Battle to the Death: Grass vs Garden! (How we are winning the war) | Pantry Chat

[@hazelbellefarm476]

I wish I could grow grass in my pastures like it grows in my garden 😂

[@dawnlemieux3877]

I split my large garden (small by your standards) into two halves. In the fall I covered both halves with tarps. Late spring I uncovered one half to plant while leaving the other half tarped for another year (a total of 18 months). The first half had some weed and grass pressure but not nearly as much as it had in previous years. This spring, that garden became a part of a rotational chicken system (chicken coop is smack dab in the middle of the garden with doors on into both gardens. The 18 month covered garden became our garden this year. The grass and weed pressure is very low. Next year I will switch back to the other side for the vegetable garden and the chickens will have the remnants of this years garden to go to town eating weeds, leftover vegetable plants, bugs, slugs and fertilizing. I think this system is going to be amazing.

[@mamaof8girls920]

It's my number one challenge. Weeds are easy, even beneficial at times, but crab grass and quack grass is so hard to stay on top of naturally.

[@kelly70yllek]

Quack grass is my pt peeve

[@scrapykat3028]

Having a huge problem at school with the grass! We all left for two weeks and came back to 2’ of grass in many of our beds! Aaaaakkk!

[@nancyseery2213]

My grasses that make my gardening hard are Bermuda grass, Johnson grass and throw in some Virginia creeper!

[@lynnhuddleston3199]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. ❤

[@jhammond2237]

Thank you! That was very encouraging! ❤❤

[@accidentalcountrygirl]

Thanks for the advice on taming the grass. My hubby and I retired and sold our construction company in January and are now just working full time on our ranch & homestead. We had put some things off on the homestead thinking we'd get to them later and I can attest, put the work in before you are older, because your body won't work the same as it did when you were thirty and it will appreciate it. 😄

[@ht8259]

The Back to Eden KZbin is fantastic. I’ve probably watched it 20 times (awesome to just turn on & let play while you clean or cook)

[@D4ni3773]

Thanks for sharing! Great chat!

[@Greens5511]

I would love to see a video on this on your homestead! Super helpful info!

[@lindazwatty8173]

I have a Berkey water filter. Because Berkey is not allowed to sell their own filters right now, could you please tell me what you have been using as a water filter replacement. Thank you so much! I value the information that you always relay to us.

[@louiseswart1315]

I planted the surface in the pot of our topiary bay leaf tree with golden oregano. It makes a lovely "carpet". I want to try it between flag stones too.

[@janetwestrup411]

Love your videos Caroline and Josh. I’m 74 and only have 7 hens for eggs. No other animals at this point. Only a few acres of land so have planted a dreamed of fruit orchard and two gardens. Am still caring for my 100 yr old mother in-law. We keep plenty busy. I love Lehmans and purchase my canning supplies from them. So looking forward to your Freeze drying course! Please alert me to it. Would love to win a freeze dryer!❤

[@HomesteadingFamily]

Make sure to join the waitlist and we will enter you in the drawing for the freeze dryer 😊: classes.homesteadingfamily.com/freeze-drying-waitlist

[@kathymickle6915]

This was a great chat, very informative. I do wish you could have inserted photos of different area you were talking about to help us visual learners. Thanks for sharing.

[@applewatermelon6561]

Hello. Are you sick ? Or just tired from all the hard work? Thank you for your shats.i love them.

[@Sue-ec6un]

This was great information. Yes, I know grass is a problem...and there are ways to fight it, have tried it many times. What seems to happen to me is, I get rid of the grass for a season or two only to find real pernicious tall grasses, thistle and woody perennials which, when not welcome are just VERY HARDY weeds! I was at my wits end with it all and simply got myself a couple hundred fabric root bags and planted everything in them! I left them all gathered together and they are happily living in their 'pots' AND killing all those pernicious weeds underneath at the same time! It's also easier to control pests and manage all my plants...even the ones I've lost track of...anyway...next year, who knows how my garden will grow. It's all an experiment until it works as I PLAN IT!

[@katherinehannah8721]

I'd love to see some before and after type pictures and a tour of the barn now. It would help us to evaluate barns on properties we are looking at to see potential on how it can be improved/expanded. ;)

[@ceegee6625]

😂 thank you Caroline for mentioning the arts and craft paper. I was thinking, "They can't mean Construction Paper..." haha, good explanation Josh.

[@janetthornton7909]

I too have battled quack grass invading my vegetable garden and flower beds. I found a solution that works for me. Quack grass roots go down about 14-16” deep in my area. I dug a vertical trench about 18” deep around the perimeter of the garden. I cut 16-18” wide lengths of metal roofing panels. I placed these into the trench, overlapping the panel sections by about 4-6”, riveting the joints to hold the pieces firmly together. Then I backfilled with the dirt I had dug out of the trench. Note: I position the metal panels so that they stick up about 4” above the soil line. This is a a lot of work but this physical barrier has proved effect in stopping the rhizomes that spread underground.

[@remac7941]

I'm having the same issues in my 10 Birdies Raised beds. I did the cardboard/wood chips method but could not stay on top of the grass spreading into the beds. Now the grass in the raised beds looks better than the lawn grass. I am considering the "nuclear option" and emptying all the beds and putting down commercial-grade landscape fabric. It won't give the look I want, but it will give the results I want.

[@girlsnglasses]

Thank you for clarifying about construction paper 😂

[@dhansonranch]

Good chat! The ultimate rural battle...lol. There is a difference between using a silage tarp and a woven ground cover - the ground cover will allow moisture through and will breath, a silage tarp will not. And so, I have been finding that the quack grass rhizomes are growing under the woven ground cover I use and coming up where possible. This is my second year using it and It is certainly better than nothing as it would be a bed of grass otherwise. If I had the room, I would be using the silage tarp to solarize the garden which would be more effective to kill. On the woven ground cover, the soil temp is very similar to the uncovered soil...at least that's what I have found.

[@rachaelfaber6703]

Would love to see a virtual tour of your barn ❤

[@libertyandjustus8258]

" Elevated Conversations " 😆😄🤣

[@janacebrown6851]

I mix White Vinegar & Salt in a Sprayer and spray the grass & weeds, it works on mine.

[@scrapykat3028]

How much per gal of vinegar?

[@Greens5511]

It works for about 2 weeks....it does not last and I just do not have the time nor money to throw this down. Actually plus that only works when it is hot and sun is shining....if you only have a tiny area to do that with it would be fine, but other than that it is not a realistic solution.

[@janetwestrup411]

In California we constantly battled Bermuda grass with roots 4’ deep. In Oregon we have quack grass, field grass and we bought topsoil in bulk from a nursery which we were told, had horse manure and small amounts of compost. After using it one Spring ontop of existing garden soil, we discovered Sudan grass growing in the garden and no where else on the property. We found out that Susan grass is used in feed lots for fodder for cattle. Apparently the horse manure was rally feed lot manure. I spent three yrs burning, pulling roots and finally using heavy professional weed barrier to get rid of it. On field grass I tried the paper and mulch method and got real healthy soil and weeds. The heavy weed barrier seems to work the best because it really cooks the weed seeds the best. The following yr we put down homemade compost and several inches of tree service wood chips before weed barrier cloth in Autumn and take it off in April to plant cool weather crops. We found it best to pull the mulch aside and plant directly into the soil, then when plants get up about 5”, then side dress by pulling the chips Bach around the plants. This has kept the veg roots warm and the vegs get a boost from the compost we added in the Fall. The rain does the rest until late summer. BTW heavy weed fabric can be used many years when rolled up for the summer.

[@carolynschneider1652]

This is amazing I need to do this with my asparagus as well!!

[@gregc.9313]

I do permaculture. No need to stress over grass and weeds. As old as time itself.

[@brokenglass27]

I've tried to research permaculter, but I just don't get it and don't have the money to pay for education. Think I'm going to raised beds next year.

[@colleenlochard-nh6yx]

It's a problem if the grass is choking out your veggies and herbs.

[@tiarianamanna973]

​@@colleenlochard-nh6yx it is, sure. Im in war with couch grass and multiple different (some non native invasive) weeds, and some of them grow like 8feet tall. My carrots, onions, etc, are mostly choked to death, i just dont have what it takes to fight for them 😮 and those "just throw some mulch on in, no prob" -dudes, yeah, i d like to see how is that handful of mulch gonna help the situation 🧐🤣

[@tomaitoe]

You just solved a mystery for me. I had my current garden area under tarp for almost a year. Six months later the grasses had moved back in. I couldn't figure out how, since I thought the seeds must have sprouted and died already. Now I know I need edging to keep the grass near my house out of the garden area.

[@KristinaBakerSmith]

Quack grass! Mine loves mulch, paper and cardboard, which can buy you some time, but that mulch is expensive. I had to really suffocate it. I had better luck with wood pieces from broken furniture and the plastic used for roofing. Then I was able to keep up with the random pieces. I try to pull it when its wet.

[@rosehavenfarm2969]

[sigh] June was so hot, I couldn't work the gardens sufficiently. The grasses won this year. I just couldn't produce enough mulch this spring and early summer. NEXT YEAR!

[@pt8019]

Josh and Carolyn, in a previous video you mentioned looking into growing clover to suppress weeds or a part of the option. LOL... my husband does not watch my videos, but I heard him ask, "did he just say grow clover? Tell him NO"! The only clover we know is terrible getting in lawn and garden here in Minnesota....along with creeping charlie. They take over no matter how hard you try, and you can not pull them up completely. For us, our gardens are many and sprawled out over a very large area. I have continued to cut down the size of my beautiful flower gardens because I can not maintain that clean look with them. Don't even think about introducing clover.

[@jessikruger3219]

Ours in south west Idaho is goatheads. They are terrible.! We just moved to our new property in February and was just not expecting that to be this bad.

[@leahrenata4820]

My challenge has been finding something affordable. We are looking to convert a 60x80 front yard to garden. Everything is so cost prohibitive.

[@Obi-Ralph-Kenobi]

From my bonsais, I know which species of "weeds" will strangle others in no time. Some grass really can squeeze out anyone it comes into contact with. I tend to let 'em get large enough I can pull 'em out easily, especially after watering.

[@KatrinaM1234]

It filled the part of my garden not covered in mint. (Thought i had that contained too)

[@TheDigglesFamily]

😅😅😅 that is what I was picturing, too, when he said construction paper. 🤣🤣

[@tristaperkins7112]

"Home Depot if you must"! Amen, brother! I got burned by them 25 years ago with a washer dryer set, and I swore I wouldn't step foot back in a big orange store....and 25yrs later, I still haven't!

[@Rivergrl84]

New class will be available for Subscribers to Homesteading Family, yes?

[@JoanWakefield]

Even when I get a new appliance and keep my manual appliance. I enjoy making yeast bread by hand , its therapeutic for me.

[@pamtippett1589]

Would love to see a video flying over your property.

[@abigailleonard2905]

Can yall talk about how you deal with flea beetles and other pest pressures?

[@jeas4980]

Oh have we had a year. I put in 18 stone fruit trees, 16 elderberry, and an 80' row of raspberries this spring... we put down cardboard and mulched around (this was ridiculously expensive and a lot of manual labor) and our tractor broke. Not once... but 6 times! It took 6 trips to the shop to finally repair the tractor. In the meantime, with no way to maintain the orchard, the quack grass grew right over the edge of our mulch and rooted itself and spread all over the work we have done. I honestly don't know what to do. Concrete is not off the table. Our local hardware store just purchased a sod cutter that they're offering as a rental... and we are considering digging up everything, running a sod cutter over the entire orchard, hot composting the entire lot under a silage tarp, bringing in 20 tons of organic compost, and another 20 tons of mulch, putting it all back, putting down 8" metal and stone edging and re-mulching then putting down a winter kill, self seeding pasture grass with loads of clover... so we won't have to mow it again. I'm thinking freerange rabit pasture? The spaces are 120'x 180' and 26' x 200' on either side of our driveway. But if our neighbors don't do anything to control their grass... it's just going to come back. I just don't know what else to do. My husband is approaching 60 years old, he's not in the best health, and we just can't keep doing this. I'm half tempted to make it pretty, put the house on the inflated market and go live in the woods. 😂❤ Maybe front yard chickens?

[@dhansonranch]

Good job on putting in the plants you did. Bummer that things did not go as planned though. They spoke of edge in this chat and so if you make an edge around the whole orchard using a woven ground cover - it may not create a "pretty" edge but it would give you time to either put in a more permanent edge lie concrete, metal, etc. It would however stop the external pressure from coming in. With the trees you planted, I would suggest just mulching the raspberries heavily because as they grow they will effectively choke out the grasses with shade. You could hand pull off the green before doing so. You could put a silage tarp down around the entire bed, cutting out holes for all your trees, to solarize the orchard mulch and all. I'd want a hole big enough to allow the trees to get water and breath, but being new plantings the roots are close to the main stem at the moment. Just a couple ideas that may help.

[@jeas4980]

@@dhansonranch thank you 😊 🙏

[@MsAmandawood]

Apparently using core flue works for edging and keeps grass out. I'm using it but it hasn't been in long enough to yet.

[@nettiew4267]

Sooo funny! Yes! I was scratching my head thinking, doesn’t construction paper have colored dyes in them, would that work? Why did I give away a shoe box of it at the end of my homeschooling days?! Haha!

[@lorihenderson8589]

How do you approach security for the barn and it’s occupants? Potential problems with wild Animals, wild humans, combustion?

[@MaryWysocki]

Can you please do a class on Truffles?

[@arleneheg]

Can you share the variety of strawberries and do you know if they are available for us to purchase somewhere?

[@lkbd12345]

Why do you keep beef cows in barn? Are you calving in the winter? Could you feed bales in pasture…? That’s what we do in northern Midwest. They handle -30 F and lower out there. Amazing animals.

[@jennbasil]

How is the freeze drying master class different from the freeze drying class at the school of traditional skills?

[@HomesteadingFamily]

Our class will be much more in depth that the one offered through School of Traditional Skills 😊

[@mildahubbard6698]

Shoot, I got in such a hurry to enter and order the book, I missed the code😢😢

[@cynthiasteel5057]

What mulch did you use on the asparagas? You said 8 inches. Was it the wood shavings?

[@donnabauerofbrilliancebyde1178]

What do you use for mulch? I signed up for chip drop and nothing even tho it says loads have been delivered in my area

[@dollyperry3020]

I'm having trouble with lettuce germination even though I'm watering daily.

[@fishinforfun64]

Looking forward to your wonderful class! I signed up. I have so many questions! 🤣😂 Is there a coupon code for your new book???

[@HomesteadingFamily]

We do not have a coupon code 😊

[@tracymoorehead8523]

I heard you cant get filters for Berky anymore

[@Greens5511]

why did he say to get the construction paper at Home Depot "if you must"??? Is HomeDepot bad??

[@MsAmandawood]

What mulches would you recommend?

[@harlankraft578]

Too bad we can’t share photos in the comments section. Boiling water works in some small areas you still need to hand pull the rhizomes. My main tool is My Meadow Creature Broadfork and a lot of time on my knees pulling every single Coastal Bermuda rhizomes, hard work but Coastal will not play well even in a Permaculture situation it will suffocate all annuals and most perennials. There is definitely a place for permaculture but it’s not answer too every area ! Food forests are great. Just not practical for annual vegetables from my personal experience here in Central Texas! Thanks Carolyn and Josh!!!

[@EllenAlexander-x3h]

What is quack grass?

[@janetthornton7909]

It’s a coarse grass that commonly grows in pastures. It grows by rhizomes (roots that grow upward off a main runner of root that grows horizontally underground.)

[@ruthmcbride1778]

Are you being affected by the fires in idaho?

[@johngeib]

While the construction paper might work for your wimpy northern grass, those of us in the south deal with Bermuda grass. NOTHING will stop Bermuda, even concrete. Digging it out (12" deep and sifted to remove ALL grass roots and bits) is the only organic method that works. Chemical controls (yes I'm talking glysophate) works the best unfortunately.

[@mrs.h7711]

I'm from Oklahoma and have dealt with Bermuda grass, now live in Montana and fight the quack grass. I can promise you quack grass is just as bad as Bermuda.

[@cherylb5953]

Why do you say Home Depot if you must? Is there some controversy with shopping there that I have not heard of?

[@littlecougarkitty3063]

I found it kind of funny, at around 27 minutes in, you're talking about deep mulching and you have referred to Paul and his methods several times. Yet, when you come to deep mulching an orchard, you still hold to the commercial ways and totally disregard Paul's advice/recommendation. "Just pull the mulch back away from the tree trunks a little bit". Paul has stated, on more than one occasion, not necessary. There's no one out in the forests that pull the mulch back, God doesn't pull it back. Paul has stated that, in his orchard, he dumps the mulch right up around the trunks.

[@747tbar]

Chickens are the easiest method.

[@amyl.3236]

Really interested in why you are not a fan of Home Depot. You obviously know something I do not!

[@PrismaticFarm]

These guys should consider going carnivore to help with their health journey. Feed those toxic vegetables to the animals.

[@jimhrn8522]

How about a Skip ahead to ----- time for the subject 😢

[@borninthewrongera6888]

Ohhh I’m first 🥰🥰❤️🥰❤️

[@theresatyree3904]

I love talk but need action : showing.