Herbicide alternatives are readily available
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Updated: June 25, 2009 11:07 AM
With the growing opposition to the use of herbicides in gardens, so the need for effective and acceptable alternatives develops.
Fortunately they are available.
Hand weeding is one way to get rid of unwanted plants but it is tedious and laborious work, especially if one is at pains to take out complete root systems. Hoeing is easier but rather less effective.
Applications of corn gluten meal serve as pre-emergent weed killers and inhibit growth of weed seeds and also, an added benefit, they break down into beneficial soil nutrients. Corn gluten meal is the byproduct of corn milling and is available either as a powder or granulated.
Composting, as is well known, improves soil health and, hence, plant health and vigour so that they can compete successfully with weeds. But it is important to pay attention and ensure sufficient heat is generated during the composting process to destroy weed seeds; the invasive aliens bamboo, blackberry and morning glory can survive quite high temperatures, so be careful to exclude them from the compost pile.
Mulching, too, helps control weeds.
If you use inorganic fertilizers to develop strong plant growth, apply them only in spring and summer, not fall, and use plant-specific formulations so as to minimize wasteful and possibly harmful runoff.
Slow-release formulations, too, help reduce run-off.
You can make up your own fertilizer using these proportions in a mix: four cups of seed meal or fish meal; half-cup bone meal, dug in well so as not to attract dogs (or one cup rock phosphate); half-cup kelp meal ; one cup organic lime or dolomite. This mixture is good for both lawns and plant beds.
I’ve just been told of a heartwarming gardening story about naming of the much-admired Peace Rose, which was developed in the 1930s by Francis Meilland, a French gardener.
With war imminent, he sent cuttings to Germany, Italy, Turkey and the U.S. to ensure its survival.
At the war’s end he wanted to name it for Britain’s Field Marshal Alan Brooke, in acknowledgement of his major role in liberating France and defeating Nazi Germany. The field marshall declined the honour saying his name would not last but peace would.
One can easily think of several other senior commanders who would not have been so modest!
A specimen of the Peace Rose was presented to all delegates at the inaugural U.N. meeting in San Francisco in 1945, with the words which, sadly, have proved to be a vain hope:
“We hope the Peace Rose will influence men’s thoughts for everlasting world peace.”
Dr. Roy Strang writes weekly on the environment for the Peace Arch News. rmstrang@shaw.ca
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