Toward a Do-Nothing Gardening, pt. 4: Organic Weed Control (Lazy Gardening)

[@Jefferdaughter]

And I forgot burdock! Several edible parts at different stages... but the root dug in the fall, sliced and sauted in butter with a dash of Redmond's Natural Trace Mineral salt - delicious! Burdock root sells for around $10/lb at our local food co-op. Not bad for a d'weed'! (RNTMS is pre-pollution sea salt, NOT processed, like Himalayan salt but with far fewer food miles!)

[@donrad]

My garden looks almost exactly like yours. We independently came to the same logical "best practices" of gardening. I'm 63 so have been at it a bit longer. One difference is that early-on I put up a 6 foot high wooden fence around the whole garden that is a great barrier to most of the neighborhood airborne weed seeds. It also keeps creeping grasses from creeping in. After about 10 years of using the mulch and compost methods you describe, my garden is 99% weed-free; but built up a large population of rolly-poley bugs. They are normally nature's decomposers, but in the spring they were munching on and killing all my transplants and seedlings. Normally they don't eat live plants, but all the mulch in the cool wet moist spring made them voracious consumers. So this year I held off on mulching the raised beds until June. It solved the bug problem and the soil warmed up much faster. Slugs are not as much of a problem either. After 10 years the garden also becomes like a giant sponge. It holds tons of water and even draws moisture up from the subsoil. Bug-free AND drought-proof!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Don Rad That's great to hear, Don! I'm glad this approach is working well for you too. We also don't mulch some of our beds until June - namely, the ones where we've planted summer crops that need warm soil. We have lots of pill bugs, but they don't cause much damage in the spring because they're still bouncing back after our cold winters. Do you live in a warmer climate? We're in zone 5. Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@donrad]

OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening I'm in Lawrence, KS zone 5/6. With climate change and row covers; zones are meaningless nowadays. This spring was like zone 7 here. The double-layer Elliot Coleman hoop row covers puts us in zone 9. I'm picking PEPPERS now!! Last year I was in zone 4. What is great about this type of back yard food production is that we can quickly adjust to whatever curveball nature throws at us and still hit a home run. I've got 5 rain barrels and an automatic drip system. Nature does all the work if I don't get in the way. The only hard part is (was) picking and processing all the bounty. But that's another story.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Don Rad Wow, you're harvesting peppers already? That's great! Thanks for letting me know about your success using a "lazy" approach. It's great to hear success stories. Best wishes with your garden.

[@ohhowhappygardener]

Thanks for sharing a thumbnail sketch of your approach on how to start a garden!

[@preparedchipmunk]

I suspected that roto tilling was making things worse but my kind neighbor does it that way and turns up with his machine and a smile on his face. Such good intentions! After the rain of the last few days, I am overrun with weeds. Since its the middle of the season I think I will put down what ever cardboard I can rustle up, Maybe junk mail and flyers. Then cover it up with some grass clipping and leaves. Will have to place this around my plants.

[@OneYardRevolution]

preparedchipmunk We've used that approach too - basically spot sheet mulching here and there where needed. It worked very well.

[@CFaith23]

I am new to your channel; thank you for you for sharing your knowledge. Looking forward to learning more.

[@edelweissstamaria5838]

I like all your videos, so much information and good ideas.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Edelweiss!

[@jimsmij]

Do-Nothing Gardening, pt 4. Really enjoying this series and your channel, Patrick. Thanks for sharing.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Jim S Thanks, Jim! I appreciate it.

[@HealthyLifeFarm]

Your garden is so lush and super productive! Low maintenance is my ultimate goal... :)

[@OneYardRevolution]

lovers4healthylife Thanks! I couldn't agree more. The less work in the garden the better. ;-)

[@StreetBoi69uk]

You're doing an absolutely fantastic job of your garden with great techniques. YOU! should be the mainstream garden experts, not all of the nonsense that are at the typical garden centres. Thank you for the time and effort you take to bring these videos to the public. A hundred gold stars (out of five) to you!

[@OneYardRevolution]

+aFewGoodTaters Thank you so much for your kind words! They are much appreciated.

[@practicalreadiness2314]

I love this playlist! Thanks for sharing. I think the best way I've heard to describe this approach is "ambitiously lazy." Thanks for the tips on weed control!

[@Allottedaaron]

Brilliant work Patrick. I tend to think that the secret is often to find a way in to the do nothing ethos and that revolves around doing the right things at the right time. I am just getting to know my new plot and so this year I am doing a lot of watching how things grow and where but the Autumn is when I can start to make things work for me the way I want it to, and Winter will give me a respite to get my mulches and composts in place, so that the following Spring I am firing on all cylinders. Or at least that is the plan. BTW, let me know if you want to do a piece on Allotments and allotment gardens. The site I am on is quite ancient in that tradition and I know that it is an alien but potentially interesting subject for your US viewers. All the best.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Aaron's allotment Thanks, Aaron! That's very interesting. How long has the allotment garden tradition been around?

[@LolitasGarden]

A fantastic ethic that prevents working too hard in your garden.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Lolita's Garden Thanks, Ian!

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

I still have a rather large lawn next to my garden but managing the weeds using the same principles has made it much easier !

[@Iloveorganicgardening]

Your soil and weeds too look great...oh yea...your vegies too!!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Organic Gardening in North Carolina Thanks!

[@707mrb]

Very nice approach Patrick.

[@OneYardRevolution]

707mrb Thanks, Mr. B!

[@ConradCardinal]

This is what I'm doing in our backyard, I only started last year, but so far so good, I've got a long way to go until it's done but from what I've seen, you're right on about it Patrick. Though I admit that I used a tarp for a lot of it last year, and that will be replaced as soon as I can get to it with cardboard, it was a poor choice, lol.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Conrad Cardinal Thanks, Conrad! it can be a challenge to find enough cardboard. My wife was able to get most of ours from the mail room at her job. Best wishes with your garden's transformation!

[@ConradCardinal]

Luckily I used to work at the grocery store in town and have a few "cardboard connections" lol. I think I'm going to do it a little bit at a time every year as I decide what goes where. It'll help spread out the cost of the mulch until I can find a free or very cheap option.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Conrad Cardinal Those cardboard connections will come in handy!

[@TheAbledGardener]

Great video Patrick on keeping your garden weed free and low maintenance. Before my garden was growing, the whole north side of my house was Bermuda grass and we would mow it, turning brown in winter due to dormancy, it looked awful. I like it much better now as a garden and small orchard. Kim

[@OneYardRevolution]

***** Thanks, Kim! Your garden looks so much nicer than a lawn, especially one with Bermuda grass.

[@telinstrong6327]

The Abled Gardener I know your comment is pretty old but I just had to say one thing everytime I see Bermuda grass I think I'll kill it with fire it is such a pain

[@phxtonash]

Very smart makes total sense, my yard is an acre and my girl likes grass so I couldn't do whole yard. And crab grass!

[@OneYardRevolution]

phxtonash Thanks! Yeah, this might be an approach you save just for the veggie garden. ;-)

[@alewisvb1]

your videos are AWESOME! just sheet mulched all of my pathways in my garden.

[@OneYardRevolution]

alewisvb1 Thanks! Best wishes with your garden.

[@77777aol]

Super clear and inspirational ! Thank you. One of the best gardening videos I have seen :^)

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks!

[@HaphazardHomestead]

Garden weeds are great! Even folks that don't like any other wild greens will often like lambs-quarter. It's as good as any garden green, just simply steamed. Amaranth, too. Corrugated cardboard is such a useful free resource. I see so much plastic and landscape cloth being used, when cardboard and mulch would be so much easier in the long run, because the plastic and weed barrier don't last forever. Tilling sure does expose the garden weeds! I use both approaches (intensive and tilling) in different parts of my yard. There is something deep-seated in me that likes looking at long, long rows of garden. : )

[@OneYardRevolution]

HChrisH200 - Haphazard Homestead I saw from one of your comments that you make videos too. I just subbed and hope to catch up on your videos on eating weeds! I love the look of long orderly rows of vegetables too, but the chaos is slowly taking over. ;-)

[@naturallivingdesigns2383]

You need your own gardening show on the Discovery Channel Patrick! I always enjoy video your presentations. Biointensive garden is definitely the way to go. Your garden looks beautiful as always. Thanks for sharing..

[@OneYardRevolution]

Eco Oasis Thanks! I'm still waiting for the call from the Discovery Channel!

[@tedwangg]

Thanks for sharing!好美的菜園,我會朝你所做的這個方向來經營我的個人菜園.太棒了.

[@OneYardRevolution]

+王賢明 You're welcome!

[@elysejoseph]

I bought ''Lasagna Gardening'' as soon as it came out, being an Organic Gardener subscriber. I thought it was a great way to make new garden beds without braking my back! Good tip about eating the weeds, lamb's quarters is probably one of my favorite coming close with purslane.

[@OneYardRevolution]

***** Thanks Elise! I agree. Lasagna gardening is a very easy and effective way to start new garden beds. That's how we started most of ours.

[@MarlonVanderLinde]

This is a great gem of weed control videos, thanks a lot dude. Your advice is sound and simple, and much more along the permaculture lines. Appreciated!

[@courtneymcfarland8333]

Your garden is looking amazing!!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Courtney McFarland Thanks, Courtney!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Great clip as always Patrick. Mulch is best way for us to feed the soil while suppressing weeds in our patch methinks. Most of the pesky weeds we get here are marigolds, black mint, yellow current tomatoes & now amaranth thanks to a very informative YT channel ;-) Cheers mate.

[@OneYardRevolution]

+RobBobs Backyard Farming Thanks, Rob! That's very kind of you to say. We have the same "problem" with weedy food crops out-competing the weeds. There are so many food seeds in the soil the weeds don't stand a chance.

[@seedaholicgardens9085]

+Rob Bob's Backyard Farming Id love my marigolds to self seed more as I eat them in my salads how'd yours get demoted to "weed" status?lol

[@Charito29NP]

Look at that bee!!! So cute!!!

[@RainbowGardens]

Your garden looks really nice this time of year!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Rainbow Gardens Thanks, Donna!

[@Oukoyami]

I'm tired of weeding. I'll be sheet mulching VERY soon. Thank you for the tips and the website.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Oukoyami You're very welcome! I hope sheet mulching works well for you.

[@13ccasto]

This series is great!! Thank you!!!

[@OneYardRevolution]

You're welcome!

[@keyplayr61greenhousehydrop14]

Gardens look beautiful, Patrick!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Keyplayr61 Greenhouse Hydroponics And Gardens Thanks, Keith!

[@LissaAus]

Really good short video :) Thank you

[@OneYardRevolution]

LissaAus Thanks!

[@SkiesOfBlue4MeAndYou]

fantastic garden, thanks for sharing :)

[@OneYardRevolution]

+greenthumbsvegan Thank you!

[@PermacultureHomestead]

love amaranth, dandelion and lambs quarters are others I eat too. People would be surprised at how much food is out there that others would consider "weeds'

[@OneYardRevolution]

Permaculture Prepper Very true. I like crops that are easy to grow, disease resistant, and nutritious, and many edible weeds fit the bill.

[@CaliKim29]

Great tips on organic weed control , Patrick! I have a few problem spots in my garden I need to figure out what to do with. They are even coming through the wood chips I just laid down, perhaps I will lay them down thicker and try to get something else growing there.

[@OneYardRevolution]

CaliKim29 Garden & Home DIY Thanks, Kim! Sheet mulching would probably help. You can do it even over small trouble spots where weeds are coming up between plants. I'd just put a piece of cardboard over the weeds and pile more wood chips on top. I hope this helps!

[@Mindmaid1]

Woohoo! Good work Patrick

[@OneYardRevolution]

Mindmaid1 Thanks!

[@kitdubhran2968]

Love this. Can't wait to smother the lawn so I can grow food there instead. :)

[@OneYardRevolution]

***** Thanks, Kit! Best wishes with your garden!

[@jibarito137]

Beautiful garden. Thank you for sharing.

[@OneYardRevolution]

jibarito137 Thank you!

[@tinkeringinthailand8147]

Great video and great content. Let's see if I can apply it here in Thailand :) Thanks.

[@deborahbamby7206]

Thanks for sharing

[@OneYardRevolution]

Deborah Bamby You're welcome, Deborah!

[@HighDesertGarden]

mulching is the best method. you've done a fantastic job. I thought of a way to resolve the problem with nutrient surpluses. just add rock dust... lol

[@OneYardRevolution]

High Desert Garden Thanks, Phillip! That's hilarious! Rock dust actually would help bring down some of the surpluses. ;-)

[@winterswonderland8227]

Patrick, thanks for another excellent video. I am an avid fan and have learned much from your vids and really appreciate your enthusiasm and hard work. Please enable the funding tab on you channel.

[@OneYardRevolution]

winterswonderland Thanks so much! I'm glad you've found the videos helpful.

[@Allotment-diaryUk]

Although I don't practice your no dig gardening, I never hoe the weeds out, as you say It brings more seed up to the surface. I always hand pull weeds. If I could get enough organic matter and compost I'd try your methods but we just can't get hold of it in the UK without paying a fortune.. Happy Growing. Cheers, Dan.

[@OneYardRevolution]

***** Hi Dan. I've heard the same thing from others in the UK. In a way, it's good that these resources are valued there. You would not believe the amount of free organic matter available here. Everyone is throwing it away! Thanks for stopping by!

[@KALSINFILMS]

This is great. Can you do an episode about Seed Germinating your Favorite seed starting formula etc.

[@OneYardRevolution]

KALSINFILMS Thanks! And thanks for the topic ideas.

[@LCJfarms]

we are starting the sheet mulching process it can be daunting at first

[@OneYardRevolution]

LCJ farms Yes, it can, especially if you have a large space. Happy sheet mulching!

[@Warcraft_Traders]

hey, nice video, thank you for the advice. Do you think sheet mulching would kill large mature thorn bushes and other mature small bushes such as labrador? The thorns I have are about 1/2 inch thick! Best of luck in the future, thank you!

[@OneYardRevolution]

+PayWithLawv Thanks! Sheet mulching, as shown in the video, works great for grass and weeds, but I'm not sure if it would take out the bushes. You'd definitely have to take it up a notch. I'd remove as much of the bush roots I could, cover it with several layers of cardboard, and then bury it with 6 inches of wood chips. This might get the job done.

[@PeaceOutWorld]

Really awesome, as usual! Thanks for sharing. I've been researching lots of videos that talk about soil aggregation that occurs with no-till, and though they are interesting videos, they are usually from commercial farmers and very long in length. I've searched your channel and don't see this topic addressed. The benefits of no-till is something people need to know, but also, no short and succinct videos exist that I can discover. Do you know of any? And if not, maybe have a segment on this topic? Thanks Patrick!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Julianna HM Thanks, Julianna! That's a great idea. I really should do a comprehensive video on the advantages of no-till. I'm going to go put it on my list of video ideas now. Thanks!

[@hughjanus3798]

Great video.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Hugh Janus Thanks, Hugh!

[@ureasmith3049]

You have an excellent voice for communications. Start your own HGTV gardening show.

[@OneYardRevolution]

+UreaSmith Thanks! I'd be happy to do one if they offered. ;-)

[@Homeschoolmeful]

The garden looks amazing but doesn't wood chips and cardboard attract termites? I would hate to attract termites towards my house.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Naida! Cardboard can attract termites, but wood chips won't. If there are termites in your area, avoid using cardboard.

[@SavageNorthGarden]

I tried dandilions even the big broad leaved ones out back in the shady tall grass areas-don't like them. Lamb's quarters?(we called this pigweed-at least a few folks here do) that stuff is ok-get them young. You always do your research, even on the simple topics keep it up!

[@OneYardRevolution]

SavageNorthGarden Thanks! Though I could eat a salad of nothing but dandelion greens, we usually blend them with other more mild greens in a salad. It's a great way to eat the greens if you're not a big fan of the taste.

[@Iamasido]

This video is great and is how I try and manage things at home. My one challenge I have is kikuyu growing under fencing and up through the tree bark on my Paperbark tree. I've managed to suppress it with a very similar method but it's the edges along fences and the base of trees where I struggle. I'm wandering if cut and paint is an effective method of killing Kikuyu as it is so hard to manage in areas that I can't sheet mulch... Did you have trouble along your fences and if so what did you do.

[@msswen]

Love your videos! I have a question about any tips that you might want to share about plants that are low maintenance yet good at absorbing water? I am also hoping these plants can be something that does not have massive vines/root system or will grow too big...? Is this totally mission impossible?

[@OneYardRevolution]

Sophie Thanks, Sophie! Are you planning on growing in the ground or containers? Depending on where you live, there are a number of herbs that are easy to grow and very low maintenance, such as rosemary, sage, oregano, and chives. Garlic is also very easy to grow

[@RougeSamurai77]

I was using cardboard to stop weeds and it was working great until this animal started coming around at night and ripping apart my cardboard mulching :(

[@OneYardRevolution]

RougeSamurai77 Sorry to hear that. You never know what those critters will do next. ;-)

[@virtualfather4117]

I have a comfrey plant that seems to double in size every week. I heard you talk about chop and drop but have not actually seen the chop part. I wondered if you could show that or give some guidance so I do not end up killing the plant. thank you and for all your videos

[@OneYardRevolution]

VirtualFather This video probably comes the closest to showing how we chop comfrey: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXenlWOFqNJpmbs Comfrey is almost impossible to kill. We frequently tear almost all of the leaves and most of the stem off our plants and they're full of leaves again in no time.

[@anthonypoole6901]

Currently composting weeds

[@atizeg]

Hahaha "Aggressively harvest food" :D :D Btw spot on video, I especially like the "eat your weed" approach. :)

[@OneYardRevolution]

atizeg Thanks! I need to get out to the garden now and aggressively harvest some food for dinner! ;-)

[@ZWATER1]

Ty

[@OneYardRevolution]

You're welcome!

[@grahamrdyer6322]

Thanks.....I'm getting there..!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Graham R Dyer You're welcome!

[@kazvswild]

This is a great video, lot's of great info!!

[@OneYardRevolution]

***** Thanks!

[@douglochart1720]

Geez ... I almost feel this one was for me :-) Thanks for covering the beginning of your journey. This year I have started using cardboard for all my new beds however I ran out and ended up using weed fabric for my walk paths. I am storing cardboard now for this Fall and next year and where I have used it and have not turned the soil the results have been great. You had mentioned you sheet mulched your entire lawn. I cannot do that because I am blessed (cursed) with more space than I can garden in a year (at least until I can retire) so I have areas near my garden that are just crabgrass factories. Do I need to go nuclear and sheet mulch the surrounding sea of weeds or am I safe just doing in the gardening area knowing that I may just have a few more weeds to gently pull out of the beds ?

[@OneYardRevolution]

Doug Lochart Hi Doug. I'm glad you found the video timely. If you haven't already, you may want to consider sheet mulching an area of several feet around the perimeter of the garden. It should help reduce the ability of weeds to get into the garden.

[@dorothyandrews8872]

I am sold on the sheet mulching, but my perennial garden is quite big and its hard to get the cardboard around them all. I have compost "cooking " right now, but it will be a while , Other than actually taking out literally dozens of mature perennials, I am finding it hard, as this year I have been given bindweed by the nice birds!! I am trying to smother it, but it is coming in from the lawn. Digging up all the plants would be huge project and I worry I would lose some in the transfer, any suggestions as how to get around this ?

[@southernexposure123]

Last year I tried a garden in a new location only to realize the topsoil was maybe 6 inches deep. It holds water a long time when it rains a lot. I was surprised the garden did so poorly because the ground was recently clear cut for wood products - mainly Pine, but some hardwood. Maybe the topsoil is poor and that's why the garden didn't do well. Weeds grow prolifically there. Do you think that same place would do well for the method described in this video? Thanks.

[@OneYardRevolution]

***** Sheet mulching would definitely help with the weeds. I wonder if the soil pH is low? That's often the case in pine forests. That would explain the poor results.

[@southernexposure123]

OK. Thanks.

[@TheItalianGarden]

i need to start mulching my garden weeds are starting to get out of control! lol

[@OneYardRevolution]

TheItalian Garden It does help a lot!

[@havad3938]

Thank you again! Is there a difference between compost and potting soil, or isothere even soil for planting new seeds? Thanks

[@OneYardRevolution]

You're welcome, Havad! Yes, there's a difference. Potting soil sometimes contains compost, but it also includes ingredients to improve drainage.

[@debfryer2437]

Patrick, I have done intensive planting in my new garden. However, the morning glory has come through and pretty much destroyed the potato crop. They were all volunteers and very close together. The morning glory is overwhelming. I left two thirds of the garden fallow as it was too much for me to work this first year. The weed is all over ever though I spent hours sheet mulching last year. I am very discouraged. I am wondering if I ought to grow everything on trellises like the metal ones you made for tomatoes etc. Will morning glory have a detrimental effect on a potential winter crop of rutabagas, carrots, parsnips and kale or will it have died down by then? Many thanks Deborah

[@OneYardRevolution]

Deb Fryer I'm sorry to hear that, Deb? Morning glories are annuals, right? If so, chopping and dropping them as soon as they appear should reduce their numbers significantly over time. It's very important to keep them from dropping more seeds. They shouldn't have a negative impact on your winter crop.

[@debfryer2437]

These morning glories come year after year and are a pernicious weed here. Everyone fights them. Trouble is this piece of ground has been a weed patch for many years. I am one of the first to try to tame it. Pulling them does little good. They come right back. If you drop them they regrow from the dropped stems re-sprouting. So they have to go in the garbage. I usually leave them to dry out in the sun on plastic, then trash them. However, I am going to get a metal barrel to burn them in. Perhaps their ash will be useful for adding nutrients to the soil. I have noticed that the beds where I dug down a foot and added cardboard, branches and grass clippings, then put in the sifted topsoil, have much less of it. I was hoping to follow Charles Dowding's approach planting straight into manure, but manure won't keep these weeds out. I thing I shall have to do the dug beds throughout the property. So much for my food forest! I have never worked so hard in my life to get this garden started. I hope in time I can be a do nothing gardener! I have been given a big comfrey start and it is doing well. I plan to split it in the fall and hopefully it will push out the millions of dandelions, and perhaps the morning glory as well. I shall start chopping the morning glory instead of pulling it. However, it is just starting to flower now. Sigh.........

[@OneYardRevolution]

Deb Fryer I've never dealt with morning glories before, but I think I'd aggressively pull them and mulch them to get them under control. Some areas of our yard we had to sheet mulch more than once to get the weeds under control.

[@StanTheMan709]

Your channel is awesome im glad i came across it! i subbed

[@OneYardRevolution]

FisherManStan88 Thanks for subbing!

[@Dup4romana365]

Can I start garden like this by puting cardboard and wood chips over the grass in spring/summer ? I was thinking of getting rid of a gras and having a forest , but I would like to start as soon as posible ;-)

[@OneYardRevolution]

Yes, you can start right. You'll have to punch through the cardboard to plant, or leave planting areas uncovered.

[@Dup4romana365]

thank you Patrick. Kind regards from Poland :-)

[@scott98390]

I love the taste of dandelion flowers, but whenever I've eaten a dandelion leaf I've found them to be terribly bitter. What am I doing wrong?

[@PeaceOutWorld]

Scott Baker They're best when they're young, rather than older and more developed =)

[@HaphazardHomestead]

Scott Baker Get tall, lush dandelions that have grown in the shade, long grass, or with good rain and nutrition in your garden -- not the squat, stressed dandelions that have been mowed over a lot, walked on in your garden rows, or are in stressed locations like hard-pack soil and sidewalk cracks. Often, they are good raw. If not, blanch them a couple minutes in boiling water and then cook in another pot of boiling water until tender, or saute in oil, bacon, or ham... Finally, if they are older greens, strip out that center rib, just like you would kale. I eat dandelion greens for months. They are great.

[@scott98390]

Thanks, guys - I'll give those tips a try.

[@HaphazardHomestead]

If you get stuck, I cover picking, processing, and cooking dandelions and other weeds in some videos -- probably too many, but Patrick is right that eating garden weeds is good strategy.

[@ruphuloid]

Scott Baker Here in the Alps we gather them as soon as the snow thaws, when they are tiny and tender. In that stage they aren't any bitter.

[@adrianfox9099]

Our wood chip deep mulch beds are working very well and no annual weeds are coming up, but there is a real problem with bindweed. I did try to get the worst out before mulching, but now it comes through almost every day. It can be easily pulled out but I just know it will keep on coming and coming. Apart from treating with a herbicide (not on our agenda) or digging every piece of root out of the bed, is there anything else I can do to eliminate this horrible weed?

[@OneYardRevolution]

Adrian Fox I'm sorry to hear that, Adrian. Have you tried sheet mulching the areas where it's coming up? You can use sheet mulch even in small areas. I'd cover them with cardboard and more wood chips (without digging anything up).

[@adrianfox9099]

OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening Thanks. Will try more cardboard sheet mulch.

[@sdhjirhgh]

that's how i did it for years. it works.

[@kamalakannangunalan]

Don't the chemicals in the cardboard affect the soil?

[@robertcarey186]

What is the yellow flower at the very end of the show please ? .

[@OneYardRevolution]

Robert Carey Hi Robert. That was a mustard green flower. We let many of our greens flower, go to seed, and self sow.

[@robertcarey186]

OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening Thanks for the speedy response , i thought that is what it is , i bought a couple of packets of wild flowers and it was included , i knew i'd grown it yrs ago but wanted to make sure . I do have one problem though that you might be able to answer , i also bought a packet of catnip and echinacea seeds , i've not grown these plants from seed before . I planted both packets in shop bought compost in propagators outside ! , the seedlings from both packets and almost all of the wild flower seedlings look identical , i was careful not to mix up the seeds , and i find it strange that all three types of plants look the same ? . I have been gardening for yrs and can usually identify seedlings , i've looked on line for pics of seedlings and sure some do look similar , but this seems like more than chance , i am reluctant to let them all survive but find it hard to kill anything , i followed Praxxus55712's advice and fed the weeds , now assuming that they are probably all weeds , but they just got bigger , no flowers , so none the wiser !. What do you think is going on ? .

[@OneYardRevolution]

Robert Carey You're welcome, Robert! It's hard to say what's going on. If they were fed weeds that had gone to seed, they could be weed seedlings. I'd probably wait until they're large enough to identify before pulling everything.

[@pingli4694]

what are the dimensions of your 4x4 beds in terms of height? What kind of stakes did you use? What kind of wood? Can you enumerate all the specs?

[@OneYardRevolution]

The beds vary in depth. This video shows how I make the raised beds: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYfTpXV_f8SMY9E

[@CuriousinNY]

What kind of grow bags do you have in your garden that are white? They look like plastic? Do you still use these? What were you growing in these? Where did you find them? I've been looking for some white ones as I feel the black grow bags might heat up more and require more watering????

[@OneYardRevolution]

Hi Linda! Yes, they're 7 gallon plastic grow bags that we bought on Amazon: amzn.to/2p2CtQZ We grow potatoes, carrots, turnips, beets, kale, collards, and more in them. This is the third year we're re-using the same bags and they're still in perfect condition.

[@AncientSecretz]

What if your pet or dog urinates on the garden beds/veggies and fruits?

[@OneYardRevolution]

Urine shouldn't hurt your plants. I'd probably throw away fruit they peed on but rinsing it off would probably be sufficient.

[@rachaelmacgregor9781]

I'd love an answer to this question if you have time! I have just created our garden beds using sheet mulch topped with 6 inches of compost (we have loads of slugs in the UK so stick to compost for the top layer). I have planted perennial veggies and self sowing plants. If I let things go to seed, will adding 1 inch of compost to the top of the beds (probably at the beginning of winter) stop the seeds coming up? Some things like nasturtium and calendula would be fine but I have others like land cress/American cress which I'm not sure about. How do you mulch with self seeding in mind?

[@OneYardRevolution]

+Rachael Macgregor Hi Rachael! The only mulching we do in our self-sowing beds is to chop and drop plants grown in the bed, including comfrey and annual food crops after they drop seed. These plant remnants decompose quickly enough not to suppress new growth. We also add a small amount of worm castings to the bed every year. I don't think 1 inch of compost will suppress new growth, but 1/2" would probably be sufficient. I hope this helps!

[@rachaelmacgregor9781]

Yes it does help, thanks for replying! Your videos are really great, I think your channel has been my favourite that I've found so far. I really love the way you show the detail and realities of a permaculture inspired garden, especially with the tendency to "do-less". I have three small children so this is definitely my aim in the garden!

[@OneYardRevolution]

+Rachael Macgregor Thanks, Rachael! I'm glad my videos have been helpful.

[@MegaAlfredo97]

Awesome garden and where do you purchase comfrey?

[@at1the1beginning]

Hey Patrick (that IS your name, right? :p ) I LOVE your veggie garden. Although I could never replace my (flower) garden into that, it's a joy to watch every time and alot of the tips are useful in either flower or veggie bed. There's one thing though that keeps drawing my eye and that's your huge hosta. Forgive me for asking, but can you tell me more about that one? Does it grow in full sun?

[@OneYardRevolution]

ty eres Thanks Ty! I appreciate your kind words. The huge hosta is a Blue Angel Hosta. It grows best in partial shade.

[@LindaPenney]

thank you for that advice might just try that on one of my beds

[@OneYardRevolution]

Linda Penney You're welcome, Linda!

[@iwant2stayhome]

How about newspaper?

[@OneYardRevolution]

Tina Salas Hi Tina. Yes, you can use several layers of newspaper too. We always used cardboard because it was much easier to collect enough of it.

[@TheLastLogicalOne]

Do you think that you could use your current system to manage a large property?

[@OneYardRevolution]

TheLastLogicalOne Yes, I think so. A large property should be able to provide all the inputs needed for compost and mulch. It might require some machinery or more people, but I definitely think it's doable.

[@maiseydoodle]

I've heard that cardboard can have glues that may contain harmful chemicals. Is there any truth to that?

[@OneYardRevolution]

+maiseydoodle This is a matter of some controversy. My understanding is that brown corrugated cardboard is safe and the glue is made from corn starch. If you're uncomfortable using cardboard, you can get similar results by applying a very heavy mulch.

[@tinuvianna]

Great video. Do you plant according to SFG's recommendations, or closer together? Also, do you eat your hostas? I learned some of them are edible when I read Paradise Lot, I think.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Anna Tennis Thanks, Anna! When we intentionally plant, we usually stay pretty close to the SFG recommendations, though we give our kale and collards a little more room because they tend to get huge. In our self-sowing polyculture beds, the plants are much closer than is usually recommended. We haven't tried eating hostas yet. I have to look back to Paradise Lot to see what we can do with them!

[@ericsgreenthumbgardening4889]

I have horrible perineial weeds that keep coming back even through 8 to 12 inches of cardboard and woodchips. What can i do to organically kill them. P.s to many to put bowling water on lol

[@OneYardRevolution]

What weed is it?

[@jarrodc2534]

what is the best way to control viney weeds that grow on everything?

[@OneYardRevolution]

Cut them back and pull them out at the root if possible.

[@kski5453]

Is the first weed that you pulled at 4:10 poison ivy?

[@OneYardRevolution]

+K Ski Fortunately not! (I'm very allergic.) It was a little tree sapling.

[@quarteracreadventures855]

Good info (as usual!) The biggest problem I have with weeding is in my perennial beds like my strawberry patch- it is a viney thing called 'Creeping Charlie". I find I can smother it in my annual beds with cardboard, but I'd kill my strawberries with that method. This weed gets into everything and propagates in many different ways- it is my nemesis. Do you have any Creeping Charlie mojo that you can share with me?

[@OneYardRevolution]

+Sandra Noneofyourbusiness Thanks, Sandra! We're fortunate not to have to deal with Creeping Charlie. I wonder if wood chips would help?

[@quarteracreadventures855]

I already use them :(

[@j18bad]

I now look at weeds in an entirely new light since reading this paper published by Warwick University. Insects can see clearly now the weeds have gone: www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/lifesci/wcc/research/pests/companionplanting/biologist_jun03.pdf It seems that anything that's green is enough to confuse any insect, even a green cardboard model of a plant was sufficient. Wow!

[@OneYardRevolution]

j18bad Very interesting article! I think polycultures of edibles are a great way to confuse pests too.

[@antsantoro]

Do you get problems with slugs?

[@OneYardRevolution]

We've had a steady decline in slug problems over the years. Now they're just a minor nuisance. My best guess for why this happened is that predators that prey on slugs have made our garden their home. Wood chip mulch is an excellent habitat for some insect slug predators.

[@openg739]

So, do you just leave the cardboard and mulch in place permanently? Like that becomes the new top layer? Or I guess maybe more accurately, the new base layer?

[@OneYardRevolution]

Yes, we leave the cardboard in place, but it decomposes fairly quickly.

[@SouthpawDavey]

Where I have good mulch now is fun to weed ;-)

[@OneYardRevolution]

Southpaw Davey Yeah, we usually just pull a weed every now and then when we notice them while we're harvesting. No big deal at all!

[@minkoil00]

I have millions of weeds lol good mulch/ compost

[@OneYardRevolution]

Anastassio Balcorta Yes, they're good mulch! We just pluck our weeds and set them back down on the garden bed (as long as they haven't gone to seed).

[@minkoil00]

Ya the seeds lol I will have millions more next year :/ unless I learn the art of sheet mulch.

[@icarus901]

For other wild edibles, I also really like eattheweeds.com -- the creator has a lot of videos here on youtube also.

[@OneYardRevolution]

icarus901 Thanks for the recommendation!

[@Cragfire]

I think I have it backwards.. I should be growing veggies and not weeds! heh joking, great video. Now that I have administrative control over the garden plot I use, I can finally start implementing these practices. Though it is still up in the air, talking with the land owner, he wants to build a bank on the plot. Ug. Like we need another bank. ;-/

[@OneYardRevolution]

***** Thanks! I'm glad to hear you have more control over the garden plot. When is the bank going to be built?

[@Cragfire]

OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening The way he works, it could be in 3 months or another 30 years. :-/

[@Cragfire]

OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening Just bumped into him a few moments ago. This year I'm good, but next year he's having all the trees taken down on the property. He wants to make it completely cleared so potential renters or buyers can see how big the property is. Seems like this is the last year for this garden plot. It had a good 55 year run. :-/

[@OneYardRevolution]

***** I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you find another location.

[@scott98390]

Remember: a "weed" is just a plant out of place.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Scott Baker True.

[@Jefferdaughter]

I heard that Emmerson said, 'A weed is a plant you don't know the use for.'

[@theghettoindian]

gardenlives.com is a great resource that I have used. It offers a lot of useful articles that are easy to read and use.

[@OneYardRevolution]

theghettoindian Thanks for the recommendation!

[@svetlanikolova7673]

YOU NEVER SPEAK ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF STINGING NETTLE ! WHY NOT TRY IT ?

[@coreoncrack]

Damn your lazy ! I love it :-)

[@OneYardRevolution]

+Core On Crack Thanks!