod just a few months ago so it is still ‘lumpy’)
Next you need to wet the soil thoroughly…to approximately 1 foot in depth.
Cover the whole blooming thing with clear plastic…
And let the sun cook the life right out of your weed seeds…and any remaining weeds that are hiding there!
According to my research this method is supposed to help with the release of nutrients in any organic material in the soil. It can also raise the temperature in the ground enough to kill wilt and root rot fungi. I really just want revenge on the weed seeds…that is all I’m asking!
I have used this method often in the early spring to warm the temperature of the soil for heat lovin’ plants like peppers…in fact I left the plastic on over an extended hot streak this year before I planted out my pepper bed and have wondered all season why this is the one bed I have had very few weeds in…this must be the reason!
Anyway I’m going to leave the plastic on the rest of the summer (4 weeks is the minimum you can leave it on to be effective) and this fall I will plant the row with a cover crop. Next spring after tilling in the cover crop, my newest cane berries should be happy as can be in their new…hopefully weed free…garden row!
So go and take advantage of the sun and let it zap those weeds before they even come up to make you grumpy next spring!
Oh, man I am so going to try that as sections my garden dies off this year. I am so sick of weeds it makes me want to tap dance on their heads!
That’s a great idea – do you know if it kills grass? I too am tired of weeding, but I have more grass than weeds.
Thanks,
Penny G
What effect does this have on beneficial microorganisms?
I was wondering the same thing as Emily.