Weeding and Mulching

   Removing weeds from your garden is probably the most time consuming part of vegetable gardening.   Once you've planned and planted your garden, it's easy to kick back and admire your work, but keeping weeds under control is essential for a successful garden.

If left alone, weeds will eventually take over the unplanted space in your garden, robbing your vegetable plants of water and nutrients, and helping spread insects and disease.

Weeds are divided into two types, annual and perennial.  Annual weeds grow for one season, and leave their seeds dormant in your soil, waiting for next year. Perennial weeds leave roots in your soil and will come back year after year if not removed. Dandelion is an example of a perennial weed.  

Mulching is an effective way to control weeds in your garden.  In addition, mulching insulates the soil, holds moisture in, and can even protect plants from certain diseases.

Common mulches used are straw, sawdust, leaves (other than walnut), woodchips, compost, and even grass clippings.  Walnut leaves contain iodine, which is toxic to some vegetables.  Also, if grass clippings are used, make sure that the lawn wasn't treated with a herbicide.

   

This well-designed book offers a series of detailed plans for a variety of kitchen garden types, including an "exuberant" potager, a salad and herb garden, a formal fruit garden, a vegetable patchwork, a cottage garden, and more. Alphabetically arranged sections on planting and cultivating a wide variety of vegetables and fruits are also included, along with chapters on propagation, crop rotation, and other practical topics. Color photographs and clear drawings appear throughout.