Subject: Re: Horseradish

From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 95 21:20:07 EST

Remember how I keep saying that climate makes huge differences?  Here we
go again; this time the difference arises between Bakersfield, CA. and
England.

I should have specified that black plastic over the soil works best to
kill weeds in Summer, or any time there's hot sun.  Here in the sunbelt
it works fast and thoroughly (even on bermudagrass, many folks' least
favorite plant). The solar heat actually COOKS the soil a couple inches
deep on a hot day (think of very hot asphalt pavement under your bare
feet; same effect.) The soil should be moist when the plastic material
is set in place.

This technique is used on a commercial scale in Israel, where
many farms sterilize their soil with solar heat to remove anything from
tough weed seeds to nematodes.

IN>In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] writes:
IN>|>
IN>|> IJ>We accidently roto-tilled our horseradish one year and now we have
IN>|> IJ>horseradish coming up everywhere.  Does anyone know a good way of
IN>|> IJ>eliminating it.  Digging hasn't worked because one little piece of roo
IN>|> IJ>grows into a new plant.
IN>|>
IN>|> You could offer `dig your own' horseradish to all those folks with
IN>|> gopher problems. [grin]  The varmints can't abide horseradish, and a
IN>|> yard full of it should keep them out completely.
IN>|>
IN>|> Alternatively,  you could cover the area with black 30-gal trash bags,
IN>|> fastened down with U-shaped wires.  Solar heat, and no sun, should kill
IN>|> off _everything_ that tries to grow there.  Takes a few weeks.

IN>No chance.  This would kill off the tops.  You then remove the
IN>covering, and the stuff regrows ....
IN>You CAN kill it by digging (or using the cover method), provided
IN>that you do it EVERY time new leaves appear for at least a year
IN>(and usually two).  The other technique is to put the area down
IN>to lawn - close mowing kills horseradish eventually (i.e. years,
IN>again).
IN>Nick Maclaren,
IN>Email:  [email-masked]

Richard Shiell, ASLA        Bakersfield, CA        [email-masked]
---
 þ SLMR 2.1a þ Old gardeners don't die, they just go to seed.

--
Mainframes, Minis & Micros     |     Desert Jewel BBS & Online Mall
5630 District Blvd.   #114     |     Telnet to 204.212.36.4
Bakersfield, CA      93313     |     FTP to 204.212.36.4
LandLine  ==  800-949-1959     |     WWW to http:\\[email-masked]

---

From: [email-masked] (sonny hays-eberts)
Date: Wed, 01 Mar 1995 10:56:45 -0700

> tough weed seeds to nematodes.

the problem i've encountered with this (keeping in mind the willamette
valley is a heavy clay soil area) is that you can bake the soil into a firm
hardpan if there isn't much organic matter in it. i'd bet in sandy areas
like israel it's not as likely to happen. 

-- 
...there is no warning in the sirens call -- genesis

sonny hays-eberts
[email-masked]

---

From: [email-masked] (Margaret C. Lawrence)
Date: Wed, 8 Mar 1995 14:05:18 GMT

Here in Alabama, the recommendation for solarizing the soil is to use 
clear plastic one mil to one and a half mil thick.  Place it over moist 
well-tilled soil and bury the edges of the plastic several inches deep in 
the soil.

Great organic way to kill both weed seeds and nematodes.  Here 
recommended to get plastic in place by early summer and to leave in place 
for at least 8 weeks.  

Most people here use it on raised beds or improved garden soil, but I'm 
sure it could turn our red clay to adobe or hardpan like someone mentioned.

Maggie
-- 
Maggie Lawrence                       232 Duncan Hall Annex
Producer-Director II                  Auburn University, AL
Extension Communications              205/844-5687