|
|
 |
| Jul 29, 2010 - 06:39 PM |
Queen City News - Helena's FREE Weekly Newspaper |
Helena, Montana |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For the past few weeks, I ran off to pretend I had another life. Upon my return, I was curious about how my scrumptious veggies had fared. I was pleasantly surprised that even my eggplants had weathered the snowstorm, but was far from excited about the current state of my crop. There before me, in a field of vibrant green weeds, were my nearly smothered seedlings.
It?s a constant battle to remind myself that weeds are not the devil incarnate but doing their duty taking up unused space, just like any plant species in the natural world. More important, they give us indications of what we need to do to amend our soil and make a more welcoming environment for our beloved beets and begonias. It?s a little disconcerting having a plant that you dislike pointing large arrows at you, telling you what you are doing wrong, but I relish the fact that, next year, if I do what they are telling me, the weed will take that long-needed vacation from my backyard (and, hopefully, make it permanent). Here?s what your least favorite weed species are pointing to:
Excess nitrogen
Too much of a good thing, like sheep or horse manure, can lead to an excess of nitrogen in your soil, causing your fruiting plants such as tomatillos and peppers to grow tall, leafy and full of blooms without producing fruit. Look for weeds such as purslane, noxious knapweed, lamb?s quarters and pigweed as an indication that nitrogen is a problem. If you do find an indicator species, make sure you pull them before they flower and add organic mulch (see below) to enhance the activity of beneficial soil microbes and reduce extra nitrogen. You could also plant leafy greens in these areas where you wouldn?t want fruit anyway.
Poor soil fertility
Transversely, if you have lower soil fertility and nitrogen content in your soil, you may see the appearance of clover and mullein (a broad, fuzzy-leafed plant that produces a singular tall shoot of yellow flowers) in your garden. If you can tolerate the clover in your yard, let it lie, as it will fix nitrogen from the air into your soil (as will beans and peas) and correct your problem. Otherwise, purchase an inexpensive soil-testing kit and do a little science experiment to see what other type of nutrients you may be low on. Most of the kits also include a section on what to add if you are low in a particular area.
Soil compression
Have you been pacing up and down in your garden trying to decide what to plant or just stomping around thinking about how you hate your job and want to move away to the land of no concerns? Well, all that soil compaction can lead to less room for the roots of your sacred seedlings to grow down and thus make nutrients less accessible to your plants. Unfortunately, the deep-rooting quackgrass, bindweed, dandelion and common plantain thrive in these environments and are almost impossible to eradicate. I still pull the visible weeds repeatedly to reduce root growth and, in the spring, I add compost to the soil (you can use shredded leaves, too) to help with aeration. Since the season has already started, wait until the fall and add a cover crop with deep roots such as winter rye. Let it grow through the winter and into the early spring, then till it into the garden for the same effect as the compost.
The mulch miracle
Once I?ve assessed my situation and pulled the weedy buggers, I like to cover the area with a thick layer of mulch.
To me, mulch is one of the gardener?s most powerful tools. Not only does it reduce weed germination, but it acts much like the insulation in your house, heating your soil in the spring and fall while cooling it in the summer.
In addition, mulch will also help your garden retain moisture, prevent soil erosion, create comfortable homes for worms, and keep rain from splashing up dirt onto your plants (which can sometimes lead to disease).
Mulch comes in a variety of forms such as straw, sawdust, dried leaves, dried lawn clippings and wood chips, as well as manufactured materials.I put a thick dressing of the stuff around my plants after I have weeded, and, while it doesn?t keep out all the weeds, it keeps me from cursing so much.
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Queen City News is published every Wednesday in Helena, MT, by Mossback Media, LLC.
Contents are copyrighted and cannot be used in any form without prior permission from the QCN.
Copyright © Queen City News, 2002
Logo by Internet Navigating
Design and development by Pure Development
Best discount software.
|
|
|
