Clearing a path

Hi. I have raised beds of cinderblock, and my problem is in keeping the growth down around them. I tried layers of soaked newspaper, but when they dried, they blew around my yard and over the fence into other yards! I spray straight vinegar, but that doesn't kill everything, and my yard smells like a pickle factory exploded. I've used Roundup in the past, being very careful not to get it on the fruit trees or into the beds themselves, but I really don't want to do that again!

This picture shows my garden in the winter stage. Been cleaned up since then, and I built a potato cage out of hardware cloth to keep the moles from eating my potatoes again THIS year!

With the newspaper, you can't really use it by itself, you have to put something over it like mulch in order to hold it down. What is it that you're trying to kill? Is it weeds, or is it lawn grass creeping its way in? If it's grass, there's a product called Green Light Grass Killer, and also Ortho Grass B Gone (they both have the same active). You can spray it and it'll kill the grass but won't hurt your non-grass plants. The only down side to it is it takes a while to work--I use it on Bermuda grass that keeps appearing in my garden, and I spray it and it seems like it's not doing anything, then all of a sudden a couple weeks later the grass dies. It does actually take that long to work, so you have to be patient and don't feel like you have to reapply a day or two later when it looks like it hasn't done anything.

ecrane3 is correct. I have used the same products and it does take time to work. Best time to apply it is when the grass is actively growing. Not when it is dormant or growing slowly. Pick a day that is calm, sunny, and warm. The spray is absorbed through the grass blades and down to the roots. That is what takes time.

Thanks, ecrane & blomma. I'll hunt that down! Trying to kill the yard grass as well as the moss, but mostly for the grass. Thank you for the help!

Bleach will work on the moss, just be careful not to get it on other plants.

Nuts. Didn't think of bleach before. But won't that hurt the soil? Contaminate it or make it unusable? I tend to dig it up from around the unused areas, or plant in the unused areas some seasons.

Bleach decomposes pretty quickly when it hits organic material like soil. It does form salt when it degrades which is not good for soil, but unless you've got tons and tons of moss and are using tons and tons of bleach to get rid of it you shouldn't have a problem--I'm assuming it'll just be an occasional thing where you'll use small amounts. You don't need to use it straight out of the bottle either--you can dilute it a bit and it should still work.

Another spray I use for weeds is Roundup. It is powerful and will kill any plant it comes in contact with. It is also quicker. I killed a lilac bush with it that a former owner planted in a dumb spot. I use a piece of cardboard to keep the spray from hitting other plants. The stuff is expensive so I only use it when necessary.

I've got 33 raised 'square foot' beds in my greenhouse area veggie/flower garden, and the weeding of pathways would normally be a never ending chore. So, over the past couple years, I've been putting down either landscape fabric or sheets of newspaper under a layer of wood shavings as the garden has grown. (I've added a row of blocks each year)

There's a planing mill a short distance from my home that gives away shavings (you load, you haul). Before I found the mill and the free supply, I had purchased a few bags of shavings normally used for bedding for horses. A couple half-ton truck loads of shavings goes a long way.

The shavings will breakdown over the years, but it really cuts down on the weeding of the pathways. Besides, the wood shaving paths are really 'bare foot' friendly, and keep mud to a minimum. My dogs and cats really enjoy laying on the pathways...

This pic shows new shavings added to part of the 'original' square foot area pathways last fall. I had used scrounged sawdust over landscape fabric in this area three years ago, and it had decomposed enough to need replacement.

The thick layer of shavings (4-5") keeps the earth underneath the pathways reasonable loose/moist, so any weeds that do grow don't put up much of a struggle when pulled.

I'll need another half-ton truck load of shavings this spring, there's another part of the patio/path that needs mulching.

driven...please tell me what that plant is at the right bottom of your pic? beautiful!!! virginia

the dark green curly one? it's kale. it's delicious!

that looks wonderful!!! do you cook it like a collard green or eat it raw? virginia

since I've never cooked a collard green, I don't know! lol

I do pick off small leaves or tear off parts of a large leaf and graze on them when in the garden, or slice them julienne and add to soups or mixed green salads. Whole leaves are steamed or eaten raw.

apparently collards are much tougher...you've got to cook the heck out of them...so kale is more like spinach...thanks for the input i think i'm going to have to give kale a try...virginia