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Re: [Market-farming] Controlling quackgrass organically?
- From: "Marcy" <mlynn AT pcisys.net>
- To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
- Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Controlling quackgrass organically?
- Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2008 22:04:05 -0600
Conventional wisdom says the best way to control quackgrass is
to first spade up the area, being extra careful to sift out every single piece
of root. Dry the roots thoroughly, then burn them completely. After burning, be
darn careful what you do with the ashes! Sorry, I couldn’t resist!! I tried plastic before too. Can’t tell you what the
long term results were since I moved, but short term seemed to make it
stronger. Marcy From:
market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Glen Eco
Farm I
know this question has probably been asked several times before on this list
but i am too busy (lazy?) to go dig it out of the archives so I am going to ask
it again. Just what
are certified organic farmers doing to control quackgrass? I've
been spot spraying with glyphosate for a number of years now and I may as well
quit because it isn't working. The stuff just keeps popping up all over
the place. I lay out my crop ground in alternating strips with grass so I
can have a form of crop--noncrop rotation and soil building with grass,
legumes, and various perrenial weeds growing in the non crop areas. I
keep these areas mowed and rotate them back to crop strips every couple of
years. I
am resolving this year to try and be a better boy by repenting of some of my
past sins of using forbidden materials (even on a limited basis) such as
glysophate (aka Roundup), some salt based fertilizers (side dressed or foliar
sprayed), and some broad spectrum insecticides and fungicides for the worst infestations.
It's kind of like drinking beer. One can easily justify drinking a little
every now and then--after all beer is not that high in alcohol and it won't
hurt you if you don't overdo it--right? Trouble is after awhile you find
your self drinking more and more. If you really want to play it safe just
stay away from the stuff! Of
course I can go out and diligently dig it up--or cover it up with several
layers of black plastic--yeah
right! It's really getting itself established in the current
noncrop strips and is going to be a real mess in a couple of years when I try
to rotate it back to crop strips. The only thing I know to try right now
is to get a better chisel plow, rip the hell out of the infested spots, and
hope for another drought this summer. If that doesn't work I guess the
next thing will be to look for another farm. Marlin
Burkholder Shenandoah
Valley Virginia |
-
[Market-farming] Controling quackgrass organically?,
Glen Eco Farm, 04/01/2008
-
Re: [Market-farming] Controlling quackgrass organically?,
Marcy, 04/02/2008
- Re: [Market-farming] Controlling quackgrass organically?, bcluton, 04/02/2008
- Re: [Market-farming] Controling quackgrass organically?, Pat Meadows, 04/02/2008
- <Possible follow-up(s)>
-
Re: [Market-farming] Controling quackgrass organically?,
STEVE GILMAN, 04/02/2008
-
Re: [Market-farming] Controling quackgrass organically?,
Shawnee Flowerfarmer, 04/02/2008
- Re: [Market-farming] Controling quackgrass organically?, Susan Houghton, 04/03/2008
-
Re: [Market-farming] Controling quackgrass organically?,
Shawnee Flowerfarmer, 04/02/2008
-
Re: [Market-farming] Controlling quackgrass organically?,
Marcy, 04/02/2008
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