If the reasons people don’t start gardening are not having a good location or enough time to garden, then the main reason people stop gardening has to be weeds. Memories of weeding in their childhood years prevent many adults from trying to garden.
Weeds have a profound effect on the success of home gardening. I know of no one who enjoys weeding, from trying to give tiny carrot seeds a space to grow to pulling out lamb’s quarter, red root pigweed and biennial thistles before they spread their crop of seeds for the next year.
Weeds are not only unpleasant to look at, but they also compete for sunlight, space, nutrients, and water that the vegetables need to produce their delicious and nutritious fruits, roots and shoots.
I find it interesting that every gardener may have a different worst weed to control. One friend has problems with a very pretty but tenacious creeping bellflower. Another gardener cannot control the very tasty oxalis or wood sorrel. My worst weed is galinsoga, which put some long-time Turtle River gardeners out of gardening altogether, even though South Americans love to make a soup out of it called Ajiaco.
Galinsoga is inspirational. It inspired me to write this article about weeds, and it inspired me to offer a class in community education on weed control. The class will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17, at the Paul Bunyan Elementary building by the airport.
I have found some interesting things to apply to our gardens. There is still enrollment space. Register online at Bemidji Community Education Adult Enrichment.
Topics include managing the weed seed bank, growing in a stale seed bed, gardening methods that reduce weed problems, and tools for weeding, including flame weeding.
Participants are encouraged to share what works for them in controlling weeds. This is a learning opportunity for the presenters who are expecting to learn more about weeds as well.
These local garden articles will reach you each week throughout the gardening season, but gardening information can be found year-round by clicking on “Yard and Garden” at the University of Minnesota Extension website,
www.extension.umn.edu,
or by visiting our Facebook page at
www.facebook.com/Beltramicountymastergardeners.
Local Master Gardeners will respond to questions via voicemail. Call
(218) 444-7916,
and leave your name, number and question.
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