I Broke the Main Rule of Weeding

[@Screeech9]

There is knowledge that we read from books and then there are lessons that are thrown at us. Thank you for sharing this lesson of yours.

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, it seems I need to learn all the lessons myself, even those that I have read in books!

[@scottbaruth9041]

Some of my worst "weeds" are not exactly weeds, but seeds from last years squash, tomato, cucumber and zucchini areas. That's also a good reason to rotate crops so you don't get confused between your hybrids and a volunteer.

[@REDGardens]

Good point. I had that happen with a patch of squash last year. The strongest plant ended up being a volunteer the didn't produce anything worth eating, but it crowded out the other varieties I was trying to grow. But I didn't see it happening.

[@willbass2869]

A weedy lettuce bed in a tunnel!....NEVER SEE THAT on most gardening videos. I can relate...oh, boy can I i relate.😊 Thanks for "keeping it real" Bruce.

[@REDGardens]

Haha, yeah, it is a rare sight on KZbin!

[@uuekene]

You get some very early crop from there and later can put sth else to grow there. I like such surprises and use them. In cold climate everything grows better in tunnels and give better earlier crop with higher price.

[@What..a..shambles]

One of my favourites is looking at a job that needs doing then say to myself that it needs to get done and then forget or get sidetracked on a side mission..and then the time passes and the iron gets cold 😅

[@joelfisch]

In this situation I place a layer of cardboard on top and then a nice layer of a few cm of compost. Plant directly into the compost. The roots grow right through the cardboard, but the weeds don’t

[@theghostking-7951]

Ive always been iffy on if the roots could grow down through the cardboard so ive been cutting out about a 4 inch circle

[@ForestFire369]

I'm happy that most of the weeds in my garden are pollinator attractors. Calendula, borage, nigella, centaurea, digitalis, and a little bit of lunaria. I always leave a few spots to grow wild, and they're beautiful too.

[@yeastybeastie]

This was The Best video to put out at this point in the growing season. Thanks for letting your (small, understandable!) mistake be a warning to us all 🙏

[@REDGardens]

😁

[@latinoenturquia8486]

I agree that the idea about sharing our failures is good to help others. The same happened to me last year... delaying too much until seeds are already coming, cost me a lot of work this month. Thanks for sharing. Big hug from this Latin in Turkey

[@REDGardens]

😁

[@srantoniomatos]

Your dedication to the gardens are to respect. Tanks for the videos.

[@jimkingsland1645]

You described my gardening experiences that plague me continually. Watching you pluck weed seedlings from your crops is all too real for me. I agree it is imperative to dig, hoe, scrape, and pluck the weeds when they emerge rather than waiting. Unfortunately I too have so much area I can’t always stay ahead of the weeds going to seed-but that is always my goal as well. Thanks for your candor and transparency- you are a real gardener for sure!

[@TheEmbrio]

Much respect for all the trials This is a trial of how long 1season of weeds can effect the gardening experience down the road ;)

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, now that it has happened, I want to see for how many years this one patch has an increased weed load. That means I have to make sure nothing else goes to seed in the polytunnel for the next few years!

[@acctsys]

Rhizomatous weeds are menaces.

[@REDGardens]

They are the worst!

[@michaelg8642]

plant Jerusalem artichoke they said.. so easy to grow its practically a weed they said..

[@uarestrong76]

@@michaelg8642 I definitely made that mistake.....

[@REDGardens]

@@michaelg8642 Haha

[@MrTankton]

I struggle wind bindweed growing everywhere and pushing through everything even small holes in ground cover cloth. It's a nightmare and only seems to enjoy thick mulch...

[@eternalfizzer]

Thanks for this - you helped me realize my core failing. I abandoned my garden during covid (ironically, while everyone else took it up, I moved in with my dad to take care of him). Every year since, I've just shaken my head and stuck to a couple containers on the front porch. Last year, I realized the gout weed had completely engulfed my garden, so I borrowed a weedeater just to take it down and throw out the flowering heads, intending to sift the soil again, but the weather changed and I gave up. I thought this spring I'd start before it was up. The weather has been cold and damp, the snow is barely gone here in Newfoundland and the goutweed is sprouting merrily again. I thought I'd have a chance to sift the rhizomes out this week before flying home to see Dad for a month. You might have given me the motivation to spend 20 minutes at the raised bed at least (that is, if this blasted rain lets up for a bit). Maybe when I get back in June, I'll see the merits if I can get some transplants in after our frost date (June 11). Thank you!

[@TheEmbrio]

Cover with cardboard until you do anything. Can even plant through

[@llanitedave]

Boy, this one sure hit ME in the guilt pockets!

[@REDGardens]

😁

[@RoyHolder]

Thanks for your honesty, we've all had failures and missed weeding when we should have. Cheers from Australia.!

[@Alan_CFA]

We approach work in the same way - take on too much and abandon some parts. It’s nice to see a kindred spirit.😁

[@REDGardens]

😁

[@KnolltopFarms]

I know that you weren't named after your Grandfather, but I still want to say "thanks Red!" after every video. You are inspiring and informative to a fault, and your honesty is always appreciated. Aloha from Hilo.

[@REDGardens]

Haha, my Uncle was called RED!

[@TheGardeninMind]

You may not like making videos ‘like this’, but the rationale you offer for 12:19 doing so is much appreciated by me. After a long, cool Spring here, I avoided cultivating and planting, which gave all of the weeds a head start. I have battled back, but I’m afraid not terribly successfully. I’m thinking that my only solution is to cut my garden space back to about 25% of what I have had in the past? And to cover the rest with ground cover fabric - for at least 2 years, and only doing that have a concerted round of surface burning - to burn as many of the millions of seeds that have already fallen during what is now the HOT DRY SUMMER here in South Central British Columbia!

[@fxm5715]

“I feel your pain.” I’m dealing with the same situation for similar reasons. This is the SECOND TIME I’ve done it on this property in seven years. Shredded hardboard mulch does help, but I know I’ve now got a couple years of increased weeding ahead of me. Stay strong, Brother Bruce!

[@REDGardens]

It is one of those things, we know we should not let it happen, but it happens anyway!

[@lejo2470]

Thanks Red! This is one of the most useful gardening videos I have seen, ever. I think you are the only vloger I know of who includes reflections on own habits and characteristics, including the gardener so to say on the input side of the equation. Problems, mistakes and bad habits are way under representated. Your openness prompts a new patreon here ❤. Keep it up!

[@REDGardens]

Wow, thanks for the comment, and for becoming a patron. Really good to know that people find value in these videos.

[@carolinebrett2634]

One years seeding: seven years weeding!

[@Pepso8P]

The worm appearing at 2:46 made me chuckle, just appearing as you weed around it.

[@REDGardens]

Haha, I didn't notice that!

[@xX3NEZUE3Xx]

my sympathy for you, i did a till garden and planted about 200 onions only to find out 3 weeks later there were so many weeds it was not worth the labor of weeding. i had a back up plan and tarped up an area and have a very easy to manage backup plot. 11:20 and videos like this are good, we are all human, and learn at different paces. some repeat mistakes, while others learn never to make them.

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, sometimes it is just better to abandon things!

[@kcmgfarm2389]

Love that you posted this, it's a very good reminder for all of us. Keep at it!

[@REDGardens]

Thank you! Will do!

[@bobaloo2012]

I tell people my motto is "anything worth doing is worth over-doing", sounds like you feel the same way. After more than 30 years I probably spend only a few hours over the course of a year weeding, generally in 5 minute bursts as I walk through the garden. Looking forward to more trials this year, good luck.

[@REDGardens]

It is great whey we can get a growing space, and out methods, to the point that involves such little weeding.

[@palsh]

I appreciate you sharing your "failure". I look at it as a learning experience and it made for a good topic to ponder in my own growing adventure. Keep up the great work!

[@REDGardens]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jeanettebot193]

I am selective in the plants I let go to seed. Lamblettuce and rockets are allowed to selfseed in some of mij beds. They provide the soil with a green mulch that we can eat during the winter. They exclude most other weeds.

[@REDGardens]

I should give that approach a try some day.

[@investidoramador9850]

i am doing again the bag method this year,last yeaar was a disaster i harvested as many potatoes as i planted and my onions were the size of coins,the only decent thing i grew last year were carrots ,so i am coming strong this year again and trying my best to use all you teach in your videos,thank you very much for making them bruce!!

[@REDGardens]

Hope you have a better season this year.

[@utubemouse]

Great point to recognize how your own life habits and tendencies impact gardening success! This was an encouraging video, as well as a good overview on methods to reduce weeds. I appreciated the comments on cool, wet climates in relation to solarization and even just cultivating the soil to reduce weeds.

[@REDGardens]

Glad it was helpful!

[@mikefox1735]

Thanks Bruce. I have the same tendency to be over keen at the beginning, then turn my back on the few parts that don't go with my plans. Flame weeding is great. Kills a multitude of weeds, all at once without chemicals. The lesser of the evils. Enjoy your spring, autumn here now in NZ

[@REDGardens]

If only flame weeding worked on the scutch grass and bindweed!

[@doglover1neo]

I feel for your pain. A few years ago, I didn't bother culling the sting nettle plant just outside of my property. Thinking nothing really happened the seeds will just drop over the plant stand. I was very wrong all the seeds blew into my backyard and my backyard turned into a torture pit. And I'm still dealing with removing The Offspring of that one plant. Main issues that they don't have very obvious flowers, so I couldn't even tell when they started dropping seeds. And they grow quick and reproduce like bunnies.

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, one plant can spread a lot of seeds!

[@VictoriousGardenosaurus]

I allowed some queen annes lace to go to seed last year, mistaking it for carrots. I collected those seeds, and did not realize my mistake until a couples weeks ago. I've now made excellent source of green material for compost, and the soil tilthe is amazing. Worst weeds got in between my onions. Such a variety of weeds in there. Waiting for my son to wake up from his nap, and then I'll be employing this child's labor in the garden!

[@REDGardens]

haha, yeah weeds do make an excellent source of compost material!

[@karensteigerwald3926]

I had one oh so pretty fleabane at the edge of the garden and I couldn't cut it when it was flowering then I forgot about it and it went to seed. I feel your pain, the wind blew many too many seeds into the flower bed. Even people with lots of experience to silly things. :)

[@riverdalegardens544]

Always great content! Thanks for being so candid 😊 very informative video

[@REDGardens]

😁

[@pboyd4278]

Really great and enlightening perspective on weeds delaying over years. Once again…you’ve nailed it. (Nailing=work) Thanks again!!

[@REDGardens]

😁

[@susanneb9786]

I am glad you decided to make this video! I was very lazy the 2nd half of last year and now I have to deal with the consequences. Wild violets everywhere and sooo many other weeds and they all went to seed 🤦‍♀️. I hope I learned my lesson...

[@REDGardens]

That is a tough start to the season!

[@Sunflowrrunner]

I'm feeling this this year. I keep trying to help out a friend and let them borrow my lawn mower/trimmer but they're never in a rush to return them so the weeds from my lawn have colonized the garden. My garden is significantly smaller, so I can just keep hand weeding, but it's annoying.

[@REDGardens]

That is annoying! I also struggle when the tool I need is not available!

[@AntoniaLister]

I'm a lot like you when things get too overwhelming or stressful, or I have overcommitted. You do a fantastic job overall though and I love your content. The flip side of the tendency to overcommit means you learn lots in different areas, keep things interesting and can discover and share things you might not have experienced if you were more conservative with your time and the projects you take on. Sorry you have all these extra weeds to deal with, but you'll manage, and if you don't get on top of them for a while - it's fine :) No one's perfect and your gardens and videos are fantastic!

[@REDGardens]

Thanks! Yep, one of the great things about over committing, is that it means I can learn a lot more, which is one of the reasons why I keep doing it. 😁

[@firefly5421]

Well it's good to know that I'm in good company! The growing space for my sweet peas is facing the same issue: too many weeds and it's a pain in the back to be pulling them all. I have bluebells that grow in front of the sweet peas so the weeds are hiding there and get some seeds scattered before I can make sense of them behind the bluebell foliage. Something we all fight as gardeners and I appreciate your transparency! Fingers crossed this doesn't bother you for too long!

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, once they get too big, and the plants grow a lot, it can be a real hassle to clear the weeds!

[@kannmann97]

As a small farm we did the EXACT same thing last year. It really does bother me that we let this happen as well and i struggle to not feel guilty about it. However it should be noted that the seeds likely only covered the surface of the soil. Flame weeding/ broad cultivation once the seedlings germinate may not be as much of a problem as you think. But it is seriously so hard to not feel bad but it absolutely happens a lot. I’m in the same boat!

[@REDGardens]

I was just thinking if I could be more aggressive with the flame weeder, and heat up the soil more, if it would have killed more of the ungerminated seeds while they were still on or near the surface of the soil.

[@HenricLassesson]

Thanks! This was quite informative. It gave me a good understanding of what I can do better in my garden.

[@REDGardens]

Glad it was helpful!

[@lisahodges8299]

I need to take your advice. I will be covering one of my beds that got away from me with a lot of weed growth. Birdy

[@PlantObsessed]

I seem to like to learn the hard way too. I'll be ripping out an entire perennial bed this spring due to the same thing. 👍🏼😃

[@REDGardens]

I have a perennial area I need to remove as well, for the same reason.

[@katipohl2431]

Here in Germany I put old carpets in some weedy places of my garden for one or two years and grow plants in weed fabric or containers.

[@REDGardens]

I have tried that, and works quite well.

[@carolinebrett2634]

Carpet becomes a problem when all the weeds grow through it and it becomes wet ,smelly and horrible to remove

[@michaelmcclafferty3346]

Thanks for a very informative and honest video Bruce. I have some of your habits too. I liked your wee hand weeder and will make one soon. I think that you need to train and mentor some young people to take the load off you and pass on your skill and knowledge.

[@bobbun9630]

You might have been able to do something equivalent to solarization... Scrape up the top inch or so of soil/mulch and run it through a hot composting process before putting it back down in the same place.

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, that is a thought. I wonder if solarisation on a very sunny day would help.

[@democlese]

Love ya brotha, thanks for all you do.

[@REDGardens]

😁

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

thanks for your honesty Bruce. x

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

My pain comes from leaving bindweed to get a hold. Some came in on a gifted plant. I did a half-hearted job of getting it out (I was ill) and now the whole large bed is totally riddled with it. Entirely my fault.

[@REDGardens]

Bindweed is a really tough one to get rid of!

[@trockodile]

Yep! Never a truer word has been spoken. Good on you man, such honesty and integrity. Good luck with your weeding and thank you for your knowledge sharing, it is very much appreciated. I know I'm kidding myself but I regularly tell myself that those weed seedlings aren't a true issue, just a crop of micro green salads for my chickens that I need to stay on top of to get the primary crop for humans out! Sadly the chickens are VERY well fed every year...🤣

[@REDGardens]

Thanks. Somtimes having an excuse like that does make it easier for ourselves.

[@grahamburchell1]

I feel your pain as neglected a bed last year and now paying the price in additional weeding😢

[@REDGardens]

Keeping on top of things one year, does make the next year easier!

[@thelifecoop9488]

i wat your videos inititially and then I leave my youtube one to listen to you overnight.

[@dhaniaboodoo7042]

Thank you for being honest

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@ericv00]

My biggest problem is that I like eating and using dandelions (for greens and for brewing), so I deliberately don't destroy all of them. But it only takes one plant to reseed the whole 2 acre property. I have similar issues with stinging nettle and blackberries...

[@REDGardens]

That is one of the issues with seeing plants like that as something to forage!

[@insidethegardenwall22]

Last Fall the lawn maintenance guy of our development was bagging the fallen leaves in his truck, so I casually asked what he was doing with them. “To the dump for USD$25 a truckload.” “Dump them in my garden and I’ll pay for it.” So he came back with another truckload! This spring I have zero weeds but millions of earthworms. I simply moved the partially decomposed leaves from the in-ground beds to the pathways and started planting. I didn’t bother fertilizing either as the leaves rendered some. We’ll see how the young seedlings go, so far just some slug damages.

[@REDGardens]

Nice!

[@invisiblesurfer]

I'm in zone 9 and can confirm weeds grow through the black tarp. Granted I too should have weeded before the flower stage but still, it's shocking just how strong weeds are.

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, they really are impressive plants!

[@Ladythyme]

Exactly why I can’t be bothered gardening anymore …. Every one likes to portray gardening as a fortuitous thing but no one likes to portray the hardships or downsides. Its not til one has spent a fortune in money and time setting one up that they reveal themselves . I’ve come to realize that I like looking at and having a mature garden more than i like gardening 😉Thanks for your honesty

[@srantoniomatos]

Anything on the land, at least gardenning, means persistence, regularity, discipline. Wich for most of us - me ate least - is really difficult. Specially when its just for the love of it, doing it as an amateur, because rarely is worth the money.

[@REDGardens]

I am hoping that my work, and the videos of other channels, can help people have much better expectations of the work, and to reduce the workload.

[@AtheistEve]

Thank you.

[@glassbackdiy3949]

oof I feel your pain! I imported 20tons of 'premium' topsoil to fill raised beds, came with a ton of free grass seeds, I was expecting a few but not enough for a lawn! Had to upgrade your bucket handle weeder design, cheap £3 450mm long screwdriver and a heath robinson cinderblock forge and a blowlamp, much hammering later I have a nice L shaped robust hand weeder than can keep a sharp edge really well.

[@REDGardens]

A wire weeder out of a long screwdriver sounds like a great option!

[@angelad.8944]

I do see edibles amongst the unwanted. Lamb's quarters is one and I actually prefer it over spinach. I usually let it get 4 to 6 true leaves and then harvest them all. I give them a quick blanch, dunk them in cold water, make balls of them as I squeeze all the water out and then freeze them for later use. I get that you have a lot of choice but why fight it when you can just eat it. You would be amazed how quickly it all disappears once you see it all as food and you start looking out for them in a positive way. 🙂 Nettles, chickweed, etc. Worth investigating I think.

[@AtheistEve]

Yes. I managed to kill off patches of Ground Elder by eating it in my previous garden.

[@REDGardens]

Haven't got into eating the weeds yet, apart from nettles.

[@GrowBagUK]

One tactic I am trying is to introduce what I call beneficial weeds. These are useful plants that can be left to self-seed around the garden. Plants that have self-seeded this year: borage, chamomile, lettuce, parsley, chard, corn salad, purslane, calendula, welsh onions, chives and clover. Many of these are acting as a ground cover until the tender plantings can go out, others have been dug up and transplanted into a suitable position for cropping or just left to their own devices if they are not interfering with other plants. Completely revolutionises how you view "weeds" if they are actually useful and can grow themselves without any work.

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, that is a really interesting approach. I 'tried' it a few times, but found it hard to manage the weeds so that they are not interfering with the crop.

[@GrowBagUK]

@@REDGardens Yeah probably only feasible on a small plot like an allotment. I just enjoy the bonus plants that pop up on their own. Have a lovely succession of Red Romaine after leaving five or six plants to self seed last year. I am also very circumspect about "weeds". If they are not spreading by runners or seed then I see them as free cover crops until the space they occupy is really needed. Vigilance is needed but 10 minute sessions with every visit targeting highest priority weeds seems to work out on our small plot.

[@bonniepoole1095]

As I get older, I don't have the energy to succession plant, harvest, cook the fresh veggies, put up the produce, water, and weed. So as summer comes on and the harvest begins, weeding takes a back seat to food storage, watering, and prepping meals. It's not until November when serious seeding begins and lasts all winter! Of course, the weeds have all gone to seed so, it's a mess! I'm fortuate to be in the warm-ish PNW of the US where I can be out in the garden most of the winter. Happy Spring, everyone!

[@REDGardens]

I wonder if my approach would change if the weather was nice here in Ireland to work in the garden all winter!

[@jameskniskern2261]

Failures are important to learning. And not the end of the gardening.

[@REDGardens]

Yep, failures are good as long as we continue. But so many people give up after too many failures.

[@steveme120]

very useful thanks

[@leftfootmoreright3304]

4:55 - "I usually take on way too much" - welcome to the club! ;) after all, it is just human.

[@REDGardens]

Yeah ...

[@garrettb72]

You've probably heard of corn gluten meal. Maybe you've tried it. You might still be able to seed your beds if you break the soil surface but the high nitrogen in the cgm might not be useful along with possible poor germination due to pre emergent property. Its also kind of expensive. Might be worth trialing on a bed of transplants instead of seed. Best of luck to you.

[@REDGardens]

I haven't heard of it, and not sure it is available around here.

[@FlinFarmer]

Thanks teacher

[@REDGardens]

😁

[@VanderlyndenJengold]

A few familiar friends seen here. I will pay more attention to my 'weeds' in the next week.

[@HoboGardenerBen]

Seems to me that the main issue is all the open distrubed soil, that is weed's natural environment. In VT I have had great success using wood chips to mulch paths and fallen leaves for the beds. Chips are too aggressive for most crops at first, I typically only plant trees, shrubs, and strong perennials into chipped beds. Leaves are lovely gentle mulch, worms love them. I get very good weed supression this way and the mulch keeps the soil loose so weeding deep rooted plants becomes easier the longer the soil is under mulch. Slugs are an issue for sure, but they get less over time as predator populations build up for the buffet. I try to trellis stuff when possible, make them have to work for it. I do still have to weed a few times each growing season, but it's not a big deal. My first gardening boss had a thing about open soil, she didn't like mulch, and we had major weed problems in all the gardens. Those problems got soooo much better when she finally listened to me and used mulch. To me, mulch is the single most important aspect of the garden. It blocks the force of the rain, preventing compaction and dirty water splashing up on the plants. It blocks light so that soil organisms can do their thing and increase fertility while smothering weeds and keeping the soil moist. It slowly breaks down and feeds the plants. It looks good too. I think open soil is ugly, especially after a rain, unmulched gardens become nasty mud pits. Though compost is different, Charles Dowding uses compost as mulch, I tried it but didn't like it, encourages weeds too much.

[@michaelg8642]

chamberbitter aka “gripeweed” has been the bane of my existence.. worst of all is bushkiller vine.. that stuff seems impossible to kill even with herbicide.. if you try to tarp it the vines will just pop up 50ft away around the edges of the tarp

[@REDGardens]

Sounds like a tough weed!

[@wmpx34]

Funny you post this now. Yesterday I was out there painstakingly digging out Bermuda grass rhizomes that had spread laterally into a bed from a foot or so underground. Im not a fan of plastic, but I was thinking…has anyone ever tried pouring a thin concrete lining about two or three feet down around the edge of a garden? That would be way more permanent than plastic, and I can’t see weeds growing through it very easily. I’ve seen people pour concrete linings for compost bins to prevent tree roots from growing up through the bottom of them, but I haven’t seen anyone try it for a garden plot yet. Maybe someone has though.

[@REDGardens]

Concrete sounds interesting. I do wonder if the thin lining will crack with frost (if that is a thing in your climate) allowing the weeds to get in.

[@solarcrystal5494]

instead of just adding a thicker layer of top soil, why not do that but before adding, remove the first few inches of contaminated soil?

[@stevekent3991]

That’s what I do, it might seem a lot more work removing your top soil but better than constantly weeding a mass of new weed growth every year. As long as you are hot composting, dump the old top soil back into the compost to kill the seeds.

[@REDGardens]

Interesting option.

[@TrogdorBurnin8or]

Once weeds have taken hold, and you've put a first crop in anyway, what do you think of weeding by overplanting, thick-mulching, and companion planting to deprive them of light?

[@REDGardens]

One issue with that approach is that some of the weeds grow faster than the crops I can grow. I have a patch of closely spaced spinach that I didn't weed as well, which is doing a fairly good job of suppressing a lot of the weeds, but enough are getting through that I can't use the easier and faster 'cut-and-come-again' method for harvesting. I have to pick individual leaves and then spend more time removing the weeds. With some crops it might work, but I think it is easier in this context to simply weed.

[@BalticHomesteaders]

Be thankful you don't have ground elder to deal with! I'd happily swap 100 years of weeding your polytunnel for dealing with this relentless beast.

[@REDGardens]

I am glad I don't have to deal with that as well!

[@rogerclarke7407]

do to health issues, weeds got ahead of me two years in a row this year while getting the beds ready i could see all the crab grass seeds all over the place at least it's not a perennial.

[@REDGardens]

That is tough. Hope you can clear it all out.

[@rogerclarke7407]

@@REDGardens I can work the hoe for longer without a break this year, so i stand a chance at keeping up.

[@jewiesnew3786]

Creeping or vining weeds are even worse, if you let them grow fully they will smother your crops. Cutting the base usually kills them, but the vine left behind are tough and will continue to constrict your plant, so have to pull them out. But pulling them out at once risks damaging your crop or uprooting rhem altogether, the only option left is to manually untangle each vine painstakingly.

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, I have experienced that with bindweed!

[@Hayley-sl9lm]

I want to try out flame weeding for meadowscaping! I am curious if it actually might spur on the germination of some weeds while destroying the ones already germinated-- a lot of the native prairie wildflowers in the US actually need fire to breakdown their seed coats, there are probably some like that where you are (though maybe not as many). It would actually be brilliant for prairie restoration.

[@REDGardens]

Hadn't thought about that possibility!

[@carolinebrett2634]

Grass seed tend to germinate after flame treatment

[@Hayley-sl9lm]

@@carolinebrett2634 Right and fireweed is another -- I think in Ireland they call it great willow herb?

[@MrNickEarly]

Why not just don't water them? ground cover is important. and you can till those into the soil or cover them from fall to spring to feed your soil with little effort.

[@REDGardens]

They would out compete any crop I want to grow there, and go to seed quickly, possibly within a month or two, making the problem worse.

[@Omapk]

Tomatoes are weeds in my garden.. they drop off and I lose them, next year I have hundreds of tomato plants coming up everywhere I don't want them.

[@REDGardens]

I have the same issue in one of the polytunnels.

[@woodchipgardens9084]

I make extra effort to attack Torpedo Weed with a large shovel and hand held shovel everytime I see the stuff but I dont really care about all the other weeds so much. Torpedo weeds sucks up all the moisture and nutrient from any patch of soil with the roots but all the other ground cover stuff seems to enhance moisture content.

[@REDGardens]

Looks similar to the scutch grass I have to deal with.

[@woodchipgardens9084]

@@REDGardens yes they do look the same, coiling roots that saturate the soil in a root bound manner, I'm not sure what the name is really.

[@slaplapdog]

Planting through the black plastic might have saved you this years work, at the cost of making holes in the plastic. I'm not sure if black plastic would actually deplete the annual weed seed bank, which further diminishes the value of that avenue. Does it ever get hot enough there for solarization to work? Does solarization deplete the annual seed bank? I wonder if plastic can be used between rows, without cutting it. Solarization between rows would heat the soil overall, which could actually be good for some crops.

[@srantoniomatos]

Solarization depletes a big chunk of the weed seeds. Until you let new seeds to land, or just move the soil when planting... a clean empty soil is perfect to anykind of reseeding. Even deep mulch soil (even lasana style) get weedy. Even after herbicide (even several sprays). There s no way to avoid dealing with weeds every year.

[@REDGardens]

We generally don't get hot enough sun for long enough for solarisation to be an effective option. And the periods of intense sun tend not to occur when solarisation would be useful.

[@gregbluefinstudios4658]

Weeds. Bane of many gardener's existence. The good news for me, my veggies all grow in Fabric Grow Bags. Not so for my Fruit (in ground) and Flower beds. Ahh, well, until there's a better way, weeding it is!

[@REDGardens]

I find that I am start gin to get weeds seeds blowing into my grow bags as well!

[@gregbluefinstudios4658]

@@REDGardens WOW, well for me, whatever is in my Grow bags, goes into a compost bin, in Nov. for 18 months later the NEXT growing season.

[@mikeharrington5593]

But how did the weed seeds get into the polytunnel in the first place ? Wind?

[@REDGardens]

Perhaps, or I brought them in on my shoes. Or they were in the soil all this time and finally germinated. Or a bird could have brought them in. Lots of options.

[@paul.1337]

@8:59 Anyone know what those small "asterisk"-shaped weeds are called? I've been trying to get rid of them for like two years.

[@ericv00]

Cleavers? Galium Aparine. Edible actually (provided you correctly identify them as this). Eat them into extinction, haha!

[@AtheistEve]

I think they’re probably Bittercress. Apparently they’re edible.

[@lizc8187]

Hairy bittercress. They add a mild rocket-like flavour to salads. But you really need to let them grow on a bit to make the leaves worthwhile.

[@AtheistEve]

@@lizc8187 They’re pretty too. And have explosive seed pods.

[@ElisandeWalters]

abandoning tasks when they become frustrating while other tasks of equally value NEED doing is deeply normal, tho. I personally try to teach my children, that a better way to approach situations of "habit" than the "I could do better/will do better/shame myself (however low key) when inevitably the habit WILL surface" is to EXPECT the habit, and to have/develop an idea on how to avoid long term damage as best as possible WHEN the habit surfaces. And that makes room for a different question: when you EXPECT this habit to surface, what would be a promising way to manage THAT situation so that our habits will get us into the least amount of trouble? What can you do different THEN, instead of "i will just Not do the thing my biological system has been doing with inevitability at some point". This might be an interesting exploration on "failure" videos (which - I agree - are important, because ppl will get a distorted/romanticized view of gardening), what is a good way to manage "MY bad habits" the way you grow plants by building soil instead of focusing just on the plant ;) may the weeds find otehr growing spaces for themselves. best of weeding to you!

[@ArtFlowersBeeze8815]

The self seeders...are they weeds or free plants from thinning? To-may-toe. To-mah-toe! ;)

[@brianking6671]

thanks for the vid! going out to weed some more. :(

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@alisonburgess345]

Oh - I'm in exactly the same position but on my small flower farm. Oh well, I know it's coming so I need to be disciplined about clearing the seedlings. In the meantime, I'm stale seed bedding so get as clean beds as possible. I've got trillions of seedlings coming...😅

[@REDGardens]

Good luck! I have found that using stale seedbed methods and delaying sowing/planting can really cut down on the workload of weeding with these seedlings.

[@TheKrispyfort]

I pour boiled water on undesirable weeds, such as Scotch thistle.

[@What..a..shambles]

Hairy bittercress is a superfood,see the benefits 😅 👍🏻

[@whitebelt2905]

Can you do anything with the weeds or do they go into the trash?

[@REDGardens]

Everything goes in the compost to recycle back into the gardens.

[@damoshombres]

Clover has taken over here 😔

[@saethman]

"Want to grow everywhere"? Nope, never heard of that before! 🙄lol

[@REDGardens]

Haha!

[@Chris-op7yt]

exactly, just takes peristance and vigilance. and that's how you have a mostly weed free garden or yard. there's no magic bullet and the only thing that doesnt grow weed is concrete that is free of cracks, or a synthetic lawn. organic crowd has been indoctrinated with ideas of permanent kill of weeds in treated area, or alternatively that weeds indicate unhealthy soil, or that you can have some permanent mulch that will never let weeds grow. all bogus wastes of money, time and effort, but we can be easily fooled by good sounding snakeoil or exaggerations. unless you have soil that is incapable of growing any plant, it's about planting and looking after the plants you want, and removing the plants/weeds that you didnt plant. i forgot the last one, this is the most recent supposed strategy for growing plants: just let the weeds grow and consider it a healthy eco system. that doesnt pan out well. it's funny that oftentimes improved soil conditions, including good moisture levels, immediately reward us with an abundance of weeds, that we never knew we had seeds in soil. i have bought and plan to use row cover landscaping fabric, to keep soil covered under plants and thus keeping plants cleaner, and it should also reduce weeds. farmers use the cheaper thin plastic row cover for keeping weeds out. cheers Red.

[@REDGardens]

Yep, persistence is the main strategy. But I have definitely noticed a reduction of weeding needed with some of the methods I have tried, including a deep mulch of clean compost, which can really help reduce the weeding workload.

[@bradcarby3765]

A liberal coating of S-Metolachlor, paraquat and diquat should fix that right up for you. Of course, you won't be able to direct sow anything for 6 months. Transplants should be fine.

[@REDGardens]

Ah, I'd rather do the work.

[@bradcarby3765]

@@REDGardens Probably for the best.

[@LittleJordanFarm]

👍🙌 respect

[@timonix2]

Instead of abandon things by leaving them, maybe it's better to explicitly abandon it. Take down all growth, weeds and tomatoes together. Put a ground cloth and leave it to the next spring. Not having the time or energy to take care of everything is understandable. And abandoning the less prioritized work is healthy. But maybe it could have been done in a more organized way giving a head start to this year. At least that's my takeaway from this.

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, probably better to just take them out, but not really how things work for me I guess. Prioritising things at the beginning of the year is a better option, but it is always hard to judge the workload for different times of the season when I am always changing planting plans.

[@hotmalm]

👌😀

[@thaliahelene]

At least you get a bucket of chicken food.

[@REDGardens]

I need to get chickens!

[@pinballwizard6906]

In poly tunnel allow weed to seed then with clear plastic on soil surface and it will cook the first inch or two of soil and any weed seeds and plant material ✌️😎

[@BlackJesus8463]

no

[@REDGardens]

Probably works in a warm climate, but in Ireland it will just help the seeds grow, except for those few sunny and warm weeks we might get in the summer.

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

did you watch the video?

[@nolanjdon3514]

One word, Blowtorch