There is Nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so

Most of us have heard the quotation above. It is a quote from Hamlet by William Shakespeare: “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”

Shakespeare also penned the line “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet” which is proceeded by the line “’Tis but thy name that is my enemy.”

As a gardener, those lines often come to mind when I think of both weeds and bugs.

Weeds, native flowers, wildflowers, flowers. Whether they are welcome or unwelcome is really up to us and how we choose to think of them.

The same, is certainly true of visiting garden critters. Good bug, bad bug, beneficial insect.

For the past week, I’ve been watching an “army” of caterpillars dining on the dill and fennel plants in our garden. Now, “army” wouldn’t be my choice of words to describe caterpillars, but it seems to be the preferred word to use when describing a collection of these crawling critters.

And although  some people would see chomping caterpillars as “bad” bugs, quickly decimating the dill and fennel plants, I love watching the whole process of egg to caterpillar to butterfly and was delighted to go out every morning and watch their progress.

But what started out as an “army” of at least two dozen tiny swallowtail caterpillars soon turned into ten, then seven and now its down to two.

What conquered my “army” of caterpillars? A wasp. The kind of wasp that many people see as a beneficial insect just because they DO dine on caterpillars. So in my garden, this good guy (wasp) has definitely turned into the bad guy.

The irony of the whole thing is, there was a time when I introduced those wasps into my yard.  I'm always trying to find alternatives to using toxic chemicals in my landscape because I know that they can pollute the environment. So to test the effectiveness of purchased beneficial insects I ordered ladybugs, green lacewing larvae and caterpillar-eating wasps. Of course, I was thinking more about getting rid of the caterpillars that I DON'T like, rather than the ones that I do, but I haven't quite figured out a way to train the wasps yet.

I know that neither the caterpillar nor the wasp is bad (or good, for that matter). They are both just doing what they need to do to survive. The Circle of Life, as my husband said.

But the defeat of my beautiful little army by one solitary wasp was a good reminder about gardens and gardening: “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”

Related posts: Don’t Let the Bugs Bug You
Changing Your Relationship With Weeds

Weeds Are Like Belly Fat

It's always fun to find a fellow blogger who puts a new, interesting slant on an eco-friendly gardening technique. So I got a kick out of a post that I found on Sprinkler Juice called How to Kill Weeds. In it, the writer compares weeds to belly fat and mentions that getting rid of both of them require time and discipline.

Weeds really are like belly fat. No matter how hard you try (or think you are trying), both of them keep coming back. You work and work for HOURS and they find a way to creep back into your life. 

You try new things, you spend money on new products, and you might see some results for a few days but then suddenly.. 

they're back. 

And you start over. Pretty soon you become depressed and start blaming yourself because surely you must be doing something wrong, right? You start thinking that maybe you are just not good enough. You were never meant to have a flat stomach or a weed-free lawn. 

This leads to you eventually giving up, quitting. Throwing your hands up and saying, "Forget it! I'm not even going to care anymore because nothing I do is good enough!"

Getting Rid of Weeds is Easier than Getting Rid of Stomach Fat

The key is making time and setting up a routine. Just like exercise, you have to do it consistently in order for it to make any difference at all. But the thing about exercise is that it needs it to be a daily ritual. Starting out, it probably won't hurt to work on your lawn a little bit each day but once you get to the point to where you're just keeping it weed-free, you're looking at once, maybe twice a week tops.

Once a Week

Be strict with yourself. The obvious time for yard care is Saturday morning. Tell yourself that every Saturday at 7am, you are going to be out in the yard picking some weeds. Pick and pull until they're all gone. If you are doing it consistently each Saturday, there is no way you are going to find yourself up to your neck in weed problems. 

The best way to kill weeds is doing so with the environment in mind. Here are some Eco-Friendly Options For Weed Control:

• Hand Pulling - More of that in a minute.
• Boiling Water - For weeds in sidewalks, driveways etc, you can pour boiling water directly on the weed.
• Corn Gluten Meal
• Solarization
• Hand Torches
• Mulch

Picking Weeds By Hand 

If you have a few weeds popping up here and there in your flower bed or around your yard, the best thing you can do is take the time to pull the weeds, one by one, by hand. Get down and dirty and make sure you pull up the roots. 

The nice thing about picking weeds by hand is that you see the results instantly. With weed killers you don't really know if it's going to work and even when it does work, it doesn't work right away. 

Pulling weeds can be a relaxing and meditative exercise. Turn on some music that puts you in a good mood and lose yourself in pulling weeds. Don't think about how terrible and nasty they are for ruining your yard. Think about how much joy it brings you to kill them! Click here to read the rest of the post.

Here are some of my previous posts about eco-friendly weed control methods.

Please Don't Poison My Planet

Zen and the Art of Landscape Maintenance

Changing Your Relationship With Weeds

AND, here's one that might help anyone with a belly-fat problem!

Health Benefits of Eco-Friendly Landscaping

Sunday Session with my Shrink

I just spent a great session with my shrink. Together, we uncovered all sorts of problems that I have a tendency to try to ignore, bury or allow to run rampant. But by calming me down and giving me the time to look at each thing separately, my shrink helped me eliminate some of the bad and uncover more of the good in my life. My shrink, in case you didn’t already know, is my garden.

I often talk about the therapeutic qualities of my garden and on Sundays, I seem to do a little more “deep thinking” in the dirt than I do throughout the rest of the week. My garden-time often becomes as therapeutic as any session I have ever spent with a real counselor. I get to carry out just as much introspective thinking and soul-searching and I save myself a whole lot of money in the process.

One of my best therapies in the garden is weeding. For every weed I pull up, I think about some negative aspect that I am trying to eliminate from my life. Insecurities are probably the most pervasive weeds in my fertile mind. Self-doubt, fear and anxiety all pop up on their own and, if left unattended can soon grow to completely overshadow all of the beauty in my life. As I gently pull the weeds from my garden, I think about how easy they are to keep under control if I just work at them on a regular basis, rather than letting them keep growing and take over.

Some people I know resort to chemicals to keep the unpleasant things in their life under control. Not me. I choose to go the natural route, with my garden and with my psyche. Sitting down. Getting dirty. Confronting my demons face to face. Pulling weeds one by one is easy, calming and it doesn’t pollute the rest of the body of land that surrounds my garden.

My mind does tend to drift while I am doing my weeding. But my shrink gently gets me back in focus. Just as I am about to walk away and get side-tracked by some task that feels more important, a swirl of butterflies circles around me, reminding me of the beauty of a healthy garden and I begin reaching again in the dirt, finding the roots, and pulling another weed.

When I’m done, I sit for awhile and survey my work. My garden and my mind both feel clean and refreshed. I have removed so many of the things that were troubling me and causing ugliness in my life. And in the process I have created new spaces for beauty. A whole new blank canvas sits before me. I feel excited by the prospects. What shall I plant?

Eco-friendly gardens are "no-sweat"

Every summer at about this time, I sit back, relax with an ice-cold drink, and think about some of the added benefits of eco-friendly gardening. In many ways, eco-friendly landscapes require less work, meaning that I can have more of a “no-sweat” summer than some of my friends and neighbors with more labor-intensive landscapes.

Below are some great reasons to think about turning your traditional landscape into an eco-friendly, “no-sweat” one:

1. Eco-friendly gardeners work WITH Mother Nature, not against her: choosing plants that fit the site means plants are better adapted to survive with minimal care, which means Mother Nature takes care of the plants, not you.
2. Eco-friendly gardeners leave part of their landscape natural: Why tear out existing, native species only to replace them with more labor-intensive exotics? Native plants, which are present on a property, will require less work and will provide an immediate benefit to local wildlifespan>
3. Eco-friendly gardeners plant trees with energy conservation in mind: Shade trees can significantly reduce air temperatures in and outdoors in the summer, as trees intercept and absorb the sun’s heat while transpiring cooling moisture into the air.
4. Eco-friendly gardeners incorporate drought tolerant species, which means less work watering. Drought tolerant trees drought tolerant perennials
5. Eco-friendly gardeners group plants by their care requirements : plants that do require extra water or fertilizer are all in one place, rather than scattered throughout the property.
6. Eco friendly gardeners include beneficial plants: beneficial plants attract bugs and birds that help cut down on insect pest populations, eliminating the need to apply pesticides.
7. Eco friendly gardeners have their soil tested to determine the right mix of fertilizer for their lawn rather than applying fertilizers that aren’t needed.
8. Eco-friendly gardeners identify weeds and pests rather than spending time indiscriminately killing them all. Some bugs are good bugs. And a weed-free lawn is not necessarily a healthy one.
9. Eco friendly gardeners replace lawn with ground covers : Most ground covers need little or no maintenance once they’re established.
10. Eco friendly gardeners use plenty of mulch : adding mulch helps cut down on both weeding and watering
11. If they do have lawn, eco-friendly gardeners mow less oftenMowing grass to the proper height is the single-most important thing you can do to improve the health of your lawn.
12. Eco-friendly gardeners don’t rake their grass clippings : Leaving grass where it falls adds nutrients back to the soil. However, be sure to sweep up your sidewalk, driveway or street so clippings don't pollute nearby lakes or streams.
13. Eco-friendly gardeners create compost : why lug bags of trash to the curb and bags of purchased soil enhancers to your landscape? Composting your yard and kitchen scraps saves time and money.
14. Eco-friendly gardeners water less: Plants should be watered only when they begin to droop and in the early morning hours before 10 a.m. Grasses naturally grow slower in the summer, so brown grass usually means your lawn is just dormant, not dead.
15. Eco-friendly gardeners use hardscapes creatively: Hardscapes, the landscaper’s term for paving and built features in a garden (think patios and walkways) reduce garden work and extend your home’s living space. Using permeable surfaces also allows water to percolate into the ground, rather than

Eco-Friendly Tips for the Summer Landscape

I thought this great scarecrow that my friends Jim and Glennie Duke made was a fitting illustration for my first day of summer post.

Jim and Glennie also created the cute scarecrow couple in my post about Scarecrows and Other Natural Bird Control.

For Summer tips, I've chosen some from The University of Maryland Extension Home and Garden Information Center e-newsletter and added links to some of my previous articles on the subjects.

The entire Extension Center Newsletter can be downloaded here, in pdf format.









Tips for Summer Landscape Care
• Follow proper mowing techniques to help your lawn through the dog days of summer.

• For crabgrass and other summer weeds, try eco-friendly options for weed control or try some Zen weeding.

• Mid-August through mid-October is the best time to start new lawns and renovate or overseed existing lawns. Maryland Extension recommends a turf-type tall fescue cultivar at a rate of 4 lbs. of seed per 1,000 sq. ft. of area for overseeding, or 8 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft. for new lawns. If your lawn area contains more than 50% weeds, consider a total lawn renovation. Newly seeded turf must be watered regularly. (HG 102) . Click here to learn more about Selecting Turfgrass. This post on the University of California website will allow you to find more detailed information on each species: Information about Turfgrass Species.

• Keep newly planted trees or shrubs well watered through dry weather this summer. Thoroughly soak the root ball every few days. A 2-3 inch layer of mulch is helpful. Keep mulch away from the trunk or stem.

• Attract beneficial insects to your landscape by planting a wide variety of flowering annuals and perennials that will bloom over the entire growing season. Good choices are plants in the following families: daisy (marigolds, daises, asters, mums), carrot (dill, fennel, anise, yarrow, parsley) and mint (all mints and thymes).

• Slugs are found on all types of flowering plants. Feeding damage ranges from just a few holes to the entire plant stripped of its foliage in a few nights. Slime trails are a definitive sign of slug activity. Trap with shallow pans of yeast added to water or beer, then discard. Diatomaceous earth, sharp sand or ground crab and oyster shell can also be applied around plants as physical barriers.

• Control weeds by laying down entire sections of newspaper covered with straw or last fall’s mulched leaves.

• Cut back herbs through the summer to keep plants bushy and productive. Essential oils are most concentrated right before bloom. Don’t fertilize herbs as it encourages succulent growth and dilutes essential oils.

• It’s time to begin thinking of fall vegetables. Plant broccoli and cauliflower seed in containers the 3rd to 4th week in June for transplanting into the ground mid July through mid August.

• Earthworms are a sign of healthy soil and are normally seen in the greatest numbers in fall and spring. Adding organic matter in the form of composted leaves, manure, grass clippings, etc. will improve soil structure and attract earthworms.

• Select shredded pine bark or hardwood mulches, not wood chips, for use around your home to minimize the possibility of attracting termites. Avoid any mulches that contain chunks of wood.

• Summer is snake mating season, their most active time of year. Snakes are beneficial creatures and should not be harmed. The most likely encountered large snake is the Black Rat Snake. It can grow to be about 5 feet long and is found in both rural and suburban areas.

• Rabbits can be a destructive nuisance in flower and vegetable gardens, feeding on young and tender plants. They can be excluded with a low, 2 ft. high fence that is secured to the ground. You can also repel them with commercial repellents, bloodmeal, or by sprinkling hot pepper flakes around plants. Or, you can just accept them for the great organic weed control that they provide.

• Prevent deer from feeding on garden and landscape plants, by applying a repellent, such as “Deer-Away”, “Liquid Fence”, “Deer-Off”, “Hinder” or “Ro-Pel” to vulnerable plants. Polywire fencing connected to an inexpensive, solar-powered charger can successfully exclude groundhogs and deer.

• As the summer progresses and temperatures rise and rainfall decreases, cool season lawns usually become dormant. Dormancy is a normal plant response causing them to stop growing and turn brown. Established lawns will not die and watering is not recommended. Newly seeded or newly sodded areas will still need watering.

• Late crops of beans, beets, carrots, Swiss chard, and cucumbers can be direct sown through the end of July.

• Bare soil is very prone to erosion from summer thunder storms. Prevent this by covering the soil with mulch, groundcovers, or turf.

• Mosquitoes are always a summer time nuisance at any outside activity. Reduce mosquito populations by eliminating standing water. Change bird bath water frequently, and empty buckets, lids, garden furniture and toys. The Asian tiger mosquito requires very little water for breeding. Back yard ponds stocked with fish or moving water (fountains or filters) should not contribute to a mosquito problem. However, to be certain, B.t. dunks can bin the pond for mosquito control.

• August is frequently dry. Water deeply by allowing water to soak the soil directly underneath and around newly planted trees and shrubs. Check the depth of water penetration into the soil by digging a small hole after watering. Hard-crusted mulch will repel water and needs to be broken up with a rake or hoe to help the rain and irrigation water to penetrate the soil.

• Late August through September is usually a good time to transplant, divide and plant perennials such as daylily, liriope, and Echinacea. Be sure to keep them well watered during dry periods. If hot, dry conditions persist wait to divide your perennials.

• Do not fertilize shade trees, fruit trees or shrubs in late summer. Fertilization in August is very likely to stimulate new growth at a time when plants are beginning to enter dormancy and could result in excessive winter damage.

• Many kinds of interesting invertebrates live in a compost pile including manure worms, centipedes, millipedes, pill bugs, and pseudoscorpions. They are part of the composting ecosystem and should be appreciated, not feared. Do not attempt to spray or otherwise kill these beneficial critters.

• Ruby-throated hummingbirds continue to visit flowers and nectar feeders. Keep nectar feeders clean and change nectar solution frequently during hot weather to prevent spoiling.

Zen and the Art of Landscape Maintenance

“If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.”

~ Buddha

Most people today seem to be constantly busy --constantly rushing from one place to another -- constantly texting or talking on cell phones or checking the internet or listening to music.

The big problem with that, for me anyway, is that my mind doesn’t have the chance to just open up and think. I’m assaulting it with so much activity, that there are no empty spaces in there for original thoughts or discovery or enlightenment.

I’ve read quite a few self-help and philosophy books in my life and many of them say that you should learn to meditate--that you should set aside time and clear your mind and not focus on anything, except perhaps your breathing. You should try to attain what is called “zen mind”. I just can’t do it. I never have been able to. Either my mind just continues to race or I fall asleep, trying.

That is, until I step into my garden. There is just something about working outside in nature that gets me more in touch with my inner thoughts. The deeper my hands dig into the soil, the deeper my thoughts seem to become.

One of my favorite activities for deep thought in the garden is hand-pulling weeds. Manually pulling weeds is one of the best forms of organic weed control. It's easy to do, doesn't pollute the environment, and its free!

When I weed, I go out into my yard, sit down on the grass, sometimes on a towel or a short stool, take a deep breath, and using a weeding fork or trowel, I start removing weeds.

When I find a weed, I grab the plant close to the ground, insert my weeding fork or other tool into the soil and gently loosen the roots of the weed and remove the plant.

I’m careful not to dig too deep so I don’t disturb the roots of any nearby plants or bring deeply buried weed seeds up closer to the surface where they could sprout.

As long as the weeds don’t have any seeds on them, I pile them up to toss into my compost pile.

I’m not sure why this process is so relaxing. Perhaps its because it takes enough concentration to keep my mind from wandering anywhere else. I have to focus on finding the weeds and digging down deep enough to get all of the root. And it takes just the right amount of pressure. Pulling too hard will tear the leaves off the plant, leaving the roots behind. But it is also a rather mindless activity, leaving me time to concentrate on the other sights and sounds around me. And then every now and then, out of no where, some really deep thought will pop into my mind.

It makes me wonder if Buddha, the original “father” of Zen thinking, spent much time in a garden.

Back around 500 B.C., Siddhartha Gautama (also known as Buddha) set out to achieve enlightenment. It took him years of struggle, but he finally realized that “everything changes, nothing remains unchanged”. His conclusion from all of this was that the only thing that is really important in life is the joy and pleasure and experience we receive from each passing moment.

Unhappiness, Buddha decided, is a result of attachment to specific things or circumstances which, by their very nature, are impermanent. “By ridding oneself of these attachments, one can be free of suffering.” This is the basis of Zen and somehow, to me, it all seems very relevant to gardening.

We all have certain attachments to ideas about what our gardens should be. And then along comes the weather (freezing temperatures, drought), financial restraints, homeowners regulations and other things that can interfere with our grand schemes – like weeds. What’s a gardener to do?

Perhaps the secret is to adopt some Zen thinking for our gardens. No matter what we plant or how much money and time we spend in the garden, none of it is permanent. Instead of measuring our gardens in the number of beautiful blooms and fruit-bearing plants, perhaps we should measure the success of our gardens in the number of enjoyable moments we spend there.

Certainly there is no pleasure in dousing weeds with broad spectrum herbicides, polluting the planet as you go. But to gently reach down into the earth and pull these stray plants free, listening and watching and inhaling all of the sights and sounds and smells around you….those are the moments that can turn landscape maintenance into landscape magic.

Perhaps that is what Buddha was doing when he said:

“When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky” ~ Buddha

Changing your relationship with weeds

Dealing with weeds is one of the most troublesome aspects of landscaping and gardening. No matter how hard we work to keep them out, they always seem to find their way back in. They float in on a puff of air, reach over from the neighbor's yard with long, tenuous roots or get dropped there by birds or other animals that think our yard is the perfect pooping ground. It often seems tempting to assault them with herbicides, but that is never the best answer when it comes to eco-friendly gardening. There are many other methods that can be tried for safer weed eradication.

But rather than tackling the weed problem from such an aggressive stance, perhaps we should adopt a more peaceful approach.

Here are my Tips for changing your relationship with weeds

1) Keep your lawn healthy - The best way to keep weeds out is to provide ideal soil and environmental conditions for turf and then maintain a healthy lawn so that the weeds have no room to establish themselves in the first place. Weeds are telling you something about your soil. The reason you have weeds and not turf is because the soil conditions in that spot are more favorable to the weeds than they are to the soil. For example, moss is an indication that your soil is acidic, moist and shaded. To get rid of weeds: You must address the underlying soil conditions. Get a soil test to learn which soil amendments to add. Source

2) Use mulch to suppress weeds- Mulches reduce weed growth by making conditions unfavorable for germination of weed seeds and by providing a physical barrier for emerging weeds. A good mulch layer can save many hours of laborious weeding. A thick layer of organic mulch material is especially effective in reducing the number of annual weeds in the garden, since they have difficulty penetrating such a layer. Some perennial weeds may also be suppressed in this way if they are small, but often dandelions or other tap rooted weeds will eventually find their way through the mulch. Source

3) Learn to appreciate their beauty- Have you ever been driving down the highway in some state, other than your own, and just been blown away by all of the beautiful wildflowers growing by the side of the road? To the residents of that state, those glorious roadside beauties are probably considered weeds. Why? Because any plant that spreads easily enough to flourish along a busy highway probably has no problem making its way into people's landscapes. And if you just let some of the weeds alone in your own yard, you could end up with your own beautiful patches of wildflowers that changes with the seasons. Local Native plant societies are great places to learn about many local species. Maryland Native Plant Society, Virginia Native Plant Society

4) Add them to your salads - Some weedy plants are edible, providing nutritious variety to the regular diet: dandelions, purslane, chickweed, cress, mustards, and lambsquarters all offer greens; blackberries produce sweet fruits; Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes) are the tubers of a native sunflower; and, of course, there is always wild asparagus to stalk. Before attempting to eat wild plants, be sure they are properly identified. Source

5) Leave them for the wildlife - Weeds can provide nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects. They also provide seeds for many types of bird species. Learn about the beautiful butterflies in your area by using this map: Butterflies of DC, Butterflies of Maryland, Butterflies of Virginia. You can even use the selection window to find your own county!

How do you treat weeds in your lawn or garden?

• Weed and feed
• Spot treat
• Hand pull
• Other

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Green New Years Resolution - More Bare Naked Gardening

I always make a LOT of resolutions each year. It's a great practice for me, and although I don't always keep every single resolution, I do find that having a list helps keep me on track. I make resolutions about money, health, relationships and, of course, about how I want to take care of the planet.


For the coming year, I resolve to practice more BARE NAKED GARDENING!

Be kind to the planet - everything you do in your garden affects all others  
A void overwatering - it's a waste of money and bad for the environment  
Reduce storm water runoff - it pollutes local waterways
Enhance your soil naturally - use organic fertilizers and soil additives Bare naked gardening in DC  
Nix the noxious products- choose eco-friendly options  
Add some mulch - mulch retains moisture while adding nutrients  
Keep a compost pile - it's a valuable and free source of fertilizer  
Encourage beneficials - worms and pollinating insects are good  
Determine your site conditions - work with mother nature, not against her Bare Naked Gardening in DC  
Get outside! - gardening is good for the body and good for the soul.  
Avoid indiscriminate pesticide use - choose eco-friendly options  
Raise your mower blade to 3 inches- you'll have a healthier lawn  
Don't sweep clippings or fertilizer into storm drains- they pollute waterways  
Eliminate weeds by hand pulling, hoeing and spot treating  
Nurture local wildlife - provide food, shelter and safe conditions for local wildlife  
Install rain barrels - rain barrels conserve water and prevent runoff  
Naturalize your landscape - choose native plants  
Grass-cycle - mulch your grass clippings and return them to your yard

Eco-Santa’s Favorite Garden Gift? A hoe, hoe, hoe

Weeds, of course, are a challenge for any gardener. For eco-minded gardeners, who try to abstain from using chemicals, the challenges are even greater.

It is important to try to eliminate chemicals when possible, however, to help cut down on non-point source pollution which is a leading cause of pollution for local water supplies. Sure, you can take the path of least resistence and choose to see the weeds as welcome wildflowers. Or you can spot treat weeds with eco-friendly products or pull them by hand. But if you would like a quicker way to control what gets to stay and what has to go in your garden, then a hoe, hoe, hoe is the perfect solution.

 Controlling weeds with a hoe is a lot quicker and easier than hand pulling. Hoes allow you to get the entire root, without the disruption to nearby plants that a rotary tiller would cause. Long handled hoes allow you to do the dirty work from a standing position, causing less strain on your knees and back. Since they dig down into the dirt, hoes can allow you to remove the weeds before they even reach the surface.

 Hoes are also useful for loosening soil and creating troughs to plant seeds. The Virginia Cooperative Extension Service, in their document Weeds in the Home Vegetable Garden, says this about the benefits of hoes:

There are several ways to rid the garden of most problem plants. Since mature weeds extract large quantities of moisture and nutrients from the soil, removing the weeds when they are young is beneficial. Hand-pulling suffices for small gardens and raised beds, but a hoe is critical for larger gardens. Manual-powered rotary cultivators do a good job on long rows and pathways, provided the soil is not too wet or dry and the weeds are small. In large gardens with widely spaced rows, a rotary tiller of appropriate size makes the work easy and fast. Manual and powered rotary cultivators are usually unable to turn under weeds close to vegetable plants without damaging the vegetables. Hand-pulling or hoeing are best for removing weeds near vegetable plants. Deep cultivation with any instrument is likely to damage roots or stems of crop plants.

There are many different types of hoes and long-time gardeners generally have their favorite. They come with flat heads, pointed heads, curved heads and even swivel heads. Whatever style is preferred, it is important to keep the hoe sharpened. Just surf on over to your favorite garden center website and do a quick search to see all of the different types of hoes available.

Here is a cute blog post that has photos of many different types.

 And for more information about environmentally friendly weed control, check out these guidelines from Montgomery County and Fairfax County. Pesticide Alternatives, Montgomery County Watershed A Corny Solution for Weeds (pdf file) about corn gluten Going Solar to Set Your Soil Straight (pdf file) Weed Control – Fairfax County

Please don't poison my planet - eco-friendly options for weed control

I just saw a post on a “green” blog that started out by saying that now is a good time to “Spray lawn weed killer.”

My reaction: ACK!

In keeping with my personal “don’t poison the planet” rule, I went searching on the Internet for some non-toxic ways to control weeds. I haven’t tried most of them myself and I welcome input from anyone who has about what has worked for you and what hasn’t in your yard and gardens.

Hand pulling - Admittedly, not the easiest or most fun, but certainly the least toxic to the planet. Hand pulling weeds is also one of the many garden chores that help to burn calories. Weeds should be pulled before they go to seed and care should be taken that the whole tap root is removed, not just the weed tops. Weeding forks are excellent tools for getting the whole weed. There is a very extensive list of various weeds in a Chemical Free Lawn and Garden book that I own, listing control methods for the different weed species. I’m not sure why they took the time or the space in the book to provide the list of different weeds because as far as I can tell, every single weed says either “hoe, dig or pull”.

Corn gluten meal– Although it won’t kill weeds that are already present, corn gluten meal is a safe pre-emergent control, which means that it prevents weed roots from developing so the seedlings die before they can take over your lawn or garden. It is safe for people, pets, fish and wildlife. Products which are based on corn gluten as the main ingredient are available under many names, including WOW and Concern.

Solarization– If you have a specific area that you can leave alone for awhile, you can kill everything (weeds included) by wetting the area and covering it with clear plastic sheeting. The edges must be sealed to make the whole thing airtight. This process is called solarization and it works because the rays of the sun heat the soil to temperatures as high as 140 degrees at the surface and up to 100 degrees as far down as 18 inches. Keep in mind that while this method kills pests and diseases in the soil, it will also kill other plants and any insects, earthworms or other beneficial critters that don’t have the opportunity to crawl away to another location. For more information, read the fact sheet: Going Solar to Set Your Soil Straight.

Use boiling water - For weeds in sidewalks, driveways etc, you can pour boiling water directly on the weed. You can also use boiling water in gardens but keep in mind that it won’t be great for earthworms, plants that you want to keep or any beneficial creatures that are hiding out under the soil. For stubborn perennial weeds (including poison ivy) you have to expose the roots and pour on the boiling water. Don’t rebury the roots, as keeping them exposed helps speed their demise.

Weed torches – Small, propane powered torches are available specifically for burning weeds out of cracks and crevices in sidewalks and driveways and will even work in gardens and lawns. Keep in mind that it is the heat, not the flame, that will kill a weed and the heat can affect plants well beyond the visible flame. Also, anything that is too dry can catch on fire, including mulch, dry leaves, your sneakers, etc.

Household vinegar– A recipe that I found on the Internet said that you can control weeds by mixing 1 cup vinegar with ¼ cup lemon juice, pouring it into a spray bottle and spraying it directly on weeds. This mixture is said to control herbaceous broad-leaf and grass weeds, including chickweed, ragweed, plantain, crab grass, quack grass, and wild carrot and results are said to be obtained in as soon as two hours. I also found several sources that warned that vinegar and lemon will both upset the natural chemistry of the soil and make it difficult for other plants to grow.

Using mulch - Mulch can help to smother weeds in a garden by blocking sunlight. This keeps weed seeds from germinating and young weed seedlings are smothered.

If you have found eco-friendly products or methods that help control weeds, please let us know by leaving a comment. My husband and I are pretty tolerant of most weeds in the lawn (many visiting critters seem to like to eat them, including our neighbors goat that sometimes gets loose and wanders into our yard). In our gardens, we just hand pull and use mulch.

For more information:
Pesticide Alternatives, Montgomery County Watershed
A Corny Solution for Weeds (pdf file) about corn gluten
Going Solar to Set Your Soil Straight (pdf file)
Weed Control – Fairfax County

Online ources for purchasing products :
Gardens Alive
Planet Natural