Weed-Free Gardening: A Comprehensive and Organic Approach to Weed Management

Should Be Titled "How To Learn To Live With Weeds In The Organic Garden"

Weed-Free Gardening: A Comprehensive and Organic Approach to Weed Management by Tasha Greer

We all know there really is no such thing as weed free gardening. Still, as a full time Eco farmer who's been doing this job for nearly two decades, I was curious as to what the author would have to say.

After reading through this entire book, the summary really is learning to accept weeds in the garden. The photos she provides clearly show an abundance of weeds growing all over. Plants gone to seed. Frankly, it's a mess. But the author is happy & it works for her. It's not for me.

The author provides very good information regarding the importance of soil health. She provides many details on various methods one can employ to build soil health to help keep weeds down. Her main objective is to return carbon to the soil. For some reason, this is something I never gave much thought to. In my mind, I am/was already doing plenty to keep my soils healthy & figured that was good enough. As for weeds, I battle it out with them non stop & after reading this book, I can clearly see that this will continue to be the norm for me.

I overwinter my soils by adding compost from my Eco farm & then covering the soils until I am ready to plant in the spring. Apparently my method doesn't allow carbon to build in the soil. It does keep my soils weed free until planting time however.

One of the main takeaways I retained from this book is that the author strongly encourages putting weeds without seed heads right back into the soil. There are various methods for this. I tend to avoid this, because when I've tried it in the past (simply because I was overly hot, boiling in the full sun & wanted to save both time & labor) it usually backfired. I left pulled/weed hoed weeds on the planted soils. The problem for me at least, is that they will often re-root or regrow making my weeding efforts pointless. You may have more success. I have decided to reconsider this method by doing a very early morning weeding mainly with my weed hoe & my fingers, then leaving the weeds sit, knowing rain is not in the forecast & the weather is going to be hot enough to kill the disturbed weeds. If it is going to rain, this will never work. Nor if the weather is mild.

The author also discusses composting. Both hot & cold as well as some other methods that I've heard of. One being the use of a metal trashcan that is buried. There are other methods as well. I use a "lazy" cold compost method. I am too exhausted to put energy into messing with my huge compost piles when it's in the 90's or in the winter when it's in the 20's. When the weather is good, I'm extremely busy working my land.

The author even mentions one of my favorite books, A Woman's Garden. If you are interested in doing more than growing edibles, but would also like to explore dye plants, medicinal plants & more, you may find 'A Woman's Garden' enjoyable as well.

There is a lot of very good information in this book. Normally I get frustrated with many of the books that come out on Eco gardening because they paint such a rainbow rosy picture of it all giving me the impression that the authors have very little growing experience. This book is not at all like that. This book is a keeper.

Just remember, it's not at all about achieving a weed free garden. Not even close.