July's judge: Jerry Baker
THE CONTEST: Tell us your tips for controlling weeds in the garden
THE PRIZE: The OXO Good Grips Gardening Tool Kit
CELEBRITY JUDGE: Jerry Baker
Leave your best tip for controlling weeds in your garden (the all-natural way of course) in the comment section below. At the end of the month, Jerry will choose his favorite tip.
Last year when a violent wind storm split our cherry-laden tree in half, we knew exactly to whom to turn to save it.
In his younger days, Jerry Baker was an undercover cop in Detroit, Michigan, posing as a gardener, tree trimmer, landscaper, and seed salesman. While recovering from a job-related injury, he decided to turn to the more tranquil pursuit of gardening. Through a lot of hard work, Jerry eventually became America’s #1 expert on lawn, garden, and plant care. Jerry’s folksy humor, practical know-how, and homespun philosophy are in part derived from his Grandma Putnam, a Native American who first taught him to talk to plants. Jerry lived with her for several of his most formative years, and it was she who instilled in him a deep respect for Mother Nature, Mother Earth, and all things green and growing.
Since his days with Grandma Putt, Jerry’s been on a mission to spread the gardening gospel, along with many thousands of tips, tricks, and tonics he’s developed along the way.
Jerry first gained a measure of fame and notoriety with the publication of his runaway bestseller, Plants Are Like People, in 1972. He was also the guy who started the national craze of talking to your plants with the publication of a book by the same title. Since then, Jerry has written more than 50 books, and more than twenty million copies of his books have been sold, including his bestsellers Grandma Putt’s Old-Time Vinegar, Garlic, Baking Soda, and 101 More Problem Solvers; Terrific Garden Tonics; and Oddball Ointments, Powerful Potions, and Fabulous Folk Remedies.
And in the late 1990s, he had his own gardening specials that aired on Public Television stations across the country. These shows featured his timely tips, tricks, and tonics on such topics as lawn, flower, tree, shrub, and evergreen care. They were very successful, and were among the most popular programs on PBS at the time.
Jerry entered the 21st century by going online (www.jerrybaker.com) in February 1998. His website features a Bookstore, Health Store, and Garden Store, as well as “Grandma Putt’s Daily Wisdom,” archived articles that’ll answer your FAQs, and Jerry’s weekly blog. That means he can bring you even more of his great garden tips, tricks, and tonics; household hints; and fast fixes and quick cures at the click of a mouse.
Gardening isn’t what it used to be, but after all of these years, Jerry still longingly looks back to those days he spent with his Grandma Putt, who said that all a fellow (or gal) needs is the good earth, a handful of seeds, a little “grow-how,” and a desire to get back to basics. It was that simple back in her day, and it’s still that simple today.
Win this!
Leave your best tip for controlling weeds in your garden (the all-natural way of course) in the comment section below. At the end of the month, Jerry will choose his favorite tip.
61 Comments
Weeds are a very discouraging part of gardening and many times they have won in my gardens. I find the best solution is to lay a very thick layer of mulch between plants and in walking rows. I use straw but thick layers of dampened newspaper and/or grass clippings also work. The weeds still break through but are easy to pick out and this helps keep moisture in during the dry spells.
Lately I have been trying to give up the chemicals and can’t really justify the expense of the mulch that I usually put down every year so….I have gone back to my mammaw’s tried and true method…a good, sharp hoe. I get exercise and it’s rather pleasing to see the results of good hard work. Then I come in and have a nice cold lemonade. I think Mammaw would approve.
For small areas in the garden or between the garden steps.
Boil water in a tea kettle. Pour the water over the weeds holding the kettle close to the weeds. Pour slowly. The weeds will die. Pull up the dead weeds the next day. They do not return.
I waited till late last year to do this so it took a few trips. Started earlier this year with much better controll.
Kelley
just rake it daily
We use marsh hay on our pathways and as mulch under our tomato plants. Mulching controls weeds and the marsh hay, coming from a wet, well – marshy area, doesn’t contain seeds that will sprout into weeds in the garden. It’s one of my best garden discoveries.
Carol
to kill and control aphids mix 2 parts
murphy oil to 3 parts water mix well and spray the oil keeps it on the leaves longer and smothers the egg sack i have used this for years my grandmother told me about it when i was young and it cost a fraction of the store bought sprays.
My secret for keeping my garden weeded is to have my hand garden tools handy. My husband and I built a row of seven mailboxes—much like you would see on a country road. My hand tools fit nicely in them and are easily accessible. First time visitors usually ask how I get my mailman to deliver my mail to my backyard until reveal the contents. It saves me a trip walking around to my garage and at the same time keeps them protected from the elements.
Weeds in a garden are extremely bothersome; however, keeping weeds out of the garden isn’t necessarily a problem. It does require some time-consuming work in the beginning. I like having grass between the rows that can be mowed along with the lawn.
The actual rows for planting are raised approximately six to eight inches above the walking paths. The paths are the width of the mower. The few weeds that grow in the rows are easily removed after the ground has been dampened.
I did not concentrate on vegetables this year nor do I plant flowers in this manner.
My flower gardens are all matted with fabric and covered with mulch. This keeps weeds down for a very long time. The only problem I have are the many tree seedlings that tend to sprout in the beds. Those are easily pulled or lightly raked out of the mulch.
WOW – guess my comment is not so original – I too use the newspaper/Straw combo to keep my veggie garden as weed free as organically possible….Thanks, LB
I control weeds in my garden by catching the grass clippings and spreading them around the plants and between rows. I have also put down newspaper first then spread the grass clippings. Works good for me.
I use old news papers except for the shinny ones they don’t do well and i place then 1/2 to 2 inches deep around and established garden then add new soil on top i have very little to no weeds at all
on a new bed i dont even weed or remove grass i start with card board first 2 layers
then news paper wet it lays better then soil then layer again with news paper, then soil until you get the thickness you need or want then plant and enjoy a weed free garden when it is wet fou can take your trowel poke a hole plant seed or plants the layers keep it moist my veggies and flowers are just beautiful i have more time for other things that are not so back breaking
connie
Jerry, I go back to basics with my gardening and my #1 tip is to get the weeds when they number 10. Get them and they won’t have a head start to get to 20, 30 and more.
Good exercise each day, too, and your garden can prosper.
When white flies surround my plants and envelop the whole area my husband and i get really annoyed. I found that a mixture of 1-part milk to 9 parts water placed in a spray bottle and applied, once a week until they all disappear. Initially the flies gravitate towards the milk scent; but, after a few days the scent turns sour
Mulch; chemicals; thick layers of newspaper; Joy detergent; and on and on. Each helps to beat back the ever-encroaching weeds. Nevertheless, the only sure way to eliminate weeds is to bend over and carefully pull it entirely out of the ground. Anything less and you may actually have pruned it, thereby spurring the weed to even greater annoyance!
Tip for Weed Reduction and Control:
Don’t let weeds in or back in in the first place.
When buying plants, check and remove any weed sprouts that may have sprung. Gently remove any soil that has moss or flakes off above the first shallow roots. If time permits, the root ball may be moistened and let to grow in clean soil (a transition pot) before placement in the yard.
Soil with weed seeds can be disposed of so that the soil isn’t wasted. Make a solar soil oven with clear plastic bag (big zip lock type) and place moistened soil inside and steam the seeds to death. Somewhat larger amounts may be recycled into local yard waste programs. Tilling and smothering weeds with mulching layers will terminate still others.
A solution I used again just yesterday is kind of an “as it comes” mulch. After reshaping a privet hedge rather than putting the clippings on to compost I piled them all in the same direction and created a walkable bed in the lost muddy inches between the hedge and garage.
Household vinegar and other concentrations of acetic acid are effective weed killers. Using vinegar as a weed control is both cost effective and an organic, environmentally safe way to mange unwanted weeds in your yard and garden. Dilute to a concentration of 1:1/2 parts vinegar to water(i.e. 1cup vinegar:1/2cup water)
The best weed prevention is to follow your Farmer’s Almanac! It will provide you with advice on which days to pull weeds, fertilize, pest control, etc…
It is truely the best guide!
To keep weeds out of the rock garden, we lay heavy black grabage bags flat and place the rocks on top. This seems to work.
I shred EVERY paper item I can get my hands on! From cereal boxes to junk mail…it all goes through the shredder and into the garden. Believe it or not, layers of this works better than anything else I have ever tried at keeping weeds OUT of my garden! The plus plus side is I know that by re-cycling in this manner I am doing my share of being “Green” and that feels good!!
I have small acreage and three horses and no where near enough grazing for them so I have watched carefully the different types of wild weeds that my horses love., Then I take a scissors and bucket to the garden and I harvest the clover, both red and white, dandelions, grass,Broad leaf Plantin weed, sour grass, and several other weeds I don’t know the name of but the horses love and I fill the bucket. My horses are thrilled with the huge bucket of wonderful greens I have for them everyday.
I actually encourage these weeds to grow by not cutting them too severly so my horses can have a fresh green salad everyday…..
In the interest of recycling all the catalogues and junk mail everyone receives, *”feed” that paper material through a shredder; as the basket uner the shredder fills, empty the “ribbons of paper” into a large bag/ box; press it down so there is not so much air; repeat from * until you have quite a bit “de-aired”; take it out to the garden to spread it between rows and even between sizeable plants, and wet it down. Whenever you can see through the paper, put more over it. Once you have a nice “mat” of shredded paper, the garden has much much fewer weeds to take out. Shredding the paper and shoving it together, was the needed “ingrediant”. The bonus is your home is clear of catalogues and junk mail.
Controlling pesky weeds can be a hassle, but I have found a good way to keep them under control without the harsh chemicals. I love using rocks or pebbles around flowers. It’s a great accent to the landscape and definetly aides in keeping weeds from coming up. Having rocks/pebbles there also helps filter the water that the flowers receive, that’s pretty neat! In the past, I have also used screen between the flowers/plants and the ground.
The best all-natural way to control the weeds is the good old-fashioned way: pull out a few while you are watering each day. Also, I find that fewer weeds grow when I hand water my vegetable garden with a hose. In the past I have used a soaker hose on a timer set to turn on each day and the weeds became unmanageable. I have also tried rug pieces, large pieces of cardboard, and even the weed blocker material sold in garden departments and none of these worked with success.
I agree with comment # 1 mostly. What I do different is I use raised beds and wide rows.I build boxes that are at least 3 feet wide and 8 to 16 feet long. When I plant them I stagger the plants. So one little row is 4 plants and thew next is three, then 4, then three, and so on. THEN I put chips or mulch all over between the plants. Once the plants are established, they cover the ground so the weeds don’t get any sun and they use less water. You may have to pull a few weeds at first but after they are full grown, not so much.
I have tried everything from black plastic to newspaper. I have even used old braided
rugs. I think I have finally found a natural solution. I noticed that there was not grass growing under pine trees. I beg, borrow and steal pine straw or needles and spread them everywhere. They work better and longer than anything I have ever tried.
They are also a beautiful color.
Weeds stay under control at my house because my 11 chickens and 2 roosters weed for me. If the “girls” see me digging, they come over and help scratch. Not only do I get rid of the weeds, I get rid of any pesky bugs too!
Before leaving on vacation, I plant fennel (anise) in my herb garden. The tall plants get billowy and look beautiful but also shade the ground and minimize weeds. We celebrate our return home with fresh fennel in salads and baked fennel with pamesan cheese. Heavenly…and minimal weeds in the veggie/herb garden!
I fill a spray bottle with vinegar and spray onto t he weeds. They are drooping within hours, die easily and pull up very easily
I always use a layer of newspaper when I put down new mulch. I then sprinkle preen on top of the new mulch to keep weed seeds from germinating.
Hi; My mother; who always received complements on her gardens; Used to pull the weeds and throw them in between rows of her veggies. this way she not only had a dry foot path but also provided nutrients and moisture for her plants. And of course since the weeds were pulled before they matured any seeds, that reduced next years weeds too.
I have used Jerry’s tricks tips and tonics my gardening “life” and they are AWESOME!!!!!
To control weeds I place a plastic shield over my garden in the spring and I let the sun bake the weed seeds before they even have a chance (This of course is done after I till), then a thick layer of newspaper is applyed and cow poop, horse turds and new compost is applyed on top. In between my veggies I plant flowers. Not only does it increase the happy bees to my plants (that helps increase Vegetable production) but it also leaves very little room for weeds to grow. Plus I am constantly walking on the free rows that weeds really never appear.
Poof be gone.
Mark stanow
Master Gardner
Dearborn, MI
Hi; another good addition to the garden soil that really keeps down the weeds is coal ashes; actually wood ashes work too; scatter them on the ground before digging in the spring. Or sprinkle them over the ground where you plan to put in next years garden. an inch thick is all right, I’ve seen 4″ of coal ashes produce an excellent garden.
Re-use old carpet in flower beds, simply cut holes for your plants, the water flows through nicely, yet the weeds are unable to grow through. It also secures your bark / mulch nicely. This is a great way to re-use / recycle!
I find that the best time to control weeds is after a rain or deep watering. The ground is soft and the initial weed growth small. Pulling each by hand makes the work rather quick and easy.
I first pull out the major weeds, and then I mix water and salt, and then put old newspapers and heavy duty plastic over that, and that keeps my weeds out.
Mulch, mulch, mulch–I use layers of newspapers covered with grass clippings. The best way to control weeds is to pull them as soon as it rains–I’ve been known to weed in the rain, wearing a slicker!
You must use the red landscape cloth instead of the black cloth and then place mulch on top of the red cloth…
Remember weeds will not come through the red cloth. Do you know why?
We all lead stressful lives and weeding is the best form of relaxation for me. I love parking myself in the garden, enjoying the sunshine (or at least the outdoor air) and weeding to my hearts content. I also take the time to wander throughout my gardens, enjoying the plants and all that they offer. So while I’m doing my nightly inspection, I pull weeds as I marvel at what Mother Nature has given us. These two activities keep my weeds in check.
First let me say I have followed Jerry Baker for many years and have all his books.
Now my best way to prevent weeds:
I have grown gardens many years and learned from my MOM to always save newspapers and plant thru them. I throw a little dirt on the papers to hold them down and of course the rain does nothing harmful. I have never had to hoe or pull weeds; I just sat back watched the garden grow and loved my bountiful harvests.
I also use a bit of string to tie a bit of heavy duty foil to stakes thru the garden. These blow in the breezes and keep pesky animals out of my veggies too.
I guess I’ll also say I plant lots of stinky flowers in the veggies too which keep out unwanted insects.
I’m a lazy gardener and I believe in letting nature take care of most problems.
starting with weed free mulch.newspaper first then grass clippings from our chemical free grass.
MULCHIN THE SURFACE
I use surgical drapes for mulch which I then hold down with the weeds I pull,grass clippings and compost. In the hot Az. sun, the weeds and grass dry and shrink rapidly leaving room for any that need pulling.The plants get plenty of water and the rows are easily identified what with the blue standing out clearly under the toppings.The weeds beneath are pretty well put down and at the end of the growing season whatever ribs are left of the weeds I just roll up in the remains of the drapes and put them in the garbage.The interesting part is the drapes disintegrate with the heat and moisture so there is little left.
Well – I weed every week when i cut the grass. If you keep it up it really doesnt take that long. My grass is cut and beds weeded in less than two hours and I have a lot of beds.
But if you mulch (I dont) rather than the screening made to inhibit weeds, use old sheets of newspaper. It does allow water to penetrate and stops weeds longer.
AROUND EACH EVERY PLANT I SPRINCLE ROCK SALT HAS A LOT OF USES AND I SPRINCLE IT ALONG ENTIRE FENCE LINE ALSO KILLS POSION IVY.HAVE AGREAT SUMMER. DAN
We have found layers of newspaper which has been wet down works well to keep weeds down in the paths between the rows of plants. We also use straw and mulch throughout the garden. Constant cultivating to loosen the soil and keep weeds from getting a stronghold in and around the plants is also needed for stronger plants.
Natural vinegar is good for killing weeds, cleaning and better yet you can eat it too and it is cheap!!
Epsom Salts is an inexpensive, natural (non harmful) way to make citrus bloom and produce fruit.
We use it in Key West for Key Lime, Sour Orange and Lemon trees.
It is especially good in the coral rock base of the Florida Keys.
I use 3 layers of newspaper (only the black and white ink – not the colored pages) between plants and between the rows, then cover it with a layer of straw. This takes care of the weeds so that I can enjoy my garden even more!!!
I control weeds in my vegetable and herb gardens by asking my neighbors to save their newspapers for me and I lay a nice layer of newspapers down, wet them well and cover with mulch. This year I used wood chip mulch made from trees and large limes that fell during the year in town and were chipped by the town for anyone’s use for free. I used sawdust collected from my husbands wood shop in a dust collector (mostly from hard woods and ceddar) in my herb garden. I also use the sawdust in the pathways in my flower garden. I have been doing this for several years to great success!
No, Judy
Now I MUST know the answer!! Please tell
My best tip for pulling weeds is have boys who get into trouble and make them pull weeds as their punishment. In the meantime I mix plenty of mulch and munner in the soil and keep well moisted.
I suppose that among the veteran gardeners we have I am considered a beginner. And what a great place to start! But as for weeds I have learned a great lesson. Most of us mix “organic material” in with the soil to fortify it with nutrients and such. If you do not make your own material or compost that you are mixing in with the soil then be mindful of where you get it from (i.e.local municipalities, et cetera). I made this mistake the first couple of years and mixed in the compost I got from the city’s facility and it is full of weed seeds and others that have composted with all the non-weeds. This is a huge preventer of weeds. Now I either buy compost or get it from a friend who keeps the weeds separate. This of course does not erradicate weeds %100 but it is a huge help when preparing the planting beds and mixing weed-free compost. Any stragglers you can pick up the old-fashioned way. I hope this helps and I am grateful for all of the other ideas on here!
I have devised a plan of recycling old shower curtains and slip’n’slides to put down in the walkways of my garden for weed control. This also allows me to rotate rows for fall planting. When I pull weeds I set them on the plastic to hold it in place. I also really like to mulch with pine straw around the veggie plants. Vinegar is great for spot treating weeds. I’m an avid composter, which when added to the soil helps with weed control. I am going to attempt to try this tip, which I learned from John Dromgoole(Natural Gardener Austin). He advises to plant black eyed peas to improve soil quality and choke out weeds in bare soil. The black eyed peas are to be tilled under before they bloom and two weeks before planting a row. I’m still learning!
Ok my way seems way to simple after reading the others, but here goes. I use companion planting. For example: I planted corn, let it get a start and about an inch high, then around each plant I planted three pole beans (the beans will grow up the corn and they sort of support each other along with balance the soil. then after the beans start good I plant two to three squash around each of my my corn/bean areas. The squash will grow and spread out covering the ground helping to prevent weeds from growing and getting a good start, and added benefit animals such as rabbits will leave the corn and beans alone since the squash have sort of prickly leaves. Of course you have to manage the weeds until everything gets growing good. And i just weed early in the morning and hoe around everything a quick run around with the hoe early so the sun will help burn up the weeds for you and water at night. So the weeding is a little work but if you do a quick run around with a hoe every other day you really do not have to put that much effort into it. Besides isn’t part of the whole fun of gardening being out there playing and relaxing in the soil watching the plants grow.
Carefully pull weeds out so you get all of their roots. And do it when the weeds are still babies.
I do two things for weed control . . . pull, pull, pull. Hands are my favorite tool. My second method is to use corn gluten meal. Just sprinkle it around your plants and shrubs and then water it in. It’s a natural and nontoxic way to keep weed seeds from germinating. And it does not harm birds or other animals.
Weed management in my garden is devoting an hour a day exclusively to picking out weeds from the veggie and garden beds, depositing them into hot cone composters where weeds are cooked into the best compost one could ever hope for!
We have raised beds in our greenhouse and in the yard,with flowers and vegetables in all of them.
Before we put in a bed we lay 3-4 layers of newspaper down a little wider than the bed, put the bed on top and fill in with a layer of straw, then a layer of compost then plant and a nice layer of straw on top for mulch.
The earthworms love the newspaper and while it rots away they are having babies under there, the weeds are covered so deeply they do not come through, and as it all rots, the worms invade the beds….YAY!
The newspaper is recycled, we’re eating some good stuff and the worms are in wormy heaved..a win for all.
If a weed seed is left by a bird or falls from a tree the straw mulch on top keeps it from taking a firm hold before it can be pulled and the intermingling of flowers and veggies shade underneath so the weeds cannot thrive.
No chemicals and very little effort to keep it in check.
I plant borage between the plants. It’s kind of a living mulch. It supresses weeds and attracts pollinating bees to the garden.
In my veggie gardem I mulch, mulch, mulch. As a new small-scale sustainable farmer, I ma learning that the animals are a great help! The grazing of the cows in the pasture and on the lawn has greatly reduced burdock, thistles and other weeds and what they don’t eat I mow–together we have greatly reduced the problem. Pastured Pigs in movable oens in the woods are doing a fantastic job of rooting out invasive buckthorn! Our few geese and ducks pull out a lot of weeds, too, but must be kept out of the veggies and flowers because they are not especially discriminating.