Replies

Hello All! This site has a gardening thread! To Cool. I have not posted in a while as I have been busy working O.T., and building, and planting a new garden. The size is 55’ x 75’ x7’ .
My question is.What is safe to use to spray the entire garden with to kill the weeds, and not the produce? Ortho, Miracle Grow etc.
What I have growing: Sweet Corn, Potato's, Tomato's, Peppers,Beets,Beans,Cabbage,Lettuce,Radish,Carrots,Onions,Pumpkins,Gourds,Watermelons, and peas.
The weather here in Detroit has been Hot, humid, and plenty of rain late spring, and early summer. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

MCB

Where are the weeds growing? In the aisles you could possibly get away with Round-Up but don’t spray on a windy day but if the weeds are in the beds you will have to hand weed. Never spray Ortho Weed be Gone in a veggie garden...

Hi there MCB. Sounds like you have a great garden growing.

I don't think there is anything you can spray the whole garden with that will kill the weeds and not your veggies :(

I think something along the lines of one of these is your best bet.

Get you a garden tiller. You don't have to buy new, but when you by used, have them crank it and show you how to use it.

Something like this is what I recommend.
The Rear Tine Tillers give you easier control and leverage to work the soil deeper.
Be sure to store in under a roof.

Get a good HULA HO. You'll be surprised how many different ways you can use it to do detailed weed-removal.

Forget the weed spray.

One other thing about that tiller.
The weakest link is the shifter "C" inside the transmission.
If you break it, it's a half a day's labor taking it apart, and a half a day's labor putting it back together.

(expensive unless you do it yourself and the part is about $50.00) So go easy when shifting gears. And DON'T BUY ONE WITHOUT A REVERSE GEAR THAT WORKS.

One other tool I find useful is a "Bean Punch".
You'd have to find one at a flea market or go to a junk yard and have someone make one out of a steel rod about one or two inches in diameter.
It needs to be about 6 foot long with a point on one end, and about five foot up, it needs a steel wheel about one inch thick and 6 or 8 inches in radius welded around the 1 or 2 inch steel rod. The foot above the "wheel of steel becomes the handle".
The thing needs to be heavy. Because you're going to use it to punch holes in the dirt and open them up by pushing and pulling the punch to work out a funnel in the dirt.
Wear leather gloves. You'll lift the punch you above where you want the hole and stab it into the dirt, and then wiggle it around.
A good punch in normal soil will make a one foot deep hole in about 5 to 7 stabs.
The hole will need to be about a foot deep. Then you put your bean stick, a piece of wood, usually a sweet-gum sapling about 6 foot in length and about 1/1/2 inches in diameter at the base, in the hole, and pack the dirt around it.
One you have your bean punch either made or bought, be very careful. Don't loan it out, because people won't return it.
Keep it under lock and key because people will steal it.