Figgin' A
Well-known member
YepLike crappy $5 heirloom tomatoes!?!?
Weeds! 😡
- Thread starter TorontoJoe
- Start date
9ah-figlet
Well-known member
You won’t see the tackifier—it’s clear like they sprayed it with heavy duty hair spray so it sticks together. Let me see if I can explain better w/pics tomorrow.
AAAJacks
Well-known member
I see in the second picture your pot has about 1.5-2" of lip. Maybe you could use pine straw or hay, although that might introduce new seeds. Black plastic would probably work if you weighed it down. Shaking the hay might help get the seeds, this is a picture of our garden a few years age.
TorontoJoe
Administrator
I tried straw a few years back. I think it was barely. It actually performed fairly well, but I didn’t even consider the seeds. To this day I still have loads of it growing around a few raised beds. I wonder if there’s a way to tumble it to get most of the seeds out…
Your rows look great. Very tidy and the plants very great and healthy. I imagine you need to keep deer away?
AAAJacks
Well-known member
This is a garden from a few years ago, we had an 8' to 9' electric fence around it (the photo is only 2/3 of the garden) but this might be of before we extended those posts by about 3' with 2" X 2". I don't remember having any more issues with deer after that. Rabbits were a little bit of a problem.
9ah-figlet
Well-known member
@TorontoJoe here are some photos of how the coconut fiber degrades after 1 year. The DelCor is a brand new mat put out this season. The water beads on the top. The DSJG below it has an older mat on it.
The Caproll Curt Negra (top) is in “fair” condition compared to the rest of the mats that were laced outside. The Gozo Gem (lower pot) is more the worst case scenario where the fiber just blows away with wind.
The Caproll Curt Negra (top) is in “fair” condition compared to the rest of the mats that were laced outside. The Gozo Gem (lower pot) is more the worst case scenario where the fiber just blows away with wind.
TorontoJoe
Administrator
Thanks for sharing. It definitely looks stellar the first season. I think I understand how it degrades and pulls apart. I wonder if there are any similar materials out there that might do the trick
TorontoJoe
Administrator
I just had a thought. Can anyone think of a downside of using non-woven weed barrier? Like the stuff they use in french drains. It wouldn't be as pretty as the coir but it would definitely last a long time.
GoodFriendMike
Moderator
Get the good stuff if not the weeds will grow through it in a year. But I would still use nothing and pull the weeds.
9ah-figlet
Well-known member
It should work for weeds but maybe not mulching to keep moisture in. That was the main reason I added the coconut mats in the first place. And the weed barrier won’t let any shoots grow up to be potential airlayers (if that matters to you).
Oh this photo is such a mess—haven’t been able to clean anything up. And you’re worried about weeds in the pot. This grass is growing thru cardboard and 5-oz weed barrier!
superdave336
Well-known member
Weeds always find a way to grow if given enough time. I just pull them when I can and carry on.
Figgin' A
Well-known member
My mulched containers seem to stay hydrated for twice as long. Weeds barely a problem for me but if I can water once every two days instead of daily, that’s a big saving on a water bill over the entire season.Get the good stuff if not the weeds will grow through it in a year. But I would still use nothing and pull the weeds.
Put a layer of brown kraft paper (the kind they often use when packing/shipping stuff) below the mulch. Poke a few small holes to help let water thru and then add an inch of mulch. Its kinda like adding cardboard but allows water to get thru much more easily. And I think a lot of people don't add enough mulch- it has to be thick to be a weed suppressor.
I have been putting whole dry oak leaves in my pots. My neighbor has a huge oak tree and quite a bit of its leaves ends up in my yard. I bagged a bunch last fall. I also use those and Sycamore leaves in my vegetable garden. Its free, weed free and eventually breaks down.
I try to weed my pots while hand watering. I pull them up when they are tiny so the job is not so bad later.
I try to weed my pots while hand watering. I pull them up when they are tiny so the job is not so bad later.
Charlie Dodgson
Well-known member
That is Oxalis. They develop corms in their roots and so simple pulling will not remove them. Also, their seed pods can open explosively and cast seeds quite a distance.