From

Location

Message

Date Posted

N.W.Pa.

I look at a lot of picture in the growers diary and i don't see any weeds in other patches. I will tell you i use horse manure. any advice would be appreciated

8/23/2012 7:44:30 PM

Salem, Oregon

From what I have read, I think it's a horses digestive track is not as thorough as a cows. Some weed seeds can still pass through and into your patch. I use composted dairy cow from a local nursery. A couple of weeks before I transplanted, I went through the patch with a good dose of round-up. Weeds didn't start popping up until I cut back some dead leaves exposing the ground to more sunlight.

8/24/2012 12:07:25 AM

South Hero, VT

Round Up preplanting. Frequent hoeing or Round Up after planting. Some people plant buckwheat and pull it out as the vines grow, using the buckwheat as a mulch.

And many people spend a lot of time weeding by hand on their hands and knees.

Horse manure is notorious for carrying weed seeds.

8/24/2012 7:00:35 AM

N.W.Pa.

i also do a ton of weeding but just can't keep up. so round up is the way to go. i didn't know if round up would disturb the soil.

8/24/2012 7:48:47 AM

Baker City Oregon

I use Roundup too, especially on perennial grasses. But like the head weed guy in our county asked me once,'Use roundup and what comes up in the place of the weeds you kill?'. Answer: more weeds. Some weed seeds will lie dormant in the soil for many many years. I have found this on my property with common mallow. I have been very diligent to dig it up by the root before it flowers and every year I have a crop of new ones. I also use horse manure but try to compost it before I use it. Done properly I kill some of the seed in it but not all. Most people who tour my garden ask how I keep it weed free(they don't see all the weeds I see) and I just tell them you have to get a handle on them in early spring and every week or so walk through with a hoe. I like to use a stirrup hoe. They don't go away by themselves.

8/24/2012 8:28:44 AM

Ashby, MA

I used horse manure for the first time this year and the weeds overtook my garden in a big way this year. I couldn't keep up with them. Next year, I'm going only with cow manure and also plan to use round-up to keep things under control starting in the Spring. My patch this year looked like a hay field instead of a pumpkin patch.

8/24/2012 10:57:33 AM

Minnesota

You have to keep up on it, after all weeds picked, I check every 2 or 3 days, works for me.

8/24/2012 1:26:39 PM

South Hero, VT

You can kill most seeds in horse manure by heating it to 160 degrees F for several days. A solarium built from 2 x 4s and plastic would do the trick.

Or just avoid horse manure. :-)

8/24/2012 1:41:53 PM

Eastern Pennsylvania

A great tip I got this year was if using roundup, don't also use the tiller. When you do , it brings new seeds to the surface. So simple but not something I ever considered before.

8/24/2012 4:04:16 PM

Madison, OH (Steveford26@rocketmail.com)

Try to refrain from using all other manures but bat or cow manures

8/26/2012 2:45:49 AM

West Michigan---Hasekg39@gmail.com

Hey VtSteve so should I just set my oven at 160 and start shoveling, that seems kinda stupid I'll just pick all the seeds out by hand.

8/29/2012 10:27:08 PM

South Hero, VT

Or you can spread the manure out and let the birds pick the seeds out. That way, you'll get seedless manure AND bird droppings. lol

8/30/2012 6:54:11 AM

West Michigan---Hasekg39@gmail.com

but then the birds just poop out the seeds again and then I shoot the bird ok never mind that makes sense.......lol

8/31/2012 2:24:40 PM