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Garden

I have a lot of weeds going right now. I am planning to bring in about a foot of new soil next month. Think I could get away with just tilling in the weeds and then covering them up? Think they can re-grow through a foot of soil?
I dont want to be lazy, but its in my nature :)

1/11/2005 7:14:34 PM

Ohio

I would spray sum round up on the weeds to kill them, then till them in, they say round-up dont stay in the soil long.

Brooks

1/11/2005 7:27:16 PM

Picton,ON ([email protected])

If the weeds are mature and have formed seeds, they should be removed to reduce future competition. If they are young and activly growing till them under, they make great green manure. The exception to this would be tap rooted perennials, such as dandilion. They should be pulled. Also perrenial grasses such as quack grass should be pulled.

1/11/2005 7:28:50 PM

Indiana

If they are just annual weeds with seeds you could burn them with one of those big weed torched and kill the seeds. but the seeds wont grow thru a foot of soil anyway.
Steve

1/11/2005 8:13:42 PM

Deer Park WA

Till the weeds while they are young and activly growing, then hit them again with the tiller a couple weeks later. Then add the foot of soil and till it in. Should knock down most of the weeds. Wish I could torch my fields once every year that would kill off a month of Sundays discing and plowing!

1/11/2005 9:16:37 PM

Vancouver, White Rock, Canada

I'd remove them... I planted a new lawn last summer and buried most of the weeds under about 8-12" of soil, and they came back through the new grass about a month later. At least I think it was the same weeds?

1/11/2005 9:37:34 PM

Omaha, NE (N41-15-42 )

Try solarizing the patch to make sure you've killed any weed seeds.

1/11/2005 10:23:17 PM

Garden

Thank you all for the replies!
I have decided to try a combination of the suggestions.
Hopefully the Round Up is flammable :) JK

1/12/2005 1:03:22 AM

[email protected]

Roundup isn't flamable. LOL And it is more likely to stimulate weed seed germination. Check those weeds. As stated previously if they haven't made seeds yet them Roundup is the solution. But if they have....

1/12/2005 1:41:07 AM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

...then you will have to wait until the weed seeds have sprouted so that you can hit them with Roundup.
I found that a soil fumigation with Basamid also works wonders against weeds, weed seeds and of course soil born diseases...

1/12/2005 6:05:26 AM

No Place Special

If it were me.... Id mow them down as short as possible, till them under, till the patch again in a week or so to destroy any newly germinated weeds and then cover with your new soil.

1/12/2005 11:18:47 AM

C N Y

yeah, mike!
RoundUp is my best friend.
as soon as it touches anything organic that is not GREEN, it is neutralized, in case you wondered. i've always
wondered how long those "weed seeds" can lie dormant
before they sprout. let's say a few burdock seeds. forever?

anyway, the Frantz one-two punch sounds like my method.
the other problem we all have is that when the weeds that are in the soil waiting to sprout have been eliminated, then we have to worry about the ones that come from the air!

1/12/2005 12:58:19 PM

Minnesota([email protected])

It seems like a foot of soil would be enough to prevent the weeds and seeds from causing a problem. If you've done enough planting, you'll see that planting seeds too deep, results in failure to emerge.
I'd do what Mike Frantz suggests. His suggestion is simple, and should be effective.

Doug

1/12/2005 2:14:44 PM

[email protected]

Seeds of all kind require a minimum time & temperature threshold be met to germinate. So watch that weed seeds aren't germinated just due to cool soil then they come flying back up after the soil warms.


Eric, some seeds (Fescues, Rushes, etc) can lie dormant for 100 years just waiting for their chance in the sun. Even minor grade disturbances can offer previously unseen surprises in some soils.

1/12/2005 5:46:31 PM

Atlanta, Georgia

Till, till, till and till also works.
I even till in winter when conditions allow and
my patches are pretty much weed free.
I pride myself here at the home patch that you
can't find more than one or two weeds in it on
any given day.

But of course that patch has only produced a
500 pounder so far...but that's another story.
Good luck!

1/13/2005 2:49:34 AM

Garden

I am trying to limit my tilling to once/year. Might sound crazy, but this is the first year I have tons of worms, and I dont want to wipe them out.
Yeah, I'm a sissy I know

1/13/2005 7:30:44 PM

Atlanta, Georgia

As for tilling at this time of year most of the worms are below the level I can till with my hand tiller and the coffee grounds and old manure keeps the worm level pretty darn high during the growing season...

1/14/2005 12:20:55 AM