Gardening by Judith Adam Before you y away to warmer regions, consider the autumn garden – are those weeds you see? Help yourself by taking a time-saving approach to weeding, with less stressful and more focused methods of removal. Casual weeding Autumn is o en a time for major cleaning operations in the garden, clearing up a summer’s worth of stems and spent blossoms. But with plans for a southern journey inmind, it’s expedient to make strategic choices – what work is most rewarding in the remaining weeks before taking o for the cold months ahead. Rest assured, summer’s stalks and leaves can be collected next spring; but weeds relish the cool moisture of autumn and will continue to grow and spread for several more weeks. Weed removal is a good investment in next summer’s garden, and will put you ahead with the spring cleanup. Must you devote hours on your knees eliminating every weed in sight? Familiar weeds such as dandelion and plantain have already spread their seeds (you can set them back next summer by picking o their blossoms before the seed stage) and they don’t make underground shoots. ey are fat and healthy in autumn, but won’t be spreading. ese are currently low threat, and you can just remove the largest mature specimens in view, leaving the smaller ones for another season. With limited time, it’s smart to get control over the most ‘dangerous’ weeds − that is, the ones that are sending out underground shoots until stopped by hard freeze-up. Knowing your weeds will help to identify those that are beginning their underground expansion into new territory. Goldenrod and dog-strangling vine (cynanchum rossicum) send shallow underground tillers to form new plants. You might choose to keep the pretty goldenrod for bees to forage on next summer, but the insidious dog-strangling vine should be removed. (You can nd their pictures through an internet search.) Roots of both plants are about six inches deep and not di cult to dislodge with a garden spade. Some weeds, like the many kinds of thistles, have brittle roots with running tillers eight to 10 inches below ground, and break very easily. Each broken piece le in the soil regenerates into a new plant. Attempting to dig out thistles is time-consuming and ine ective. e easier way is to leave them until next spring and summer, when they can be starved of energy production. With a gloved hand (because they have prickly stems), grasp each emerging thistle at the neck and slowly pull up until you feel a pop further down the root. at will remove the energy-producing leaves and crown; as weeks pass, you’ll notice fewer emerging thistle stems. Eliminating thistles might not be possible, but you can diminish their numbers and you will see fewer in future summers. No matter what weeds you’re removing, use a strong tool such as a straight-edge spade that will bear the stress of moving earth and prying roots out of soil. Straining your wrist with a trowel also requires you to get down on your knees for the removal ght. Staying on your feet and using a spade will save sore knees and make quicker work of weeding. 48 | www.snowbirds.org
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