How to get rid of the grass between the plants?

[George.com]

mulch, probably about 4 inchs deep I have seen recommended. Keep it a little away from the stems of the plants. What you can use as mulch is varied and diverse. Spoilt hay, straw, stredded leaves, dried grass (not newly mown), partly composted pine needles, composted saw dust or wood shavingsompost, used coffee grounds, used mushroom compost, sea weed if you can get it, spent hops or corn husks etc etc etc etc. Avoid large and medium chunks of wood, in fact any wood shavings or saw dust that has not been weathered for

2-3 months at least, treated wood products, stone and plastic sheets.

rob

[Mark]

This is probably the stupid question, but I am new in gardening, so this is why I am asking this question. I have planted vegetable garden. Garden is on the slope. Plants (tomatoes, corn, cucumbers,etc,etc,) are planted not in terraces but such that it looks like in containers. But in reality it is just the container without the bottom. Anyway, when I started it I have made a mistake. I have turned over all the soil. In some places I have removed old vegetation from previous year. But in some I was lazy and just turned it over. so, now there is grass came up in the places between containers. This is ugly and makes it difficult to grow my vegetables. How can I get rid of the grass between containers without using chemicals and at the same time spending as little labor as possible? Not only the garden is on the slope, but there is a plastic dripping tubing system that makes it difficult to walk there?

[cloud dreamer]

Try some landscape fabric. Buy a 20 or 25 year type which is thick and will last a while. The fabric is black (cutting off light to the plants underneathe) and comes in rolls that are three or four feet wide. Just place it anywhere that weeds and grass are a problem among your plants. You can cut it to fit...even right up to the base of your corn if necessary.

If you walk on the area, you can put a layer of mulch on the fabric. Looks good and is functional.

..

MMVIII

[Mark]

Thanks.

that is a lot of mulch. Why does it have to be 4 inches deep?

George.com wrote:

[Mark]

[cloud dreamer]

I would imagine the plastic would not only kill the grass, but a lot of the (beneficial) insects that live in that area and are helpful to the plants. Putting plastic down solarizes the area underneathe. It's helpful to do that on beds where you suspect harmful insects or weeds reside before you plant. If you only want to control the grass (and weeds), then fabric is what you need. It works by simply blocking the light. Rain can still get through which wouldn't be possible with plastic (and you'd run into puddle/river/standing water problems with the plastic).

If you go just for mulch, 4 inches would be the best. If you put the fabric under the mulch, you can get away with just enough to comfortably cover the fabric.

..

Zone 5a in Canada's Windy Far East

[Puckdropper]

"Mark" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Weeds are determined things that will grow anywhere. Grass is VERY determined and grows everywhere except where you want it! If your mulch isn't deep enough, it won't stop the weeds from growing up. Too deep, and they'll take root in the mulch.

Puckdropper

[Salmon Egg]

Fabric allows for irrigation while still blocking weeds.

Bill

-- Fermez le Bush

[J.R.]

Check your local parks and recreation department, roads or sanitation. They may have free wood chips available. I get an unlimited supply from my city. If you ad them every year you will build some nice, loose soil and it will be very easy to pull the weeds in the future. I add a little fresh fertilizer under the chips to compensate for that nitrogen which is used while they are decomposing. Also, I haven't had any problems spreading fresh grass clipping thinly over my garden. I don't put them on any plants and they dry quickly.