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I've been pulling weeds in my Back to Eden, and have found that my weeds are re-rooting in the wood chips when i put them in the middle (10 year old red mulch with some small stuff mixed in). Why is this?

black thumb
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2 Answers2

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Old mulch plus grass clippings = compost / soil.

Every self-respecting weed will try and probably succeed in re-rooting in this. Especially if it lands in a good position and there is enough humidity available.

Note that weeds are typically plants that are vigorous, quick-rooting and adapted to even less favorable surroundings. We pull weeds because they can out-compete the desired plants in our garden beds.

If you want to eliminate the weeds, either let them dry out before leaving them to decompose (essentially making hay) or do a “hot” compost. Especially if you have weeds that will grow back from root fragments or so. And never let the weeds go to seed...

Stephie
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Plants want to survive. They will do all they possibly are able to survive. 10 year old 'red' mulch must be cedar? If you dump weeds too thinly in the compost pile or on wood chips they will try to survive. If there is enough moisture they might find a way.

Back to Eden, what does this mean to you? What are you doing that makes you a Back to Eden member? Are you thinking that whatever you are doing is making super plants? Hardier plants? Better harvests? Does Back to Eden accept fertilizer or not? Tilling to make plant beds?

I just called a very well known gardener on the 'carpet'...he says he does no till and no fertilizer. Insisted this was true. I was insistent he was fibbing. Then...he told me he uses this Dynamic 500 or some similar name that is FERTILIZER and he applies it twice per year. Now we have the truth. There is no way he could harvest the amount of stuff he harvests as he is mining the chemistry every single harvest, without adding more fertilizer. And although I didn't rub it in, I was right. What is this Back to Eden in your thinking? Is it a similar philosophy?

stormy
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