Was able to get out to my land today. It looks like the farmer up the hill has his field planted already, so I’m not going to ask him to drive across it. On the other hand, it looks like I won’t have to.
2 years ago I tried to see how much I could simplify the process of hacking out a garden from the weeds. I trampled the weeds down in an area, laid landscaping fabric over top, and waited several weeks before cutting slots in the fabric to plant through. My thinking was that the fabric would have the weeds smothered by then. It didn’t work, I only got one pumpkin that year. Last year I planted in the same place (I hadn’t removed the fabric) and got 5 pumpkins and an amaranth stalk. There was still a thick layer of dead, dry weeds between the fabric and the dirt, and there were live weeds growing up through the holes I’d cut in the fabric.
Today when I went out, there were so many weeds growing through the holes that I decided to try cutting a few new holes as far from the old ones as I could manage. Much to my suprize, I found only a few wisps of dead stalks, and under that was soft, loose dirt, rich with worm castings. It seems my original idea had worked after all, I just hadn’t waited long enough! So, I’ll be laying down lots of landscape fabric this year, as much as I can manage, so that my future garden beds can be ready for me. It would take a few years to get the weeds out if I went by conventional methods anyway, and this way I don’t have to do the work. It’s not a perfect solution, it probably would be laughable in a different situation, but for me this works!
You can solarize soil and kill weed seeds.
After a soaking rain, put down clear plastic and secure it.
The sun will super heat the soil and sterilize it of weed seeds down to about 6-8 inches.
It takes hot sun and about 6-8 weeks.
Not real helpful for this summer but it would be ready for a fall garden or for planting next year...you can still use landscape fabric.