Weedpatch to Garden

I'm hoping to put in a garden this spring. I tried a couple of years ago but the existing weeds just took over. What's the best approach to converting an old field to garden? I like the concept of an organic approach but realistically I doubt I'll have the time so chemicals will probably be necessary. The land is flat and was a cornfield several years ago. Since then it's been taken over with a wide variety of weeds including wild onion, ragweed and various grasses. I've considered laying down black plastic and letting it "cook" in the spring sun to kill off anything. Would that work? Any suggestions welcome [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Rob

I've had the same experience as you. My ~ 4 Acres used to be cow pasture/field and for the last four years I've been turning various parts of it into flower beds and a vegetable garden. Here's what I've found works best for me:

Preferred option:
Step 1) Spray planned garden area with Roundup and let stand for at least 2 weeks. This must be done when the weeds are fully leafed out and growing and the temp is up around 65 - 70 degrees.

Step 2) Make one pass over the area with a rototiller set to about 4" deep. Come back with FEL on tractor and scoop up the dead sod and dirt.

Step 3) Rototill down to garden depth.

Step 4) Allow remaining weeds to sprout then spray with Roundup - wait 2 weeks then rototill again.

Step 5) Plant flowers / vegetables.

The drawback of this ideal process is that - at least where I live - by the time you get the bed ready for planting it's too late to plant veggies. Also, it takes planning. I frequently come home and find that my wife has been to the garden center and now has a couple of flats of plants, or bushes, or trees that need to be planted - now.

So I usually end up just following steps 2, 3, and 5 and fighting the weeds that survive.

The black woven flower bed fabric works pretty well if you cover your whole planting bed with it and then cut small holes in it to place your seedlings. Doesn't work well for growing from direct-planted seed, though.

Bill

Rob,
Just remember, whatever you put in the soil will eventually end up in you and your familys mouths.

If you want to take the time then I would suggest disking the field in early spring then sowing buckwheat in. When it starts to flower disk it in again and repeat. Keep repeating this process until early October, you should get about three crops. This will add intensive amounts of biomass to the soil. Then come fall disk it in and sow a crop of winter rye and hairy vetch to overwinter. The rye acts as a nurse crop for the hairy vetch. The hairy vetch will fix nitrogen into the soil. Come the next spring you'll have nice friable soil to plant a vegetable garden and you'll enjoy the beauty of the buckwheat growing this year!

What I am going to do next year.

Plow as soon as the ground thaws

and any leaves, compost, grass clippings, compost, etc

let sit a few weeks

till in

plant

mulch alot in the paths

I was going to start in fall, but just did not have the time. Best would be to plow, and add OM in fall, and let it sit all winter. I also don't want to use cems. I may have to use something, but it will be in small amounts.

Just remember, Compost, compost, compost.

I have converted some of my lawn/fields to garden just by rototilling, picking out the clumps as much as possible each year.

After I plant my vegetables, I weed as necessary until the plants are big enough to identify and then use mulch (grass clippins usually) in between and around all the plants to keep most of the weeds down.

I am sure I could kill all the weeds by applying some chemicals, but why go to all the trouble of planting and maintaining a home garden and get the same chemical coated veggies you can buy at the grocery store?

I don't care how safe the manufacturers say the chemicals are...they used to say smoking was OK too... [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

DO you really think they would tell you they are bad for you if they could avoid it?

Regular cultivation can do wonders for eliminating weeds.

Till up the area, let the weeds start to sprout, cultivate with a wheel-hoe, scuffle hoe or a tiller set to till just an inch or so, let the next set of weed seeds germinate and repeat the cultivation. After doing this 2 or 3 times you'll have eliminated most of the weed seeds near the surface. Unfortunately, you'll have to do the same thing for several years because everytime you till deeply you'll stir things up and bring more weed seeds to the surface. It may take >3 years to really get rid of the weeds.

On the plus side, regular cultivation when the weeds are small is quick, especially if you use a wheel hoe.