How is your garden recovering from the harsh winter? I have lots of plants that look frayed and ragged, but the weeds are growing better than ever--and I'm not alone. I've spoken to several gardeners who are mystified at the abundance of weeds this year. Virginia Creeper (above) and Brambles (below) are running riot through the yard.
I'm not a fan of herbicides because of their effect on birds and insects and try to use them sparingly--only on the most noxious weeds. They dying plant in the picture is Poison Ivy that was bombarded by herbicide more than once and still isn't totally dead.
I prefer the good old fashioned method of digging weeds out by their roots and mulching. In some cases, weed cloth and pre-emergent are used, too. However, this year with a major weed invasion, all weapons are on the table.
I've cleared two big areas by digging up most weeds, putting down pre-emergent and a heavy layer of mulch, but had to liberally apply herbicide to Brambles and Virginia Creeper because nothing else seems to work.
Don't you wish our cultivated plants grew as well as the weeds do?
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