Natural garden
published: 03/06/22, 23:24
Plant biology, I know a lot, yet I remain a poor gardener, but I take care of myself as much as possible, at least I try because it is important in many respects. I do not claim to replace Did, just that of offering a space for discussion to all practices without exclusion, as long as we remain in modes that respect the living.
I open this thread with a thought on weeding carrots in the juvenile stage...
For several years I have been producing carrots with highly variable results. I understand better now some of my failures. A problem that has long limited me in my carrot ambitions is the weeding on the line just at the start of the emergence of young carrots. I tried the cover with potting soil sterilized by composting: it's a good system, but my stock of potting soil is no longer sterile... There is also the fax sowing technique, but its principle seems rather delicate to me to apply. This year, I said to myself that I was going to practice the burn on the line just before the emergence. What gave me this idea was the discovery in my bazaar of a very simple gas thermal weeder (with cartridge); There was a time when this contraption was sold for cleaning driveways and paving joints, a use for which it was remarkably ineffective, which is why it can be easily obtained at garage sales... The reality being that the shock can only really destroy weeds at the seedling stage and that's where I saw the advantage of a light tool, for quick passage over the row. Before yesterday, first application, rather encouraging. The next morning I observe the results and note that some seedlings have been spared due to a clumsy application: I go back over the places concerned and this morning, everything is toast. All this for very little time and gas (on this last point, carrot fanatics or, more seriously, semi-pros can plug the machine into a small portable and rechargeable bottle), whereas it is otherwise tedious and very tedious work when done by hand. I am attaching a photo, not necessarily very clear: it is taken facing the row; on the left and on the right we see the young weeds and we note their absence on the line (in the middle); you can see a few carrot plants that appeared this morning (luckily, this operation was a sudden inspiration on my part, because I was starting to worry about the turn of events).
I open this thread with a thought on weeding carrots in the juvenile stage...
For several years I have been producing carrots with highly variable results. I understand better now some of my failures. A problem that has long limited me in my carrot ambitions is the weeding on the line just at the start of the emergence of young carrots. I tried the cover with potting soil sterilized by composting: it's a good system, but my stock of potting soil is no longer sterile... There is also the fax sowing technique, but its principle seems rather delicate to me to apply. This year, I said to myself that I was going to practice the burn on the line just before the emergence. What gave me this idea was the discovery in my bazaar of a very simple gas thermal weeder (with cartridge); There was a time when this contraption was sold for cleaning driveways and paving joints, a use for which it was remarkably ineffective, which is why it can be easily obtained at garage sales... The reality being that the shock can only really destroy weeds at the seedling stage and that's where I saw the advantage of a light tool, for quick passage over the row. Before yesterday, first application, rather encouraging. The next morning I observe the results and note that some seedlings have been spared due to a clumsy application: I go back over the places concerned and this morning, everything is toast. All this for very little time and gas (on this last point, carrot fanatics or, more seriously, semi-pros can plug the machine into a small portable and rechargeable bottle), whereas it is otherwise tedious and very tedious work when done by hand. I am attaching a photo, not necessarily very clear: it is taken facing the row; on the left and on the right we see the young weeds and we note their absence on the line (in the middle); you can see a few carrot plants that appeared this morning (luckily, this operation was a sudden inspiration on my part, because I was starting to worry about the turn of events).