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  • From: "David Inglis" <mhcsa AT verizon.net>
  • To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Weeds in paths
  • Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 17:17:48 -0500

Andy,

The pathway conundrum with plastic mulch is a bear. Flaming would be very hard even with a shield to protect the plastic. Cultivators can do it but is painstaking work. In areas with low or no rainfall in the growing season it would be easy as long as you were using drip but for the rest of us the only thing I have really seen work is spray, which is not acceptable for me, Heavy mulch, impractical on my scale or a living ground cover. May favorite is Winter rye sown into clean pathways in the spring. Unless the rye gets vernalized [ passes through the Winter] it will not send up seed stalks, or tiller [I think] and therefore stays a manageable 10-12” or so. It can also stand up to some traffic. There are other candidates like NZ white clover but the essential thing is that the ground cover establishes quickly, out competes weeds for the whole season and, most importantly, does not invade the mulch which results in the mulch being next to impossible to remove.

You will the best results if you can set the mulch layer so the sides of the bed are almost vertical.

Then again there is the option of dispensing with the P.mulch entirely.

David

Mahaiwe Harvst C.S.A.

 

-----Original Message-----
From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Andrew R. King
Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2005 3:53 PM
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [Market-farming] Weeds in paths

 

I use a raised bed plastic mulch layer which help to control the weeds on my bed. The problem I had was controlling the weeds in the paths. I tried tilling but time weather stopped me form staying ahead of the weeds. I am thinking about buying a walk behind flamer for the rows. Could anyone give me any advice on how to control the weeds in paths?

 

Andy King

Sunflower King's Farm

Trumbauersville, PA




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