I would like to know how to get rid of chick weed and other problem weeds in my vegetable patch.
By Cath
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I covet chickweed! It tastes just like spinach, only has more nutrients. Cut off the top half with scissors and rinse in your collander, then saute quickly in olive oil, salt to taste. I freeze it in batches for my summer supply and it holds beautifully. Can't wait for winter when it grows again in my yard.
Eat your lambs-quarters, too! Lots of nutrients there. Of course a lot of weeds are inedible. The best way to deal with them might depend.
If you have a small garden and are in good physical condition, the best way is hand-pulling. Good exercise, and protects your garden plants. It's also the only way to let the edible weeds grow to harvest size. :)
If it's too big for that or you can't get to the ground easily, try the hula hoe (wiggle hoe, whatever it's called in your area). You go back and forth with a push-pull motion, so there's no wasted effort picking it up for the next stroke. It's great for getting seedling weeds, as it cuts them off just below the soil line. Its two drawbacks are: first, you have to do it frequently, before the seedlings get a good root system established; and second, it doesn't know the difference between weeds and vegetables, so give your plants a wide berth.
A third method is to lay down mulch to keep the seeds in the ground from sprouting, and any that manage to sprout on top cannot get a good toehold before you pull them out. It also conserves moisture and helps maintain an even temperature (or warms up the soil in the spring, if you use black plastic). It's the least work, if you do it right, but the most costly. There are whole books written on methods and materials of mulching.
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