Opinions sought on my plans for the paths between my rows of tomatoes. my

Indyartist · February 26, 2011

First off my garden will be approximately 34' x 45', which will have nine rows each being planted 5' apart. Six rows will be tomatoes and the rest will be everything else. My particular situation is that I work 56 + hours per week plus I have family that visits for one month each Summer coming over from Greece and the result is that my garden gets overrun with weeds from mid-Summer on. I am as much interested in stopping things (weeds) from growing as actually growing my plants.
My Niece once told me that she put down sheets of newspaper to keep her walk ways between garden rows weed free. My thought or tentative plan is to put cardboard down in my walk paths then placing a layer of straw on top of that. I work with a girl who has a horse farm and we've made plans for me to get 20 bales of straw.
What do you think the chances are of this approach giving me at least weed free paths between my 9 garden rows? This will of course also make it no longer necessary for me to rototill the entire garden and only till my nine rows.

mjc · February 26, 2011

Yes that will work, but I would still till the whole thing this year before putting anything down. Then this fall, till the mulch under and use what were the paths this year for the rows and repeat the same thing you did this year. Then the following year go back to this year's row/path arrangement.

Indyartist · February 26, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjc

Yes that will work, but I would still till the whole thing this year before putting anything down. Then this fall, till the mulch under and use what were the paths this year for the rows and repeat the same thing you did this year. Then the following year go back to this year's row/path arrangement.

Rotate my rows like rotating my crops, I got you.

kath · February 26, 2011

If you have access to newspaper, wetting it and putting 6-8 sheet of it will accomplish the same goal underneathe your straw, grass clippings, etc. that you would put on top. Just a thought if you run out of cardboard. Once the soil has warmed well (July) you can mulch all in between your plants, too, and save time watering as well as weeding. Many of your crops can be planted in holes cut into landscape fabrics of many types that are not all that expensive, can be reused, allow rain through and virtually eliminate weeding.

ContainerTed · February 26, 2011

Edit (Sorry about that.)

Ted

Indyartist · February 26, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by kath

If you have access to newspaper, wetting it and putting 6-8 sheet of it will accomplish the same goal underneathe your straw, grass clippings, etc. that you would put on top. Just a thought if you run out of cardboard. Once the soil has warmed well (July) you can mulch all in between your plants, too, and save time watering as well as weeding. Many of your crops can be planted in holes cut into landscape fabrics of many types that are not all that expensive, can be reused, allow rain through and virtually eliminate weeding.

Yes, Kath, that must be my niece's method. We live in a small town with a "scrawny" little paper that I don't subscribe to, so I would have to buy the papers just for this purpose. I'll have nine rows 5' wide and 34' long so I' afraid I'd go broke buying newspapers. My job puts me in contact with store managers of retail stores that receive their weekly shipments in cardboard boxes which they then throw away, so I can have them for free. That is the other portion of my equation is having little money to create or solve my gardening needs.
I do think both methods might come in play though if I use cardboard boxes for the large straight path areas and then perhaps use the newspaper around and between plants. Goodness, am I recycling or gardening, I'm not sure!

puttgirl · February 26, 2011

I put a thick layer of newspaper down, and straw on top when I can get it. Cardboard will work, too. I don't get my local scrawny newspaper either, just ask everyone you know who does to save it for you.

newatthiskat · February 26, 2011

That is a great idea. I have access to large amounts of cardboard. WOndering if at the end of the season it can be tilled in? I can sit here thinking about a soggy mess of cardboard and trying to retrieve it.

PaulF · February 26, 2011

The suggestions are all good ones. I work part time for my town's scrawny little newspaper and if you go to them, if they print their own paper, they will have end rolls of newsprint they will either give away or sell really cheap. Then you can roll out the newsprint. I layer mine two or three layers thick and then cover with straw for the mulch. This does a good job of weed suppression and temperature control. My garden is about the same size as yours and I used 5 bales of straw last year.

The good thing with paper and straw is that it can be tilled in after the garden season is done. I till my whole garden in the spring and then put down the mulch wherever there are no plants. The pathways then occur naturally where we walk. I think you are on the right track. Good gardening.

TomNJ · February 26, 2011

The straw will also work well by itself. I apply a good 6-8" over the whole garden at the time of planting, right up to the tomato plants. It reflects sunlight, prevents splash-up, stabilizes soil temperature, retains soil moisture, suppresses weeds, supplies nutrients, and amends the soil when turned in. Been doing this for over 30 years - I never weed, and rarely water.

TomNJ

Full Moon · February 26, 2011

Quote:

I never weed, and rarely water

My kidda gardening

kath · February 26, 2011

I use cardboard and newspaper underneath because the straw is so pricey here...it allows me to use less of it.

Tworivers1 · February 26, 2011

I put down newspapers and then covered it with black plastic in the rows between my blackberries and raspberries. It's worked good for three years now.

casino · February 26, 2011

When I did get my newspapers via home delivered I use 3 sheets of newspaper as my weed block and cover it with wood chips, worked like a charm and lasted all season.

Now that my newspaper is on line I go to Lowes or Home Depo and buy a roll of painters paper for 10 dollars. The roll is 4 feet wide and I cant remember but the legnth is very long. I roll out the paper, one sheet thick, pop in my tomatoes, cover lightly with wood chips (I have a LOT of wood chips) and never weed again all summer.

For weed block I have also tried corn glutten, 50 lb bag for 26 dollars. Use a hola hoe and lightly scrape the soil surface to break down any germinating weed seeds, sprinkle the entire garden in corn glutten (ground up corn cobs that's a natural herbiside) and cover with straw. The corn glutten works great on lawns but works very good in the veggie garden when planting transplants and IF LEFT UNDISTURBED. If you use a corn glutten product you cannot plant seeds because the corn glutten stops seed gerninating. Corn glutten also adds 9% slow release nitrogen so adjust your fertilizer program. I prefer the corn glutten / Straw method best. I think it lets the soil breathe better.

newtraditionsfarm · February 26, 2011

I'm having a similar dilemma. I have a bunch of really long raised beds, around 250' with dirt paths in-between them. More than anything, I hate weeding paths!

This year, I've decided that I am going make 3.5' beds with large 3' paths and plant them with rye. I figure this will be attractive, quick growing, make a durable walking path and can be managed by mowing with a small gas push mower. My plan is to mow the rye as if it was a lawn and use the clippings as mulch in the beds or for my compost pile.

February 26, 2011	#1
Indyartist Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Indiana Posts: 229	Opinions sought on my plans for the paths between my rows of tomatoes. First off my garden will be approximately 34' x 45', which will have nine rows each being planted 5' apart. Six rows will be tomatoes and the rest will be everything else. My particular situation is that I work 56 + hours per week plus I have family that visits for one month each Summer coming over from Greece and the result is that my garden gets overrun with weeds from mid-Summer on. I am as much interested in stopping things (weeds) from growing as actually growing my plants. My Niece once told me that she put down sheets of newspaper to keep her walk ways between garden rows weed free. My thought or tentative plan is to put cardboard down in my walk paths then placing a layer of straw on top of that. I work with a girl who has a horse farm and we've made plans for me to get 20 bales of straw. What do you think the chances are of this approach giving me at least weed free paths between my 9 garden rows? This will of course also make it no longer necessary for me to rototill the entire garden and only till my nine rows. __________________ Indyartist Zone 5b, NE Indiana -------------------------- “Men should stop fighting among themselves and start fighting insects” Luther Burbank

February 26, 2011	#5
ContainerTed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: 6a - NE Tennessee Posts: 4,538	Edit (Sorry about that.) Ted __________________ Ted ________________________ Owner & Sole Operator Of The Muddy Bucket Farm and Tomato Ranch Last edited by ContainerTed; February 26, 2011 at 03:15 PM. Reason: I wasn't trying to hijack the thread

February 26, 2011	#8
newatthiskat Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: texas Posts: 1,451	reply That is a great idea. I have access to large amounts of cardboard. WOndering if at the end of the season it can be tilled in? I can sit here thinking about a soggy mess of cardboard and trying to retrieve it.

February 26, 2011	#9
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,285	The suggestions are all good ones. I work part time for my town's scrawny little newspaper and if you go to them, if they print their own paper, they will have end rolls of newsprint they will either give away or sell really cheap. Then you can roll out the newsprint. I layer mine two or three layers thick and then cover with straw for the mulch. This does a good job of weed suppression and temperature control. My garden is about the same size as yours and I used 5 bales of straw last year. The good thing with paper and straw is that it can be tilled in after the garden season is done. I till my whole garden in the spring and then put down the mulch wherever there are no plants. The pathways then occur naturally where we walk. I think you are on the right track. Good gardening. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

February 26, 2011	#14
casino Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Southfield, Michigan Posts: 318	When I did get my newspapers via home delivered I use 3 sheets of newspaper as my weed block and cover it with wood chips, worked like a charm and lasted all season. Now that my newspaper is on line I go to Lowes or Home Depo and buy a roll of painters paper for 10 dollars. The roll is 4 feet wide and I cant remember but the legnth is very long. I roll out the paper, one sheet thick, pop in my tomatoes, cover lightly with wood chips (I have a LOT of wood chips) and never weed again all summer. For weed block I have also tried corn glutten, 50 lb bag for 26 dollars. Use a hola hoe and lightly scrape the soil surface to break down any germinating weed seeds, sprinkle the entire garden in corn glutten (ground up corn cobs that's a natural herbiside) and cover with straw. The corn glutten works great on lawns but works very good in the veggie garden when planting transplants and IF LEFT UNDISTURBED. If you use a corn glutten product you cannot plant seeds because the corn glutten stops seed gerninating. Corn glutten also adds 9% slow release nitrogen so adjust your fertilizer program. I prefer the corn glutten / Straw method best. I think it lets the soil breathe better. Last edited by casino; February 26, 2011 at 08:58 PM. Reason: correct spelling errors

February 26, 2011	#2
mjc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: WV Posts: 603	Yes that will work, but I would still till the whole thing this year before putting anything down. Then this fall, till the mulch under and use what were the paths this year for the rows and repeat the same thing you did this year. Then the following year go back to this year's row/path arrangement.

February 26, 2011	#4
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	If you have access to newspaper, wetting it and putting 6-8 sheet of it will accomplish the same goal underneathe your straw, grass clippings, etc. that you would put on top. Just a thought if you run out of cardboard. Once the soil has warmed well (July) you can mulch all in between your plants, too, and save time watering as well as weeding. Many of your crops can be planted in holes cut into landscape fabrics of many types that are not all that expensive, can be reused, allow rain through and virtually eliminate weeding.

February 26, 2011	#7
puttgirl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: SW PA Posts: 281	I put a thick layer of newspaper down, and straw on top when I can get it. Cardboard will work, too. I don't get my local scrawny newspaper either, just ask everyone you know who does to save it for you.

February 26, 2011	#10
TomNJ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: Floyd VA Posts: 767	The straw will also work well by itself. I apply a good 6-8" over the whole garden at the time of planting, right up to the tomato plants. It reflects sunlight, prevents splash-up, stabilizes soil temperature, retains soil moisture, suppresses weeds, supplies nutrients, and amends the soil when turned in. Been doing this for over 30 years - I never weed, and rarely water. TomNJ

February 26, 2011	#13
Tworivers1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ballwin/St Louis, MO Posts: 35	I put down newspapers and then covered it with black plastic in the rows between my blackberries and raspberries. It's worked good for three years now.

February 26, 2011	#15
newtraditionsfarm Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Kankakee, IL Posts: 59	I'm having a similar dilemma. I have a bunch of really long raised beds, around 250' with dirt paths in-between them. More than anything, I hate weeding paths! This year, I've decided that I am going make 3.5' beds with large 3' paths and plant them with rye. I figure this will be attractive, quick growing, make a durable walking path and can be managed by mowing with a small gas push mower. My plan is to mow the rye as if it was a lawn and use the clippings as mulch in the beds or for my compost pile.