Have you ever had a weed problem so bad that you wanted to give up?
Yeah, we all have.
Ok, so I built some raised beds in my backyard several years ago and did almost everything wrong. I didn't know any better at the time so I feel no shame, but here are a couple of lessons I've learned.
If you have a mole, vole, gopher problem then your raised beds need some kind of physical barrier where they contact the ground surface. I understand that galvanized hardware cloth will serve well for a number of years, but nothing lasts forever in the dirt. Expect maintenance. If you do nothing, then the ground varmints will follow the moisture and happily raid your beds while you sleep.
Treated lumber from the hardware store is NOT an ideal construction material for raised beds. Back in the old days (over 10 years ago) manufacturers used preservatives containing arsenic to treat that lumber but most all of that is long gone for obvious reasons. Today the main preservative used is Copper-Azole based. It's a fungicide/insecticide that bonds to the wood particles pretty well and protects it from nature for a while...Treated lumber that is not rated for ground contact will last 5-8 years max. The GOOD stuff rated for ground contact is NOT likely safe to be near veggies you plan to eat. So, build your beds out of something better, or accept the fact that you will be replacing them or performing major surgery on them about every 5 seasons.
Plan an automatic irrigation system. I plant a ton of veggies every Spring. I only harvest veggies if I have been able to hand water them almost daily throughout May & June. I have an irrigation system in place, but it required some maintenance a few years ago that just never got done...and so as soon as the temperature reaches 100F for the first time - my veggies all perish for lack of TLC.
Quality Soil is actually the most important element of any Garden. If you get all other variables right - but have lousy soil - you will fail. I have NO IDEA why I can't just follow the example provided by more successful gardeners when it comes to acquiring soil for raised beds. No, everything is an experiment with me. I make stuff up, I mix my own, I dabble & tweak & fiddle with mixtures until I get exasperated with myself. I am NOT recommending that you buy an expensive, pre-mixed soil product for your gardens. I'm just recommending that you do some free online research & then mimic EXACTLY what has already worked well for someone you trust. Amendments can always be added later.
Never let Nutsedge get a toehold. NEVER!
Ok, so I failed to keep Nutsedge (or nutgrass) under control and it ran amok in the garden beds where I planted my elephant garlic last fall. Nutsedge actually looks a bit like garlic, has a tuber that resembles garlic corms, and is absolutely ruthless when it comes to spreading it's rhizomes underground. I hate that weed so much I could spit!
I researched how to kill it, and the advice I gathered was very discouraging. The only 100% effective treatment for a nutgrass infestation is detonating a 1-megaton nuclear device directly over your garden twice a day for 10 years... Just kidding, there are chemicals available to licensed professionals that are capable of killing it...but this is a garden where I intend to grow veggies I want to EAT. Those chemicals were not an acceptable option for my family.
I read up on a technique that showed some real promise and I am giving it a try. It involves employing the "greenhouse effect" to raise the soil temperature above 140F for extended periods of time. The soil temp must get above 140F so that all the living tissues of the Nutsedge are essentially cooked to death; the leaves, the seeds, the roots/rhizomes, & the tubers. Those elements can be as deep as the raised bed and that presents a problem. The University of Florida published some good research using 1.5mil CLEAR plastic stretched over the soil and sealed on the edges. The plastic must be clear or the light from the sun cannot penetrate it and heat the soil below. Black plastic will get hot on the surface, but it will not transfer that heat as well to the soil. Not intuitive, I know.
I read the paper, acquired some 3 mil clear plastic from another project and covered two raised beds. The temp outside was 94F at 1pm and the sun was nearly direct-overhead. The temp inside the plastic quickly got to 120F, but did not go any higher. I thought my plastic might be too thick and blocking too much of the sunlight, but 1.5 mil plastic is REALLY puny and I knew it would not last long.
Then I had a thought in my brain. I covered the soil with black, woven, weed barrier fabric first. I cut the fabric long enough that it wrapped the sides of the raised beds too. Then I laid a couple of old boards across the surface to create an air gap. Finally, I covered the whole bed with my clear plastic. The thought here was to provide a black surface UNDER the clear plastic for the sun to heat. Kids, this worked. In 20 minutes, at 95F ambient, I was achieving 148F under the plastic!
Will it kill the Nutsedge? I sure hope so, but I don't know yet. I'm still Science-ing!
Stay tuned and I promise to follow-up with the results of this experiment at the end of August.
Y'all be good and stay cool.
~ steve
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