Weed Control Strategies

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[William Dam Seeds; (905) 628-6641; www.damseeds.com ]

"My father's advice was to 'pull weeds while they're young--and we did every day—a seemingly endless summer job during my youth! In clay soil like I have at home, using tools like a Ho-Mi (Asian hand cultivator) can help extract weeds. In our sandy-loam soil, we use a wheel hoe for aisles, and a push hoe and scrape hoe for working close to plants. In areas along driveways or on patios, I have found that pouring boiling water on the weeds is effective."

MATT BARTHEL, DECORAH, IOWA

Matt manages the regeneration and maintenance of more than 20,000 heirloom vegetable varieties and750 historic apple varieties that are being preserved at Seed Savers' Heritage farm in Decorah, Iowa. Seed Savers Exchange is a nonprofit organization that distributes heir loom garden seeds and conserves the vast genetic resource that the seeds represent. Seed Savers preservation projects are largely supported by 8,000 paying members and by public seed sales through the Seed Savers Catalog. Members of Seed Savers Exchange have access to more than 11,000 rare varieties of vegetables, fruits and grains.

[Seed Savers Exchange; (563) 3825990; www.seedsavers.org ]

"The weed war requires a good strategy to get a good crop. In the moist Midwest the battle is best fought early in the season. Weeds are most hurtful to young garden plants. Besides taking up space, they are hungry for moisture, nutrients and sunlight. Many garden plants seem to be able to deal with weeds once the plants approach maturity. Keep your garden relatively weed free through July, then relax and let weeds grow into fall."

North Central & Rockies
BILL MCDORMAN; HAILEY, IDAHO

Bill is a native of the 6,000 foot-high central Idaho valley where he founded Seeds Trust High Altitude Gardens. He's been smitten with the magic of gardening since he pulled a carrot out of his father's garden at the tender age of 3. His 18-year old company specializes in vegetables andwildflowersfrom around the world that are vigorous, mature early and tolerate harsh climates. His passion is to help gardeners rediscover the importance, rewards and magic of seed saving.

Seeds Trust High Altitude Gardens; (208) 788-4363; www.seedstrust.com ]

"In our dry mountain climate, my weed control strategy is to target the water to desired plants only-weeds are slow to grow in areas not watered. I use drip irrigation and equidistant planting in beds. I also avoid top watering. Seeds are planted so the leaves of each mature plant touch and form a canopy to block sunlight from later weeds. I find damp soil makes weeds easier to pull when hand control is needed - but I've learned to tolerate one of my old enemies, mallow, because its deep taproot loosens soil, and its leaves provide cover for beneficial insects and discourage other weeds."

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