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Re: Quackgrass and Plastic Mulch



Has anyone out there had success with any other organic methods of eliminating
perennial weeds?  How about the use of cover crops to crowd out perennial weeds
over a 2-3 year period?

Thanks for your feedback in advance.

Chris Geering
geeringc@pilot.msu.edu

>
> Robert:  I have used 6 mil black poly, doubled, as an edge around my
> garden, to keep the adjoining lawn (which includes quackgrass,
> originally having been a pasture) from growing into my garden.  The
> quackgrass has no trouble getting straight through two layers of 6
> mil poly, usually within a year.  However, I also use black poly (one
> layer) as a surface cover to kill off patches of garden that have had
> a history of grass encroachment.  I typically leave it covered for
> about two years, although I have not tried any shorter period - might
> still work.  This works very well to kill quack and other perennial
> weed species.  I then open it up in the spring, let it dry out, and
> till it a few times before making beds and planting.  I allow any
> residual perennial weed growth time to happen - and work it out
> manually - before making the beds and planting.  There is typically
> very little life left in the quack after two years in the dark, but I
> want to be sure there is none.  Having a little bit of quack grass in
> my garden is like being a little bit pregnant!
>
> I remember a humorous (I hope) quote from a couple of organic
> gardeners, that they removed quackgrass rhizomes etc. manually by
> screening sections of the garden, one at a time.  They then let the
> rhizomes dry out and burned them, being careful where they put the
> ashes!  Ann
>
> ACLARK@crop.uoguelph.ca
> Dr. E. Ann Clark
> Associate Professor
> Crop Science
> University of Guelph
> Guelph, ON  N1G 2W1
> Phone:  519-824-4120 Ext. 2508
> FAX:  519 763-8933
>