Weeding raised beds!

11 years ago

My husband was being treated for cancer last fall and I had not the time or energy to do any fall clean up or cover the raised beds like I usually do with leaves and pine needles to keep weeds down.

So they are now full of weeds. I went out today to start pulling weeds in the bed where I will soon plant garden peas and after an hour the bed is still weedy. I've attached a cell phone photo of the bed AFTER an hour of pulling weeds. They are very thick and matted. I don't know what the weeds are but there is a variety!

What can I do that will be less time consuming and easier on my 57 year old back to get rid of all the weeds? I garden organically and so I don't use chemicals. The weeds that I pulled are around the perimeter of the bed for now to keep other weeds from sprouting--it is a chore to keep up with the weeds in my raised beds! I've put down newspapers, cardboard, etc and the soil eats it and sends more weeds. :) I'm in coastal Va not far from the Chesapeake Bay so the soil has a lot of sand. Thanks for any ideas to rid my 4 raised beds of weeds!

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Comments (3)

artemis_ma
11 years ago
It's that GREEN down there? I'm in CT with 15-20 inches +/- of snow.... Okay, Seriously add down a LOT of cardboard. Two layers thick at least of real cardboard. Hunker down the edges with rocks. You can also use garden-center weed-controlling fabric -- yes, sometimes semi-plastic, but you can recycle it next year as needed. Shovel off any snow that happens to fall -- snow keeps everything at an even 32 degrees beneath it, which won't kill weeds. OR, ticks. Hope for weather below 30 degrees, often. You won't need to plant anything outside there for the next six weeks anyway, at the least.
theripetomatofarm
11 years ago
I agree with Artemis....you need to cardboard that stuff up. Seal it tight. I would also use starter plants instead of seeding when you do go to plant so that you can mulch right away to get this under control.

And the end of this season, till the top layer and plant a cover crop. Dig that in next spring and you'll be aces.
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jpc57
Original Author
11 years ago
Yes Artemis_MA, that is green! And it is green and succulent! It was around 52 yesterday and will be closer to 60 today, which is good yard working weather for me!

Thanks for both of the replies, we have procured cardboard and will be put down today--hoping it rains on it tomorrow!