Weeds: which ones are most troublesome for you?

[BarredBuff]

Ragweed, grass, and clover are the main antagonists. Then there is an assortment of other weeds....

 

[~gd]

A few years ago, Canada thistle was a spreading problem here, but it seems our hand weeding knocked it back almost to nil. We find it very infrequently now.


A few years ago both an insect pest and a virus was introduced to South West Canada to help control the thistle. If I remember right the insect destroyed the seed head but the virus would kill off the plant before it could send up a seed stalk. nice combo because the insect was very fixed on thistle and it was the prime vector for the virus. Since these are natural systems they tend to be self regulated. As the thiste population goes down so does the insect's ~gdI guess I should have mentioned hawkweed, too. Not so much a problem in our gardens as in the hilly field both near and above our pond. A rapdly invasive plant (similar to dandelion in how it propagates, and how quickly). I use the weedwhacker for that one, cutting off the flower stalks and trying to get them before the seeds form.

 

[Joel_BC]

A few years ago both an insect pest and a virus was introduced to South West Canada to help control the thistle. If I remember right the insect destroyed the seed head but the virus would kill off the plant before it could send up a seed stalk. nice combo because the insect was very fixed on thistle and it was the prime vector for the virus. Since these are natural systems they tend to be self regulated. As the thiste population goes down so does the insect's ~gd[/b]I guess I should have mentioned hawkweed, too. Not so much a problem in our gardens as in the hilly field both near and above our pond. A rapdly invasive plant (similar to dandelion in how it propagates, and how quickly). I use the weedwhacker for that one, cutting off the flower stalks and trying to get them before the seeds form.

As always, good to see you posting, ~gd.

On first blush, it sounds good. I only hope the insect/virus was in fact very specific! Sometimes the biologists have gotten things like that wrong, then it can become a problem.

But, hopefully, the effects were limited to the target: Canada thistle. If that's what reduced that bugger's presence here, I'm happy.

 

[baymule]

I cover a lot of my garden with paper feedsacks or newspapers. But we still get weeds. Crabgrass-I pull it and toss it to the chickens, they love it. Dandelions, I like the sunny yellow flowers and at 57, still love to blow the "puff ball" that is the seed head.......some kids never grow up. The neighbor's yard downwind is covered with yellow flowers. A wild sunflower came up several years ago and we let it stay. It didn't make edible seeds, but the flowers drew bees and it branched out in all directions and the flowers were pretty. Now each spring we have a couple million of them and we pull all but a few to enjoy. Our garden is in the front yard and people have actually stopped to admire our "weed" sunflowers! Nut grass and dollar weed are totally useless and spread like jam on toast.

 

[donrae]

I cover a lot of my garden with paper feedsacks or newspapers. But we still get weeds. Crabgrass-I pull it and toss it to the chickens, they love it. Dandelions, I like the sunny yellow flowers and at 57, still love to blow the "puff ball" that is the seed head.......some kids never grow up. The neighbor's yard downwind is covered with yellow flowers. A wild sunflower came up several years ago and we let it stay. It didn't make edible seeds, but the flowers drew bees and it branched out in all directions and the flowers were pretty. Now each spring we have a couple million of them and we pull all but a few to enjoy. Our garden is in the front yard and people have actually stopped to admire our "weed" sunflowers! Nut grass and dollar weed are totally useless and spread like jam on toast.

That sure made me giggle!


This whole thread's made me realize I have no idea what my weeds are. I mean, there are the ones with yellow flowers the horses won't eat, the ones with tall thick stalks with large seed heads, the low growing spidery ones...........you get the picture!

 

[~gd]

A few years ago both an insect pest and a virus was introduced to South West Canada to help control the thistle. If I remember right the insect destroyed the seed head but the virus would kill off the plant before it could send up a seed stalk. nice combo because the insect was very fixed on thistle and it was the prime vector for the virus. Since these are natural systems they tend to be self regulated. As the thiste population goes down so does the insect's ~gd[/b]I guess I should have mentioned hawkweed, too. Not so much a problem in our gardens as in the hilly field both near and above our pond. A rapdly invasive plant (similar to dandelion in how it propagates, and how quickly). I use the weedwhacker for that one, cutting off the flower stalks and trying to get them before the seeds form.

As always, good to see you posting, ~gd.

On first blush, it sounds good. I only hope the insect/virus was in fact very specific! Sometimes the biologists have gotten things like that wrong, then it can become a problem.

But, hopefully, the effects were limited to the target: Canada thistle. If that's what reduced that bugger's presence here, I'm happy.

Tested for a few years in Australia. Because of past eco-disters brought about by introduced species they are considered to be the gold standard for these types of tests.

 

[~gd]

I cover a lot of my garden with paper feedsacks or newspapers. But we still get weeds. Crabgrass-I pull it and toss it to the chickens, they love it. Dandelions, I like the sunny yellow flowers and at 57, still love to blow the "puff ball" that is the seed head.......some kids never grow up. The neighbor's yard downwind is covered with yellow flowers. A wild sunflower came up several years ago and we let it stay. It didn't make edible seeds, but the flowers drew bees and it branched out in all directions and the flowers were pretty. Now each spring we have a couple million of them and we pull all but a few to enjoy. Our garden is in the front yard and people have actually stopped to admire our "weed" sunflowers! Nut grass and dollar weed are totally useless and spread like jam on toast.

MY GEESE cleaned my old place of Nut grass in 3 years, They started on the tops but one found a nut and it was like goose cocaine. They would spot a top and flop down and dig for that nut. You would have thought that I had goffers digging there. Dandelions too they would scan looking for yellow flowers and dig up every thing including the root. dollar weed one smells of menthol and they won't touch it the other one was good eats in their book. Another thing they wouldn't touch was wild onions.

 

[Joel_BC]

Tested for a few years in Australia. Because of past eco-disters brought about by introduced species they are considered to be the gold standard for these types of tests.

Didn't realize that about Australia... but now that you mention, it fits well with what I know about Aussie's experience. Anyhow, the testing over there sounds good.

 

[baymule]

I cover a lot of my garden with paper feedsacks or newspapers. But we still get weeds. Crabgrass-I pull it and toss it to the chickens, they love it. Dandelions, I like the sunny yellow flowers and at 57, still love to blow the "puff ball" that is the seed head.......some kids never grow up. The neighbor's yard downwind is covered with yellow flowers. A wild sunflower came up several years ago and we let it stay. It didn't make edible seeds, but the flowers drew bees and it branched out in all directions and the flowers were pretty. Now each spring we have a couple million of them and we pull all but a few to enjoy. Our garden is in the front yard and people have actually stopped to admire our "weed" sunflowers! Nut grass and dollar weed are totally useless and spread like jam on toast.

MY GEESE cleaned my old place of Nut grass in 3 years, They started on the tops but one found a nut and it was like goose cocaine. They would spot a top and flop down and dig for that nut. You would have thought that I had goffers digging there. Dandelions too they would scan looking for yellow flowers and dig up every thing including the root. dollar weed one smells of menthol and they won't touch it the other one was good eats in their book. Another thing they wouldn't touch was wild onions.

GEESE! Who woulda thunk it? I guess I need to start softening up my husband for some geese

 

[donrae]

Yeah, I've been wondering how the geese work weeding the garden. I'm growing a typical summer garden here--tomatos, squashes, peppers, beans, cukes. I also have raspberries and will be moving my asparagus out there. So, can I use geese to weed? Won't they eat my seedlings, or how long do I have to wait before I put the geese on? I've wondered how they don't damage the garden?