Topic: Why is it..........

[tina]

.....that where I have planted my spuds and onions, there is the odd weed, nothing too much to keep under control, but.......

where I have carefully started a 'seed bed', and lovingly planted seeds of cabbage, sprouts and cauli, in straight lines, marked with string,.......

 :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o
IT LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE HAS SCATTERED THE CONTENTS OF A SEED PROCESSING PLANT!!  THERE ARE LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF TINY SEEDLINGS COMING UP ALL OVER THE PLACE!!!! I SWEAR I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO TELL WHAT IS AND ISN'T SUPPOSED TO BE THERE!!!!
 :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\

Don't you just love gardening!!!!

Seriously, do you think I should start again with seeds in trays for safety, or wait and see????

Tina

[busy_lizzie]

Know what you mean Tina as I can leave a perfectly dug over patch, we have a shower of rain over night, and the next day I can go to the lottie and is if by magic there is a huge mass of weed seedlings up that practically cover the soil.  

It is very tempting to grow in trays first and we do it quite a lot to give just that little head start on those pesky weeds which somehow can't seem to be beaten at the moment. I would hedge your bets and get a few trays going. ;D busy_lizzie

[Mrs Ava]

I know exactly what you mean Tina.  Spuds, onions and garlics, all lovely and clear - barely a weed, nicely raked and prepared pea bed with peas directly sown, well, can't see the peas for the weeds, altho the pigeons manage to find them  >:(  First job tomorrow is on my hands and knees hand weeding all around my peas to try and give them a helping hand!  I grow all of my brassicas in trays, then into modules, and if I don't have the room to plant them immediately, then into pots.  At least then you can see the wood from the trees.....so to speak!  :-\

[derbex]

I must have egalitarian weeds  :-\ -they're everywhere on the allotment where soil is showing.

[allotment_chick]

but don't you see .... it means you have prepared such a brill seed bed the weeds love it too!   ::)
AC

[campanula]

yeh, i feel that every time i hoe, more weeds spring up overnight. However, I am assured that this happens mainly during the first year - we are just uncovering seeds already present in soil. Subsequent years see much less weeds and certainly not as many nasties such as dock and mallow. I get plot envy looking at some of the more established lotties - barely a weed in sight.

[kingkano]

I thought it took 7 years......  adn thats not considering if your unlucky as me, and sorrounded on all sides by wilderness (bar south), all the weed seeds 'blow' in, so I'll never beat them :(

[Mrs Ava]

I wish I could use a hoe, bet it would make life easier, but all I seem to do is either skim the surface doing nothing, or keep sticking it in the ground.  Oh well, hands and knees for me!  :-\

[allotment_chick]

....sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, but I don't notice the weeds lessening at all.  Every time you turn over the soil it brings hibernating seeds to the top and if you make compost or use manure you'll be adding to the population every time you use it.....

Best time was last summer when most of the weeds gave it up cos it was too hot...just as well, cos it was too hot for me to go weeding too! :D

[tina]

It would explain why two bits of my plot are so different: the bit where my spuds are, we dug over last year and grew  a few bits and bobs just to get us started. The 'seed bed' was dug over from new this year.

Oh well, gives me hope for next year......, except that yesterday I found out that I have got the 5 pole plot next door that I had applied for! All grass and weeds, so starting from scratch again. (Well, I neede somewhere to put my 5000 tomato plants, and all the squash, marrow and pumpkin plants that seem to need so much space!).

Now, if it would only stop raining I could make a start on our 'next bit'!!

Tina

[Les_Woof]

And here I am thinking it was just me!!!!!!!!!!! :(

Not a weed in sight on our tattie patch but where we have sown beetroot and carrots, weeds everywhere!

I haven't got a clue what a new carrot seedling or beetroof seedling look like so how the hell do I know what to take out and what to leave!

If anyone has any pics for reference then I will know what to weed out and what to leave.

Please help me.......... I hate weeds but love the exercise

Les

[derbex]

Les,

if you sowed them in a line then pull up everything that isn't in the line -assuming you can find the line :)

When things have grown up slightly pull up the obvious weeds and you should have loads of things that look like each other, they'll be the beetroots and carrot, and other things that are more randomly distributed through the line -they (I hope) are the weeds.

As a tip, if you use google, select the image link at the top and type 'carrot seedling' into the box. Amongst others I got

 http://www.kiusaw.edu.hk/rural/renamed/carrot_seedling.jpg

Beetroot

http://www.organicdownunder.com/beetroot_in_a_pot.jpg


Cheers,

Jeremy

[Les_Woof]

Thanks Jeremy

i have got some things like that, and i did plant in a line so heres hoping i pull the right ones.

Les

[gilgamesh]

Carrots - the true leaves are feathery. Beetroot - the stems are red. However, if you get both together, it's Herb Robert and wants removing.

[derbex]

And if it's got feathery leaves, red stems and a trumpet....





it's Herb Alpert and definately wants removing.

Jeremy

[Les_Woof]

Herb Albert?

Now thats a name I have not heard in a few years.

Thanks a lot i can't get that bloody tune out of my head now!!!!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D

[derbex]

Just to prove I'm bored :)

http://www.artistdirect.com/music/stream/player/rm/0,,42834-1902900,00.html

[tina]

 ;D ;D ;D ;D

You're all assuming that the seeds are sown in a straight line.......could be that's where I'll have a teensy weensy problem!!

 ;) ;) ;) ;)

Tina

Who'll use tighter string to get a straight line NEXT time!!