Weeding gadgets

Tasks that can be done by hand are fine and dandy, but ones that justify the purchase of tools? Even better! 

Leave it to my dad to have not one, but three, gadgets designed for weeding with minimal knee- or back-bending effort. 

This black one (without a brand name) has spikes at the end of the pole. Position it over the center of a weed and press down on the bottom platform with your foot. This action fans out the spikes slightly. When you pull the tool out of the ground the spikes close in around the weed root and extract it. The final move is to push on the knob and pop the weed from the tool. Set up a bucket for target practice and you're on your way to enticing the kiddos into the weeding chore game. This tool concept ranges $20-30 and is available under different makers at most big box stores or online. My dad loves this tool for weeding without damaging existing plantings. He says it is best suited for smaller weeds.

Next are two red ones are made by Garden Weasel in their Weedpopper line. First is the Step and Twist, which has two blades beneath a stepping platform. Like the black tool you place it on the center of a weed and press down with your foot. The difference is you twist the pole. It has two handlebars (a T joint) on top for easy twisting (not shown in my photos). It also has a plunger for popping weeds out. My dad chooses this one for weeds bigger than the black tool can handle -- but it also leaves a deeper hole.  It costs around $25.

The second by Garden Weasel is the Weedpopper Pro.  It has spikes at the end of a hinged metal box. Insert tool just off center of the weed and press on the box with your foot to thrust the spikes upward. It works rather like a mini, foot-activated pitchfork. It can work on all sizes of weeds, Dad says, but bigger weeds may need attack on multiple sides. My dad also likes this one for clearing grass in flower and garden beds.  It is the most expensive of the bunch at $45 online. Whereas the other two tools shown here grasp the weeds allowing you to collect them without bending to the ground, this gadget leaves them in the dirt. But the kids have young backs, right?

What are your favorite gardening gadgets? My dad's birthday is coming up and I need ideas!

Weeds? Two ways to grow blackberries

These two pictures show vastly different approaches to growing blackberries.

First, in a well-tended home garden (so, obviously one belonging to neighbor!):

The gardener installed two metal stakes, about four feet above ground, with chicken wire running vertically the length between them to make a fence. Blackberry canes are grown in two rows, one on each side of the chicken wire fence. The canes are further supported by thick, insulated cording (here, the turquoise cords) running horizontally the length of the fence. The cords are spaced a foot apart. The tops of the canes are unfettered; they bend down gracefully with the growing fruit. This framework allows easy harvest from both sides of the structure.

Second, wild in the Pacific Northwest:

Blackberries cost a pretty penny in my part of the world, so I never believed my friend's assessment that these plants are weeds in her home town in Washington. Then I took a trip to Oregon and saw for myself. Not only were blackberries growing along the road and in every ditch, I also saw them growing in rocks at a pier. The cords here are not a trellis at all -- they're to keep people from falling in the ocean! I bet the locals are sick of blackberries.

Just goes to show that weeds are all a matter of perspective. What "weeds" are your favorite?

A Weed is but an Unloved Flower

A weed is but an unloved flower.  ~Ella Wheeler Wilcox

I'm loving my weeds right now. My daughter Maya is turning 8 soon, and I had birthday pictures on my mind. The morning was cool, the sky was blue, the grass (weeds) were vibrant green. I had Maya throw on a simple white dress and I straightened out her bed head. Sometimes impromptu unscheduled pictures work out the best. I am so pleased with these pictures of my beautiful daughter and my beautiful weeds. 

 

(Notice my cute little red chicken coop below)

 

Maya will play "model" for about a half hour, then she morphs back into the spunky, silly, funny girl that I adore.

How is your weed situation?

~marisa

The Art of War Against Weeds

"For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill."

 

From "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu

If you have taken any classes in business you have probably heard Sun Tzu quoted. I like to use "The Art of War " as a guide on how to fight the evils that we find in our gardens. If our plants or the protagonists in the war stories of our gardens then certainly the biggest of many antagonists is Mr Weed.

I think there are two main philosophies in the war against weeds, proactive, and reactive. A person employs a reactive method when they go outside and see that their garden has been overrun by morning glory and dandelions. The action that is taken is to start pulling weeds. It works but it can be labor intensive.

I like to use Sun Tzu's philosophy by being  more proactive and subduing the enemy without fighting. There are a few methods that come to mind for subduing weeds before they can get a foothold in our garden. 

• Cover your naked dirt: I think the best method for limiting weeds is to make sure they don't have a place to grow. Once I know where my plants are growing I make sure to cover the ground so weeds are less likely to get a foothold. 
• Mulch: I like the idea of putting down mulch that will eventually break down and add to the composition of my soil. Straw is my personal favorite. I also like to use grass cuttings. Be sure that your grass cuttings are weed free if you are going to add them to the garden. 
• Landscape Fabric: Landscape Fabric can be used to cover your dirt so weeds can't grow. I don't use fabric or weedblock but I know people who find them to be effective. I don't like a lot of them as many are plastic and not biodegradable. If you are going to use landscape fabric, find one that is biodegradable and it can break down into the soil. 
• Other covers: We have used newspaper in our garden in the past and it works great, you can also use cardboard, bark, sawdust, and probably other things that I have not thought of.
• Gardening methods: Certain gardening methods inhibit weed growth. Many square foot gardeners or vertical gardeners don't have as many weeds because they have so many plants in a smaller place and weeds just can't compete very well. The desirable plants choke out the weeds. Raised beds also help reduce weed growth.
•  Watering Methods: the use of drip irrigation methods helps inhibit weed growth.Since the drip lines water only a small area around the plants, many weeds will die of thirst.

In the fight against weeds, try to employ some of these methods so you have less weeds. These proactive methods will require less work than letting weeds getting established.Which of these methods work for you? What are some of the things you do to stop weeds in their tracks. Share your ideas and help others find success in their gardens.

Michael