[sharky]

There seems to be many small weeds popping up all over the place but if I can get away with it I would like to 'ignore' them.  :?  Do people bother with this weeding lark?  :?

[DD.]

:shock:  :shock:  :shock:  :shock:  :shock:  :shock:

Mighty oaks from tiny acorns grow.

Have you seen the size of full grown nettles, docks, fat hen etc.? If you have, you wouldn't have seen the crops!

[iwantanallotment]

Have you seen the size of full grown nettles, docks, fat hen etc.? If you have, you wouldn't have seen the crops!

Very true. Last summer I weeded someone's veg patch - they'd tried ignoring the weeds and they shot up. I was amazed at the veg I found while weeding - tomato plants completely hidden, swede, sprouts and allsorts. Couldn't see any of it for weeds! Needless to say, the crops had suffered too.

[bb_odiham]

I've got to the point where I only dig out the weeds that are an inch high or so - to try and dig all the little ones out is back breaking

I find so long as I have a quick 30 minute weed twice a week, it keeps them back.

I've also found now I've worked over my plot twice, double digging this year, that I've got less weeds than last year.

And believe me, we've got weeds in our garden deluxe - it's our little experiment in biodiversity, with a wealth of wild flowers and all the friendly insects that go with them

[Aunt Sally]

All weeds compete with your crops for food water and light (if they get big).

It's a very easy job to hoe them out when they are small :!:

[Trillium]

To add to Aunt Sally's comment, the veg plants don't stand a chance against large weeds and your harvest will severely diminish as well as the plant vigor. If you don't feel like weeding, then mulch heavily which helps suppress weeds.

[Anton]

When I have the time I like to work along the rows with a hand fork (three prongs) opening up the earth and taking out weeds. I used to see the old retired Belgians doing it when it was very dry. There is an expression that "une binage vaut trois arrossages" (probably spelt wrong), which means going over once with the fork is like watering the plants three times. Something to do with the subsurface moisture being drawn from the depths. Anyhow, last year I had two rows of parnsips and was unable to weed one row with the fork (I forgot the reason why, I think the row was next to some delicate plants I couldn't disturb). Well after a couple of weeks the one given the fork treatment was nearly twice as high (and as plump) as the untended one. I rest my case.

Otherwise, I think its a good idea to go down the roes with a hoe if you don't have the time to fork. I cut off the weeds with the hoe and then I finish off with the rake to give the surface a nice tidy appearance,  purely for aesthetic reasons.

Anton

[bb_odiham]

Thanks for the tips - so my method really is bad then

Right, I'm going to add weeding to todays garden task list then!

[love-my-plot]

And as well as all that ..... the whole plot looks so neat and tidy after a good weeding session  

[Welsh Girls Allotment]

Ignore your weeds and this is what will happen  :oops:

Between holidays, illness, lots of rain and plants that were eaten by slugs - this is how part of my plot looked last year - forunately I have learnt the very hard way and this year it looks like this






Ignore weeds at your peril - sorry to sound over dramatic but a bit rain and sun and whoosh off they go  

[Johnny Norfolk]

I think you should weed them out as much as possible. I hoe at least once a week. and spot weed with touchweeder the difficult ones. I spray off at the begining and end of the season if required.

[fatbelly]

To me weeding is all part of the fun.

I am currently engaged in an Organic war with Mares Tail, I seem to win the daily battles but each time the Mares Tail sends up more reinforcements to test my fortitude.

I actually admire the Mares Tail it is a real survivor, as many of you will know it was here at the same time as the Dinosaurs and has lasted all these years.

[DD.]

I love hoeing, I imagine the weeds screaming when I chop them off.  :twisted:

You should hear the noise mare's tail makes!  :twisted:  :twisted:

[GrannieAnnie]

Ignore your weeds and this is what will happen  :oops:

Between holidays, illness, lots of rain and plants that were eaten by slugs - this is how part of my plot looked last year - forunately I have learnt the very hard way and this year it looks like this






Ignore weeds at your peril - sorry to sound over dramatic but a bit rain and sun and whoosh off they go  

I can't see the pics Welsh girl!!!!

[Caddi fuller-teabags]

I can't see the pics Welsh girl!!!!

Neither can I, but I could provide pics of an untended plot if required!

I do try to weed regularly, but what with clearing the plot, digging new beds and sowing crops I can't seem to keep up with it.   It would be alright if I didn't have to work full time!

I am finding the main difficulty with weeding is tha I don't always know what the new seedlings look like and am frightened of taking out the plants.  I think I may have done this with my parsnips, I have only four in my first row.  I have a similar problem in my oregano row, I have a row full of little green seedlings but I have no idea if any of them are oregano.  It tends to be the ones that take ages to germinate that I have a problem with.