Killing weeds in garden

[cletus99]

What do you all use to kill weeds in your vegetable garden? I'm specifically looking for cheap methods. I can't afford a small tiller or cultivator right now. I've thought about laying some kind of mulch down between rows or spraying roundup down the rows. Don't want to kill my vegetables though. I'm starting to have grass grow back and I'm too lazy to break out the hoe and pull weeds by hand. Plus my knees and back can't take it. So I'm looking for some cheap easy alternatives.

 

[mikim]

I use a wife with a hoe.....jus' sayin....

 

[motownbrowne]

Wheel hoe, hand hoe, mulch, plastic mulch.

Small tillers are pretty cheap on craigslist. It's gonna be tough if you want to be cheap and lazy.

 

[dave1949]

Cheap mulch would be newspaper, cardboard, etc. between the rows held down with a bit of dirt. It will compost in-place.

 

[Depmandog]

Paint roller, thick nap, broom handle extension. Paint tray and roundup. Slow and easy and roll roundup on your weeds. Easy to control and keep off the veggies.

 

[jymbee]

Paint roller, thick nap, broom handle extension. Paint tray and roundup. Slow and easy and roll roundup on your weeds. Easy to control and keep off the veggies.

Personally I wouldn't use any kind of chemical weed killer anywhere NEAR my veggies. "Easy to control"? Rain would pretty much rule out that possibility.

 

[MikeInEburg]

Cheap mulch would be newspaper, cardboard, etc. between the rows held down with a bit of dirt. It will compost in-place.

This is what we do. No glossy ads. Several layers thick.

 

[CobyRupert]

I use a wife with a hoe.....jus' sayin....

Would you let the OP borrow your hoe? ; )

 

[lakngulf]

This is my first year to try newspapers and cardboard. For my herb garden I have two layers of thick cardboard and then pine straw. So far so good, but I put it down before the weeds emerged this spring.

 

[jlgurr]

If the ground around your veggies is smooth and rock free, you might try using a push mower to keep the weeds cut down. I did that a couple years ago. It's not the ideal weed management system but it is faster and easier than hoeing.

 

[cletus99]

I like the newspaper idea. Might have to try that.

 

[Eldubya]

I like my garden to stay organic, so no Roundup etc. don't even like the inks and bleaches in paper or cardboard. It's sometimes a bit hard to control where the heat goes, but I use a propane tank with a tiger-torch. Heat each unwanted plant for a couple seconds and it will wither and die.
Works great in the gravel paths and driveway as well. Maybe not the fastest way to do it, but there is also great satisfaction in using a flame-thrower against the enemy.:devil:

 

[randy41]

weed wacker.

 

[Eldubya]

Problem with a W.Whacker is that you usually are just spreading the seeds by doing that.

weed wacker.

 

[Depmandog]

Personally I wouldn't use any kind of chemical weed killer anywhere NEAR my veggies. "Easy to control"? Rain would pretty much rule out that possibility.

I was responding to the OP who mentioned "spraying roundup". The roller method is "easier to control" then spraying.

 

[randy41]

Problem with a W.Whacker is that you usually are just spreading the seeds by doing that.

well...,you're also cutting down the weeds. if you do it before they go to seed i guess there would be no cause for concern.

 

[sixdogs]

We spray--carefully--generic roundup. Just a drop will kill most thing so I rarely kill any of the vegetables.

If you ant it even more failsafe, make a "cone" over the spray want with a narrow diameter soda bottle. Any spray is better contained and as I said, just a drop will kill the weed. My wife is not allowed to pull weeds unless going to seed because it just spreads the roots when the plant regrows.

 

[jaotguy]

hmmm .. what are your plants ? peppers/tomatoes ? if so , they like more light , so put down aluminum wrap to reflect more light up and around the plants ... hold down with a few sticks or rocks .... punch a few holes to allow water to drain ...

if not , black garbage bags , slit open and laid down will keep the weeds in check too, but will raise the temp of the soil ....

 

[2458n]

I like a product called Preen. Put down before weeds. Makes your tomato plants look great.

 

[TomSeller]

I use a wife with a hoe.....jus' sayin....

Does she have a sister?