# Problem with grass in the garden



## JTM (Jun 17, 2018)

Hey up! I have about a 1/4 acre garden that I work on the weekends. I know that’s not optimal since Mother Nature could care less about my schedule. But for several years I’ve been able to make it work. However, the past three years have been awful because of the grasses because of beaucoup rain at just the right time made things too wet to hoe. This year I got my popcorn in late and of course the grass came up with it. I really can’t hoe it without tearing up the corn. So I’ll just lay it by next week and hope for the best. In between the rows is nicely tilled. My question is, is there something I can do for next year? I’m even thinking of letting it lie fallow and do some roundup to keep the grass from going to seed. Would that be ok?


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## chucker (Jun 17, 2018)

in wet years the grass just seems to come out of nowhere? tried the roundup from snow melt till warm enough to plant and its all the same here for me after two years?? sprayed r.up in the fall after harvesting all the plants and still no sign of getting ahead of the grass.


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## farmer steve (Jun 18, 2018)

unless you don't like chemical herbicides that is about the only answer. check with your local extension office to see whats available. some are restricted use.


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## sonny580 (Jun 18, 2018)

Poast will get grassy plants, BUT cant use on corn unless it has the Post protected gene in it!---NOW for sweet corn it gotta be RR stuff!---This is my second year with it and the seed is worth every penny of the high cost!

Another thing I use is ME-TOO lachlor pre-merg before I plant,--used to be Dual II, same stuff.--mix a quarter to one half cup to 3 gallons of water and go over an average sized garden.---This will knock down a lot of weeds and grasses! thanks; sonny580


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## Arnoldfranks (Feb 16, 2019)

That's good you have already started planting crops of corns. But make sure you are already done with a pest controlling technique from the professional exterminator like Exterminator Bronx NY and have done by spraying the pesticides, so that no crop will face any future damage by insects.


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## ChoppyChoppy (Feb 16, 2019)

Arnoldfranks said:


> That's good you have already started planting crops of corns. But make sure you are already done with a pest controlling technique from the professional exterminator like Exterminator Bronx NY and have done by spraying the pesticides, so that no crop will face any future damage by insects.



You pulled up a post from last summer. Highly doubt anyone in the US is planting a outside garden in the middle of winter!


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## muddstopper (Mar 15, 2019)

ChoppyChoppy said:


> You pulled up a post from last summer. Highly doubt anyone in the US is planting a outside garden in the middle of winter!


I have you know I planted peas yesterday. My tomatoe plants are staying in the green house for at least another month. If The ground dries out enough, will probably plant taters next week. Will also be planting onions. Anything that can be affected by frost wont get planted before May, usually after the 15th. 

As for the OPs question about grass. Best way to kill off the grass is roundup before tilling. Start early spraying, kill the grass, then till and wait to see what grass comes back up and respray. I normally dont use roundup around my garden, but I till in the fall and a couple of times in spring before I actually plant. I also mulch heavy between the rows. I get a few weeds, but they pull easy from the heavy mulch layer. I also use a lot of neem along with spinosad for bug control. Spray early before bugs appear or become a problem. I like to spray the spinosad on the ground as well as the plants. Most of the beetles live in the soil and killing them before emergent seems to be the best control.


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## Huskybill (Mar 16, 2019)

My misses puts down a black mesh mat in the rows between crops that lets the water through but grass and weeds can’t grow.

You guys are planting and we still have snow cover but it’s melting slowly.

I don’t use any chemicals in my garden since we consume everything we grow.


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## muddstopper (Mar 16, 2019)

Neem and spinosad are both organic.


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## chapcharlie (Jan 12, 2022)

Hoeing after rain when the soil is hard enough to let a person stand can minimize your problem. Also, if you want clean grass next year, don't forget to spray weed killer 3-4 times during the start of spring.


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## JTM (Jan 22, 2022)

If I turn my ground in the fall and disk in the spring I have less grass. Regardless, a hoe is your friend and takes a lot of work, daily. Once grass has set up it may take a few seasons of hoeing unless you spray.


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## esshup (Jan 23, 2022)

Mom would always start plants indoors and used a LOT of Preen as a pre-emergent herbicide in the raised garden beds. I tried planting beets, carrots and beans in them 2 years after she passed and only had at the most 10% germination. But no grass was growing!


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