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Sat, Aug 30, 14 at 8:35
| My husband and I just moved into a house with four fairly large vegetable garden boxes in the backyard. Only two are in use; the other two are overgrown with weeds. We're brand new to gardening and need to know what to do with the two weedy boxes. I've found plenty of information about preparing vegetable gardens for winter -- putting down straw, planting cover crops -- but I'm not sure if those methods are appropriate for putting boxes to bed in late summer that you may not be using for years? With our schedules, it could be several years before we have time to maintain more than two boxes. Any advice about what would be best? Thanks! |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Please give an approximate location (nearest city) so we can help you compare options. Climate will play a huge role here. |
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| Oh, of course -- we're in Louisville, Kentucky. |
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| I have a raised bed I'm not using this year because of our drought. I've got it covered with black plastic. The plastic will kill the weeds and, in my case, keep the soil from drying out and turning to dust. I have been tossing yard waste on the bed all year, turning it into a compost pile so when I do plant I'll have something nutritious to plant in. But that's considered cold/sheet composting, so I don't throw in anything with seeds or disease. When I am ready to use the bed, I will go out with a shovel and turn it all over good, probably tossing in some composted steer manure, about 90 days before I'm ready to plant. |
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- Posted by theforgottenone1013 5b/6a MI (My Page) on Sat, Aug 30, 14 at 13:00
| I'm only suggesting this because you said you don't plan to plant in these beds for years. If it were me I'd cut the weeds close to the ground (leaving the cut weeds to lay on top of the soil if they aren't full of seeds), cover the ground with a few layers of cardboard, then cover the cardboard with a thick layer of woodchips. Keep the layer of chips sufficient and you'll have minimal weed issues. Rodney |
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| I am usually a leader of the cardboard wood chips party, but she has a real chance of exterminating the seed bank. I suggest, like Loribee, black plastic for a couple of summers, with frequent openings, light hoeing, and deep watering, then closing again. In fact, clear plastic is probably best, as some seeds are light sensitive. Open, hoe, water, and close maybe three times during the warm season, then you can cover with wood chips. |
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