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question everything

(47,487 posts)
Sun May 29, 2022, 10:33 PM May 2022

Weeds

We have an area below a spruce that would sprout weeds on occasions and I would remove them by hand.

In the past two years we also spread mulch.

We had a rough long winter and, starting in mid May, all of a sudden everything started blooming, including these weeds.



There is no way I can pull them one at a time and I don't see spreading weedkillers.

I wonder whether I should use a shovel to turn them over and then spread mulch again.

Any ideas? Thanks.

20 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Weeds (Original Post) question everything May 2022 OP
Turn them over. There are nutrients in there. Also, for a natural spot weed killer for stuff like... JoeOtterbein May 2022 #1
Thank you! Will mount on it before they overtake everything question everything May 2022 #4
Get some come back shade wild flower seeds, turn the soil, sprinkle seeds, water questionseverything May 2022 #2
Thanks. We do have wild flowers that are now blooming, but in the sun question everything May 2022 #5
I like those mixes that have fertilizer/soil right around the seed questionseverything May 2022 #7
You could... 2naSalit May 2022 #3
Hula Hoe? Can you send me a link for how they look? Thanks question everything May 2022 #6
Here... 2naSalit May 2022 #10
Interesting. Will see whether anyone carries the locally. The alternative is Amazon question everything May 2022 #11
I got one at... 2naSalit May 2022 #15
Worked great! Got one at Lowe's Craftsman Weeding Action, or something question everything Jun 2022 #18
Cool! 2naSalit Jun 2022 #19
And when the edge gets dull... 2naSalit Jun 2022 #20
why do you want to turn the soil over? NJCher May 2022 #8
Makes sense. One problem is that there are many squirrels who dig everywhere question everything May 2022 #12
Teach rake. 3Hotdogs May 2022 #9
OK, will look into it. Thank you for the 30% info question everything May 2022 #13
I got a jug of 30% from wal-mart NJCher May 2022 #14
Spell check 3Hotdogs May 2022 #16
Before he became disabled, my husband LOVED this thing! Really worked great on pesty weeds. Ziggysmom Jun 2022 #17

JoeOtterbein

(7,702 posts)
1. Turn them over. There are nutrients in there. Also, for a natural spot weed killer for stuff like...
Sun May 29, 2022, 10:44 PM
May 2022

...poison ivy, use six parts vinegar with one part salt, Spray on leaves. Avoid needed plants, like grass, flowers, vegetables ets.

questionseverything

(9,656 posts)
7. I like those mixes that have fertilizer/soil right around the seed
Sun May 29, 2022, 10:54 PM
May 2022

The trick is keeping the seeds moist til they sprout after that if you notice a big weed, pull it but in no time flat you will have a work free flower patch

2naSalit

(86,647 posts)
3. You could...
Sun May 29, 2022, 10:44 PM
May 2022

Scrape them up with one of those hula hoe things. I always thought they were silly until I actually used one. And then I liked them a lot.

Takes a tiny bit of effort and you could make quick work of those little weeds in a few minutes, then they won't be a pain when they get bigger. I would pick up as many as possible but that's all I can think of.

question everything

(47,487 posts)
11. Interesting. Will see whether anyone carries the locally. The alternative is Amazon
Sun May 29, 2022, 11:11 PM
May 2022

which I'd rather not... Just because..

2naSalit

(86,647 posts)
15. I got one at...
Sun May 29, 2022, 11:40 PM
May 2022

Murdoch's which is the regional yard&barn or farm&fleet around here. Pretty much any place that carries garden tools will have them, I think. Mine cost $25 a few years ago. Might not be called a hula hoe but that was the name of the ones in the commercials I saw ages ago, don't know what else to call it.

You can also sharpen the edge too. I found them pretty handy for surface, and down a few inches, cleaning of young growth but they'll yank up some hefty weeds.

Just a suggestion, there may be something better that I have never encountered so do what you think is best.

question everything

(47,487 posts)
18. Worked great! Got one at Lowe's Craftsman Weeding Action, or something
Fri Jun 10, 2022, 11:28 PM
Jun 2022

Same area but I photographed it in the evening in the shade


2naSalit

(86,647 posts)
20. And when the edge gets dull...
Fri Jun 10, 2022, 11:45 PM
Jun 2022

Just take a file to it. We had rocky soil and we put some serious mileage (five for 7 acres' use) on those things and they were still usable for the next year!



Happy gardening, I don't have much to work with here without major investment. I have some ideas and have to get working on them while it's still raining.

NJCher

(35,687 posts)
8. why do you want to turn the soil over?
Sun May 29, 2022, 10:54 PM
May 2022

Too much work. The easy way is simply to get some cardboard, lay it down, and cover with mulch.

Another thing you do is use a weedwacker to cut the weeds off at the root, then put the cardboard down and the mulch.

question everything

(47,487 posts)
12. Makes sense. One problem is that there are many squirrels who dig everywhere
Sun May 29, 2022, 11:15 PM
May 2022

but for some reason their diggings did not prevent this mat..

So I am not sure what they will make of a cardboard. I can use it on some area. The photo above is just a small part of the area covered.

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