Profusion of weeds
Written by: adekun on 14 June, 2008 4:29 pm - Filed under: blog ?
I decided to evacuate one legume bed as a tide of weeds enveloped. The evacuees perked up after a nights rest. It leaves a question, what to grow. Getting some tubers in to break up the soil would be nice, that however will have to wait a season. Elsewhere, weeds of choking the tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and aubergines. The compost is giving the seeds that should have been sterilized a good start. I don’t really want to yank all of them out as the ground is already drying out, but even a few remainders seem to rapidly multiply. I should have thought about using the bags to collect some free mulch before laying a path on them.
Sweet potatoes got planted yesterday; two rows of beniazuma and three rows of beniaka (popularly known as kintoki). Having just reclaimed the land, thought they would be ideal as the ground is fairly poor. Little time was spent making shallow rows and inserting the slips at an angle somewhere between 30° and 45°.
Kate
18 June, 2008 #
Always nice to read what you are doing Adekun. At least we are in the same time zone if not the same hemisphere! Have you thought of growing a green manure crop and digging it in to build up the organic matter in the soil? Sow a range of things - broad beans, barley, oats, any old seed packets you have lying around too. Let it grow 30cm high or at least don’t let it flower, then chop it up and dig it in. Also dig in some of that manure you have, cover with mulch of straw or whatever is available and in a month or so it will be good for planting into.
adekun
18 June, 2008 #
Certainly need a rethink. Two things got to sort, weed control and organic matter. Perhaps will try cardboard to address the first. Have been trying red clover, get it established before anything else. Barley is possible, rye would be good but unsure. Love to grow oats - guess that’s out of the question. Using up old seeds like that is a great idea. In addition get the compost right, the bulk is made from weeds and grasses. I think some green manure to follow the tubers.