Clear plastic covers to kill weeds in Denali Bourgh - Ask Extension
We have very little top soil and grow grave, rocks and boulders very well so we import 99 percent of our garden soil. Along our driveway I dug a ditc...
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Clear plastic covers to kill weeds in Denali Bourgh #871088
Asked June 01, 2024, 5:49 PM EDT
We have very little top soil and grow grave, rocks and boulders very well so we import 99 percent of our garden soil. Along our driveway I dug a ditch, screened the gravel through a 14 inch screen then mixed the screen dirt with imported top soil from Fairbanks and refilled the ditch. Every year we add bags of store bough soil, fertilizer, compost and this year lime.
Now that I'm retire I have a bit more time to tend the garden and found a type of grass with a thick root system taking hold in some of the area. I believe if I take it all out, I would lose a lot of soil. There for I am wondering if covering it with some type of plastic cover for a period of time would kill all the weeds and grass and turn them into usable soil. Does this sound like a good idea? Thanks Jim
Denali County Alaska
Expert Response
Hi Jim,
Black plastic or weed barrier fabric such as Typar would work. However, eventually, when you remove the barrier, it will likely be invaded by weeds again. An alternative would be to plant the area in annual cover crop, such as barley or oats, which would compete out any weeds but not cause a perennial problem. I often will plant open areas with barley or oats to keep out weeds. It can also be mowed later in august without much worry of weeds having time to invade before the fall. One other option to help control annual weeds and young grass weeds would be to use a commercial vinegar weed killer. The vinegar is a high % of acetic acid (20-30%) and will temporarily control weeds that are not able to resprout. If you choose to use a herbicide, follow the label recommendations and precautions. A flame weeder, using propane, can also be used intermittently if you are seeking another option.
I hope this helps. If you more questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at <personal data hidden>
Black plastic or weed barrier fabric such as Typar would work. However, eventually, when you remove the barrier, it will likely be invaded by weeds again. An alternative would be to plant the area in annual cover crop, such as barley or oats, which would compete out any weeds but not cause a perennial problem. I often will plant open areas with barley or oats to keep out weeds. It can also be mowed later in august without much worry of weeds having time to invade before the fall. One other option to help control annual weeds and young grass weeds would be to use a commercial vinegar weed killer. The vinegar is a high % of acetic acid (20-30%) and will temporarily control weeds that are not able to resprout. If you choose to use a herbicide, follow the label recommendations and precautions. A flame weeder, using propane, can also be used intermittently if you are seeking another option.
I hope this helps. If you more questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at <personal data hidden>
Thanks <personal data hidden>,
Thanks for your reply and I'm sure I will try more than one of your recomendations.
Jim
