Weed Blocker for fruits/veggies?

 

It's getting near time to plant some tomatos, onion, peas, etc. I'm
planning on expanding my tiny garden into some of the lawn area. I'll
get rid of some of the grass (and weeds) and then turn and add peat
moss to the soil. Then, I'm thinking of just putting down some of that
Weed Blocker stuff and put some holes through for the plants.

It seems too lazy to be morally correct, but I really hate weeding. Is
there some other reason, other than a Puritan upbringing, which
suggests that weed blocker is not a reasonable idea?

 

dgk said:


Because "Tomato Bob" told you too. lol

Did you get your soil tested, as you said you were going to do?

--

Eggs

-Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.

 

On Fri, 9 Apr 2010 18:44:56 -0500, Eggs Zachtly


I did indeed. The guy said it was fine soil for planting almost
anything. He suggested starting with some lime and then a
vegetable/fruit fertilizer every six weeks.

The peas were growing really quickly indoors so I put a few of them
outside, along with some romaine and onions that I got at Garden
World. It's likely too early for the peas but I'll see how they do.
The rest have been transplanted to pots and will go out soon.

I started ripping up some lawn area to use for tomatos. That's tough
work. I figure I'll rip up about a 12 by 5 foot area - much tougher
than it looks.

I did try some of the weed blocker material and it will likely be ok
for the tomato section of the garden, but is too unwieldy for things
like onions where you need a lot of holes. Once you put it down, it's
difficult to put plants in. When you need to put in plants 4" apart in
rows 12" apart it's difficult to work with. And I think the squirrels
will rip it to shreds.

What's the problem with peat moss? Oh. This?

http://www.gardenrant.com/my_weblog/2009/04/ken-druse-dishes-the-dirt-about-peat-moss.html


I thought the whole purpose of the stuff was to retain water in the
soil. Now I feel bad about buying it and won't do that again.

I did take your advice about the lights and just propped the tray of
seedlings on a south facing window. The seedlings are about two inches
tall and some are developing the real leaves. I'm keeping an eye on
them to make sure they don't get leggy.

 

dgk said:


Interesting that he'd suggest lime, if there was established turf, and you're
switching to veggies in that area.


I doubt it's too early for the peas. More likely, it's too late. Good luck with
them, though! Maybe the weather will stay cool enough to harvest some. I'm zone
5a, and when I grow peas, they're in the ground either the last week of Feb, or
the first week of March.


hahaha yup! A good, sharp, square spade should make quick work of it. (Or, rent
a sod cutter and be done in a few minutes.)  =)


Yup. As an alternative, you might consider using straw as a mulch. It's heavy
enough to stay put, and as it breaks down, it's beneficial to the soil.  =)


http://www.gardenrant.com/my_weblog/2009/04/ken-druse-dishes-the-dirt-about-peat-moss.html

That, and it won't really do your soil any good. It will /really/ affect pH.
While most veggies like the soil on the "sour" side, most won't like it if you
take it too far acidic. If you're planning on using that area long-term for
veggies, your best bet is good helpings of humus and compost (including
composted manure).  =)


Getting the texture of the soil correct, as well as mulching, will do a lot more
for proper water retention than adding peat moss ever will. =)


-Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.

 

Eggs Zachtly wrote:

Eggs, if a customer asked you to apply lime and fertilizer to
their lawn on the same day would you do it?

the fertilizer would be for Bermuda grass and something like
16-4-8 applied at 20 pounds/3000sq.ft.