Autumn Gardening Tips With Bobbie Schwartz

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Fall Weeding

There is a common saying, “Pay me now or pay me later.” It could read, “Weed now or weed later.” The beauty of weeding now, however, is that there will be less weeding to do in Spring when you are busy with so many other chores.

Many weeds are still blooming and the deadheads are seeding. Additionally, because the soil is still warm although the air temperatures have dropped, the roots of weeds are still spreading. It is much more pleasant to work in the soil when it is still warm than in the Spring when it is usually cold.

I have a comfortable, waterproof cushion on which I sit and doctor’s examining gloves that protect my skin but allow me to feel everything. This is crucial when eliminating weeds. Use a hori (digging knife) or trowel to dig the first group of roots but then follow the roots with your fingers so that you eliminate as much of the root system as possible. This is particularly true of Oxalis, both the purple and the green leaved species, as well as several other common weeds.

If you don’t own a hori, I highly recommend it. A trowel is very hard on both your wrist and your elbow whereas the knife is ergonomically designed. You stab it into the ground and pull the soil toward you, exposing the roots of the weed. You can then sift the soil off the roots and easily follow them. I have a supply of horis on hand. If you would like to purchase one for $27 including tax, call me (216-752-9449) or email me ( HYPERLINK "mailto:[email protected]" [email protected]).

Wild garlic foliage looks like chives but it has airy seedheads instead of pink fuzzy ones. Pulling it instead of digging it is a waste of time because the tiny bulblet remains in the ground and just send up new foliage. Fall is a great time to dig it out since other plants around it are probably falling down or have been frosted. You need to be extremely thorough. One bulblet left undug will a become a plethora within a year.

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