another weed and grass question...

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I also don't want to use Roundup, but in my 100+ degree heat I simply can't pull weeds all day! In my garden, I layed cardboard down between my rows and then mulched the whole garden with about 3" of peanut hulls. The burmuda grass is coming up through my cardboard!! It is poking holes right through it!! My ground was plowed first and I pulled out most of the grass. This stuff has 9 lives. Do you have any suggestions on killing the grass and weeds without using a chemical? Would the plastic thing work on top of the peanut hulls and cardboard that I already have down? Also, how long will the plastic work (will the weeds come right back)? My WHOLE yard is nothing but weeds. I don't think we have any grass left. We are going to spread Weed & Feed this weekend, but would like to not do it again. We do it once a year and it kills the weeds for a few months but they just come right back. Any suggestions would be great.

-- Rebecca (rebeccagallant@earthlink.net), May 03, 2002

Answers

Bermuda grass is H*ll to get rid of and that's a fact.

Without resorting to herbicides the way I did it was to rake out the tilled area very thoroughly because it'll sprout from every joint. Lay down mulch as thick as you can and when it's settled a week or so lay down more on top. THEN you pull up every bit that manages to poke through. Layers of cardboard/paper with mulch on top will be even better. No matter what you do you're going to have to pull up the stuff that comes through because it'll poke holes in plastic too!

........Alan.

-- Alan (athagan@atlantic.net), May 03, 2002.


Fire. Use a flame weeder or borrow a roofing torch. Keep at it. The ash will be good for the ground.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), May 06, 2002.

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