Why Do Weeds Grow Faster Than Wanted Plants????

Passion Vine

                WEEDS, WEEDS, WEEDS!! 

The bane of every gardeners existence.  But are all "weeds" actually weeds?  Nope - well, not really.  The actual definition is:

WEED; noun

1.  a valueless plant growing wild, especially one that grows on cultivated ground to the exclusion or injury of the desired crop.

2. any undesirable or troublesome plant, especially one that grows profusely where it is not wanted.

 

In all actualities, a weed CAN be flowers, herbs and even vegetables!   

 

Tomatoes

Unfortunately, these "weeds" always seem to grow 2x - 3x faster than the plants you want in that spot.  I have spent many hours this week weeding the large vegetable garden.  We have had so much going on, it took a back seat and now I'm paying for it.  However - it is now 1/2 way weeded, so I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I still have some more seeds to get started, some sweet potatoes to put in and plants (starts) to get in as well.  I do love FL weather for gardening!  We have a 12 month growing season, for the most part.  Of course, hot weather plants won't grow in December and cold weather plants won't even think about growing in July, but there are tons of things we can grow year round.  This means weeding all 12 months!!  

 

Squash

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I am using a natural weed killer in the pathways and places we don't want anything growing.  Vinegar is that natural weed killer.  I've used it for years and I love it.  NO worries about pets getting in it.  NO worries about residual effects on the ground and NO worries about it contaminating my food!  The only worry it carries is that it's a non-specific killer - if it hits the plant, it kills it, so I'm very careful to spray it only on what I don't want.  It may take a second application to get rid of really persLettucesistent weeds, but hey - they benefits are worth the effort.  There are a few other recipes using vinegar which include salt and dish soap for the more persistent weeds I may give a try, so I'll let you know how they go.

 

I will be adding the "goat compost" along and along.  I've added a lot so far and when the plants get a taste, they go crazy!  Nice thing about "goat compost"?  It can be added to the garden immediately - no composting needed - wahoo!!

 

I love trying new recipes.  For breakfast, I decided I was tired of the same old things.  I got down a cookbook I haven't used in a while and started going through it.  Found an apple fritter recipe and set to work.  YUMMMMY breakfast ensued.

 

Frying Fritters

 

Finished Fritters

Hubby putting my flowers in a vase

Sweet Husband!!!  IT REALLY IS THE SMALL THINGS!!  Hubby came in the other day with his hands behind his back.  Since he was working on something for me, I assumed that's what he had, so I didn't pay  much attention, til he stood in front of me with an expectant look on his face.  I gave him my full attention and he pulls these out!  How sweet.  Yes - you may call them weeds, but they're actually one of my all time (since childhood) favorite "weeds".  :-)

Daisies!

MEAN roosters!

 This weekend, we worked hard!  I did a fair bit of sewing - made a skirt, made some feed bag totes and clothes pin bags, weeded the above mentioned garden and sent 11 chickens off to freezer camp.  Whew!  I was ready for Monday to get here.  The Cornish X we raised are gone, as are the 3 annoyingly mean (to the hens) roosters and 2 hens - one was a Freedom Ranger (originally meant for the freezer but we did not get around to processing the hens and they started laying (so we kept them because they were producing) but this one went broody (and therefore stopped laying - ugh) and stopped laying so I did not want to keep feeding her for nothing!) and the other was a very old hen I'd gotten from a friend (didn't know how old she was at the time) who hasn't laid more than a half dozen eggs in the last 18 months.  Our neighbors came over for a few hours to learn and help.  We sent them home with 2 birds.  Doing things like this with friends is a very good way to build community!!  We are sharing the rest with family as well as freezing a few and canning the rest.  I'm going to try a new canning process, so I'll let you know how it goes.

BEFORE

AFTER

 Milking is going great!  Here's Orla in the morning before and after milking.  Anyone who's nursed a baby will completely identify with the relief she seems to feel when I'm finished. 

Almost a half gallon!!

Rachel and Gage

Grubs!

It is past time to start breakfast and get my backside out into the garden to do more weeeeeeeding.  Enjoy your Monday!  I'm leaving you with a picture of my daughter and her dog (spoiled much?) and the Twins gobbling up the rest of the babies' food!  Little Grubs.