Subject: Ragweed - how to eradicate

From: [email-masked] (Sanny)
Date: 29 Mar 1995 09:08:33 -0500

Despite years of trying, I have ragweed in my garden.  I hoe and hoe, and
pull and yank, but it comes back within minutes.  Any suggestions of how
to deal with it without killing everything in the garden (try to be
organic as possible)

Thanks, Alice

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From: [email-masked]
Date: 29 Mar 95 17:25:17 -0600

> to deal with it without killing everything in the garden (try to be

Both common and giant ragweed are truly great weeds:  they love
disturbed ground, they accept any soil, and they produce long-lived
seeds.  Short of solarizing the entire garden, you've probably already
learned the basic method of ragweed control.  (And a one, and a two, and
a PULL!...  ;-) )

Kay Klier  [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked]
Date: 29 Mar 95 17:25:17 -0600

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From: [email-masked]
Date: 4 Apr 95 14:36:23 -0600

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Sanny) writes:
> To my previous question re eradicating ragweed, Kay wrote:
> 
> :Both common and giant ragweed are truly great weeds:  they love
> :disturbed ground, they accept any soil, and they produce long-lived
> :seeds.  Short of solarizing the entire garden, you've probably already
> :learned the basic method of ragweed control.  (And a one, and a two, and
> :a PULL!...  ;-) )
> 
> 
> But, what is "solarizing?"  
> Again, thank you.
> 
> Alice  <-- pulling her ragweed daily

"Solarizing" is using the sun's heat to "cook" soil, partially 
sterilizing at least the upper few inches.  It takes a month or more
in mid-summer.... more if you've got a lot of cloudy, cool days.

Dig the soil that you want to solarize as if you were preparing to
plant.  Remove stones, clods, and other bits that can keep the plastic
from the soil, and be sure to rake the bed smooth.  Water well.  
Cover with *CLEAR* (not black) plastic, fairly heavy stuff--- 
a couple of mils thick. 

Put the edges of the clear plastic down in a trench you've previously
dug around the plot, and fill in the trench with soil, pulling the plastic
taut.  Leave it for at least a good, sunny month (so saith the ISU
extension folks... we get night temps in the 70's and 80's, days in
the 90's and 100's in July and August.  Adjust for your temps.)

Remove the plastic and replant.

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From: [email-masked] (Sanny)
Date: 3 Apr 1995 18:53:34 -0400

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From: [email-masked]
Date: 4 Apr 95 14:36:23 -0600

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From: [email-masked] (Sanny)
Date: 3 Apr 1995 18:53:34 -0400

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From: [email-masked]
Date: 4 Apr 95 14:36:23 -0600

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From: [email-masked] (Sanny)
Date: 3 Apr 1995 18:53:34 -0400

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From: [email-masked] (killand)
Date: 4 Apr 1995 07:34:29 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Sanny) says:
>Hi from Calgary, Ab.

I would think that a product like roundup would do the trick.

Not knowing the locale, I assume that you have a normal change of
seasons.  You might try 2,4-d with mecroprop when the plants are 
sprouting in the spring.

regards;

Derryl Killan