The war against weeds

Weeds, what are weeds? Weeds are plants without a home, plants without some nice name, useless. I believe weeds have a purpose in our lives, and in the environment. Weeds are adaptable. They will inhabit a plot of soil when it is not used and keep it covered from the elements. This may go on for years, without anyone noticing them. It's not until someone wants to grow flowers, vegetables, or a manicured yard that they get any attention. Of course there is only one outcome, weeds die. We will pull, dig, and spray harmful chemicals to eradicate them. We will spend hours clearing this small plot of soil so that we may plant something that is more useful to us. In the case of a lawn, we will spend many more hours trying to keep it looking green, mowed, healthy, and alive. Not to mention the money spent to keep it that way.

Growing up, I pulled many weeds in our garden. I even chopped weeds in the fields a little bit. My mom would load us up during summer break and head to the fields. We would get there early enough that our pant legs would get wet from the dew on the leaves. The air was cool, and heavy with the smell of the soil. You could smell the freshness of the plants, and even the weeds that we were chopping with our hoes. Kind of like fresh mowed grass, only better. Earth has a different smell in the morning after she has rested for the night. No matter where you live, mornings will smell better than later in the day.

My dad would wage war with Johnson Grass in the corn field, and still does. Johnson Grass is a very persistent weed, and if you turn your back on it long enough it will come back. If allowed to go to seed, it will produce thousands of seeds that will all germinate. My mom waged war against common Bermuda Grass in her flower beds.

Our front yard was lush, green, and withstood a lot of foot traffic. My parents did not water the lawn, fertilize, or use harsh chemicals. We did spread cotton bur occasionally, and mowed frequently, but that was it. My parents were organic gardeners before organic was cool.

As an adult, I have waged my own war against weeds. I have used chemicals, but have learned that weeds will always come back. I have also let some weeds grow right along side my vegetables. I have used some weeds as a living mulch of sorts. Like purslane grown under tomatoes. Purslane grows to a nice mulch, covering the soil under the tomatoes, never growing more than six inches tall. It retains moisture with less watering, and keeps other weeds from growing. Which meant less competition for the tomatoes. The tomatoes did not seem to mind the purslane, and performed nicely.

I am now committed to an organic approach, and will only use vinegar sparingly as a last resort. Hand pulling is my preferred method. Last week as I looked at my weed filled garden, I had thoughts of Roundup. Don't worry, I did not follow through. A few days later, I spent two hours pulling weeds, and I'm glad I did. I actually enjoy pulling weeds. It is a very relaxing, and calming task for me. When I get in a rhythm, I can easily pull weeds for a couple of hours non stop. It is a good way to clear my mind, and not think of anything. The key to pulling weeds is to be gentle, and forceful at the same time. It's almost like coaxing them out of the ground, force them too much, and they snap off, leaving the roots in the ground. If the soil is moist enough, I can feel the roots release their grip on the soil. And after all that is our goal, pull weeds, roots, and all.

I could have saved myself a lot of work by staying ahead of the weeds, which I did not do. It is usually easier to pull weeds when they are smaller, and have not developed a good root system. You can also use a hoe at this stage, and simply cut them off at, or just below ground level. Now that I have clean beds again, I hope I can stay ahead of the weeds.

Anyone Can Garden

It has been nearly a month since my last post. This is the time of year when many gardeners retreat to the comforts of their homes and leave their gardens to fend for themselves. I am guilty of this myself, and my garden shows it. With recent rains and plenty of heat, the weeds have really taken over. It's time to take my garden back!

Lately I've been thinking about the food we eat, and where it comes from. Although this years garden supplied tomatoes, green beans, onions, peppers, and fresh cut flowers, there is so much more I could have planted. Fresh vegetables are a delicious addition to our diets. It does not require a farm out in the country to have this produce. All it takes is a small garden in the back yard, a few pots on the patio, or even a flower bed filled with herbs instead of landscape plants. I believe anyone can garden, and enjoy some fresh tomatoes. Many people are doing just that. In our own history, many of our parents, or grandparents, probably did this. I recently read a book, " Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer " by Novella Carpenter, that has inspired me. In this book she describes her life as an urban farmer in the city of Oakland, California. On a small, abandoned lot, she planted a garden, and raised her own animals for meat. I know this would not be for everyone, but it shows what we could do to eat the very best food we can have. Food that we can feed our family with, and knowing what went into growing this food. Better yet, knowing what didn't go into it, or on it. Reading this book brought back many memories.

Growing up, we always had a garden where we grew many vegetables, and herbs. We raised animals for meat, and on neighboring property, we grew corn, cantaloupe, pumpkin, cucumber, and hay. We did shop for things we did not grow, but we grew as much as we could on half an acre. I remember going to the small town of Staples, Texas to do our shopping. And I remember going out to the garden with a salt shaker to eat fresh tomatoes for a snack. Not many chips, or candy around our house those days. I remember butchering our animals to fill the freezer, my younger sisters and I could kill, pluck, and clean chickens all by ourselves. This was all a process of preparing, and preserving food for the coming months. This was a tradition my parents, grandparents, and their grandparents had done for many years before me. I hope to share that knowledge with my children.

As time draws near to start a fall garden, my mind wanders with thoughts of raising animals and expanding my garden. Raising animals will take more planning, and may have to be a future project. The garden is something I can work on now. I plan to have a greater diversity of food in my garden from now on. I vow to keep gardening, keep volunteering as a Master Gardener, and to keep learning. Gardening keeps me connected to my family, my ancestors, and the earth.

For anyone interested in starting a garden, I say go for it. There is a world of information on the internet, and many books on the subject. There are also many organizations that are very helpful like the Extension Service, Master Gardeners, and Urban Harvest to name a few. There is probably someone in your neighborhood already gardening that has years of experience. Introduce yourself, and ask questions. Gardeners are always willing to share information, and possibly plants , or seeds.

Eat local, eat fresh, support your local farmers by visiting farmers markets, and sample food as good as if you grew it yourself. Support local businesses, and get involved in your community, like volunteering at a community garden. Of course you can always stop by Off Texas Avenue Garden, and I will help you any way I can.