Wednesday in the Garden

The easiest and best way to tackle small weeds is with a stirrup hoe.  Raised beds seem to be easier to maintain, but weeds still grow in pathways and vacant beds.  

The first line of defense is to keep the soil covered with closely spaced vegetable crops or with a cover crop.  The shade and competition discourage weeds and furnish resources to essential soil microbes.  The soil is continually improved by crops chopped and dropped in place to return nutrients for the next season. 

The next best thing is to make a quick weed touch up with your stirrup hoe each week to nip small weeds in the bud and to keep them from setting seeds.  This is the real secret to discouraging annual weeds.  Perennial weeds and persistent pests like nut sedge can only be contained by consistent chopping.  It only takes a few minutes if done each week.  

The VegHeadz have formed a Hoe Brigade, and we plan to spend the first 15 minutes of each work day touching up pathways and attacking any areas where weeds are proliferating.  We’ll see how it works.  

Many VegHeadz are growing seedlings at home and propagating plants for the annual Master Gardener plant sale scheduled for May 11, 2024.  Save the date. 

The VegHeadz Hoe Brigade—Woe to Weeds!