I am just as excited as I was a few days ago about getting another, entire plot - quadrupling my gardening space - but I am now experiencing just how hard it is to undue someone else's neglect. I am also experiencing the irony of getting so much land but having to dig up stubborn taprooted weeds from every inch of it.
Here's the plot. You might be thinking "hey, at least there's no weeds under that black landscaping fabric" but you'd be wrong.
Here's the plot. You might be thinking "hey, at least there's no weeds under that black landscaping fabric" but you'd be wrong.
However, for my troubles, I've inherited some new plants that managed to grow amongst the voracious weeds. I'm not sure if it's ironic, but it's definitely more squash.
I now have: butternut squash, yellow squash(no!) and zucchini, lemon cucumber, cabbage, some fancy broccoli that may never flower, and a swarming mass of unsupported cherry tomato vines. Rumor has it there's a couple of pepper plants in there, but I haven't gotten to those beds yet.
I weeded 4 hours Saturday and 5 hours Sunday, and I'm not even done with 1/3 of the plot. I thought I'd rototill it, but realized that would just cut up the weed roots and multiply the weeds. So I have to go dig up as much of the roots as I can by hand, with a shovel. My hamstrings are so sore from bending and pulling!
However, I'm starting to acquire a taste for my new fresh insta-cherry tomatoes off the vine! Tonight I made a fabulous roasted tomato salad dressing with them.
Yup, I sympathize - we have a large piece of land and theoretically as much garden space as we want (acres), but garden space is still at a premium, cause you always run up against how much you can actually keep under control, using hand tools. I really like flaming weeds myself, but you have to start at the beginning of the season and have your garden structured for it, otherwise your chosen garden plants get toasted in the process... Hand digging is really what you have to do to clear the decks at this time of the year. Good exercise though...
ReplyDeleteLeigh,
ReplyDeletethanks for the sympathy! The guy in the plot next to me says a previous plot-tender put tons of manure in there, then left, and the next people didn't tend it, so I'm dealing with weed-utopia. They are some formidable opponents. I am in a race against the season to plant fall stuff soon enough, so I'm trying to balance being thorough with doing "good enough".
It is good exercise! That part makes it doubly-enjoyable, and if I just didn't have a job taking up most of my time it would be perfect.... ;)