What did you do in the garden today?

[akroberts1085]

Does anyone know what happened with @gtaus? I'm wondering because he's kinda being a mentor to me and I had some questions but he's not been here since February.

 

[Minanora]

Anyone have any suggestions for a good organic weed killer?

I have a crazy, invasive vining plant that keeps trying to invade my garden from the pasture. There's also some privet and wild raspberries over in that area.... I'm trying to kill it all off

BUT....

1. That area of the pasture slopes towards my pond which is about 100 ft away. I don't want to spray anything that will runoff into the pond.

2. I have my thornless blackberries in a bed adjacent to area I need to spray. I'm actually HOPING that the thornless blackberries will expand into that area eventually so I don't want to poison the soil for years....

I'm thinking about spraying some vinegar over there. I've seen suggestions to add salt online but I feel that might damage the soil for the blackberries. I've also seen suggestions to use boiling water but that spot is 200 - 300 ft from the house. Not sure I can safely get boiling water from here to there without hurting myself.

Any other suggestions?

Till, then till again, and then a third time? The vines will probably wrap up in the tiller, but it could be a good thing. I don't know what vines you have to know for sure about tilling them.

You could set up a camp chef stove to heat water closer to the weeds.

 

[Minanora]

Does anyone know what happened with @gtaus? I'm wondering because he's kinda being a mentor to me and I had some questions but he's not been here since February.

Based on my expert spy network, I can see that he was online this morning. Maybe send him a direct message, or ask the rest of the crew for input.

If it's questions about fruit trees, seeds, aquariums, or beer, I could probably be helpful.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

When we moved here in 2005 we had 6 enormous stupid Elm trees all around the house and mostly hanging on our power lines.
As the cost is really high for removal we can only remove 1 tree at a time every couple of years.
Today is a happy happy day. Today and tomorrow 2 trees will be coming down and we will only have 1 tree left to get rid of. After I get these horrid beasts out I think I'll have more room for some more orchard trees...

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

When we moved here in 2005 we had 6 enormous stupid Elm trees all around the house and mostly hanging on our power lines.
As the cost is really high for removal we can only remove 1 tree at a time every couple of years.
Today is a happy happy day. Today and tomorrow 2 trees will be coming down and we will only have 1 tree left to get rid of. After I get these horrid beasts out I think I'll have more room for some more orchard trees...

 

[dirkandlorie]

Till, then till again, and then a third time? The vines will probably wrap up in the tiller, but it could be a good thing. I don't know what vines you have to know for sure about tilling them.

You could set up a camp chef stove to heat water closer to the weeds.

I had poison ivy, Virginia creeper, blackberrys, elderberry and some other vine in my bottom sector of my yard when I moved here. Tried tilling at first, but come spring I found millions of them regrowing from the little pieces in the ground. It made the job ten times harder. Tried to kill organically cuz its where my garden is now. Ended up digging every piece out by hand. Nightmare job, cuz ya know I kept finding bits coming up for a couple years after. Just had to stay on top of it.

 

[jerryse]

Planted the plum tree. Had a chiropractor appointment. Resting today.

 

[Nym]

I think the ants were mining them. I am not sure what the black bugs are called. Oh, I just checked, the aphids come in variety of colors, including green, black, yellow, brown, red, and even white, depending on the species. Must be aphids.

Yes, aphids and ants co-host; the aphids hitch a ride on the ants, then the ants get to feed on the sugars the aphids extract from the plants. I used to run vaseline around my rose stems to stop the destruction of the young buds.

How Ants and Aphids Help Each Other​

Thought.Co

 

[juhesihcaa]

We got another 10 foot raised bed built (have plans to do one more) and removed some chicken wire I had used for growing veggies.

We're thinking of lining the chain-link fence that is parallel with the street with arborvitae for privacy but we're not planning to be here for more than about 4 more years so I don't know if I want to make that investment.

 

[WthrLady]

You have to use them on the same weed, over and over and over and over and over again to kill/starve the weed. You go through a LOT of gas.

What was unhelpful about the heat gun weeder? Lack of control, or ineffectiveness, or something else?

I have large areas and some of these dang blasted things will come up under and then through mulch. Mulch helps, though, that's for sure.