Hey folks! I'm seeking some advice on prepping my raised bed garden this fall so I can have a successful vegetable garden next year. I had to take a year off from planting, and now my raised beds are filled with thick weeds and a few wildflowers I had planted a while back. The overgrowth is pretty dense, and I worry that I won't be able to pull out all the roots. I'm looking for tips and tricks to help manage the weeds, ensure good nutrients in the soil, and prevent the weeds from taking over again next year. If you were me, how would you tackle cleaning up such a weed-filled bed? By the way, I'm in Zone 5b!
1 Answer
Sounds like a bit of a challenge! For maintaining soil health, it's actually beneficial to leave the roots in to feed the soil microbes, but you definitely need to address the weeds first. If you have a sharp hoe, I recommend using it to cut the weeds down and leaving them on top of the soil to break down over winter. If that’s not an option, you could walk on the weeds to bend them down, then cover them with a tarp to block light and kill them off. Additionally, you can use a sharp shovel to tackle those thicker stems or a weedeater for the lighter stuff. Good luck with the cleanup!
Thanks for the great tips! I really missed my garden this year, so I'm excited to get back at it. I'm planning to start by using hedge trimmers to level the weeds. Do you think leaving the cut weeds on the soil will just end up planting more weeds? After cutting, should I cover them with grass clippings, straw, or a tarp?