A hoe is my best weapon in the arsenal against weeds. Very simple. Every time it rains, a thin crust forms on the surface of the soil. As soon as that crust dries out I brake it up with my hoe. The thickness of the crust is usually 1/4 inch to 1 inch. This is very easy to do physically if you do it every time it rains. By braking the crust the path of osmosis between the air and the soil will be broken and transfer of water between soil and air will stop. That (poor man mulch) will conserve moisture and make your garden grow better. When the sun shines on that loose soil the soil temperature goes way up and your garden will grow better. As oxygen penetrates the soil the billions of micro-organisms in the soil will multiply rapidly and that will make your garden grow better. A consolation prize in all of this is a weed free garden like mine.
How close up to your plants do you hoe? Is it okay to leave a ring of that crust around the plants? Most times, that crust goes all the way up to the stalks. I'm always afraid I'll slice the stalks.
ReplyDeleteReal close. Be careful around real small plants. Hoe when the soil first dries. Wait three day later and the soil dries hard as a rock it's ain't that easy.
ReplyDeleteThat is wonderful advice. I've never heard that before. I don't know much about gardening but I'm trying!
ReplyDeleteThank you for a great blog!