Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Weeds Anyone?

Hubby had this brainy idea a few years to till up this lot, which is south of the largest garden, and north of yet another newly tilled garden lot (which has popcorn and pumpkin). 

As you can see, there is a ton of grass and weeds in there.  We used plastic the last two years to plant our squash and the vegetables did terrible.  This year there is no plastic, so there are tons of weeds.  

In that one garden (photo above) is zucchini, yellow straight-neck squash, spaghetti squash, and cucumbers (at the fence).  Really, they are in there.


This is what I tackled for 4 hours on day one out there.  As you can see the grass around the garden was getting mowed at that same time I was out there too.


I had to come inside due to my face and eyes swelling up.  My checks were getting a hive texture (red and swelling up) and it felt like needles jabbing me.  

I quickly showered, getting all of anything off.  Just in case I got myself into some poison ivy too.  In the middle of weeding, I walked over to the pasture and showed daughter where to mow a path to walk the dogs.  There was poison ivy in there, and I had flip flops on.  I know, I know, but it was hot out and wearing socks and shoes was not appealing. 

After my shower, my throat started to feel like it was closing up.  Yep.  This was year was going to be a very bad year for allergies (all the more reason for me to avoid gmo foods).   I quickly took my natural remedy, and within 15 minutes my eyes started to look much better.  I do put on a 110 SPF face sunscreen, wear a hat, and use gloves. 


I did see that the broccoli is doing well.  After all the rain dries up, I will go back and see what can be harvested.  

Yea, my weeding days have just begun.  Anyone else battling the weeds?  I haven't been back out due to the wetness from the recent rain, so it will sit like that until I can.  Today, it looks like it actually may stay dry all day, yet too wet in the garden.

Dinner was crock pot macaroni and cheese, using the last of our homemade ricotta cheese, and green beans.


8 comments:

Carolyn said...

I go back & forth on weeding. Some days I go all Godzilla on them, other's (like of late) I'm just like "live & let live". If it's not obviously detrimental to the veggie/fruit, I leave it.

Linda Stubbs said...

Hi Kristina, a way you can keep the weeds down next year is when you rototill the garden. Plant your plants or seeds. Around the plant lay some newspaper. We get end rolls at the newspaper place. But the paper up to the plant and then lay straw. It works wonderful and you don't have to weed other then just around the plant. It may grow some wheat greens, but that will die off before winter. It works wonderful for me and I never have problems with weeds. The paper and straw keep all the moisture in the ground! It is amazing. Hugs! me

Susan said...

Oy! I feel for you - I am very allergic to poison ivy and avoid it like the plague. There is a long patch of it beside the road where I walk the dogs and we walk in the middle of the road to be sure to avoid it - traffic be damned...

Unknown said...

We have a smaller space, but our hens do a great job in our veggie garden. We have 0 weeds...

Liz said...

Oh I feel so bad that you go through that with your allergies. Can not be fun at all! I have been doing pretty good with weeds this year. I use an old fashion push rototillers. If I do it every other day it keeps the weeds under control. Hope you feel better!

Patricia @ 9th and Denver said...

You poor thing!
That has got to be so aggravating having such severe allergies. I'm glad your remedy worked for you and started kicking in right away. Like you...I wear flip flops in the garden. ;)
Now as to weeds. I'll just say-- we had a wonderful plot out the kitchen window, with boxes around it and that is the area we had our HUGLEKULTER too. It did wonderfully well with the boxes. The weeds were only in the path areas and it was mainly lots of coastal bermuda (which cows would love if we had them) That is the first year we gardened, then we fenced it. Well, The Honey had the heart attack and we moved the boxes closer to the house and still tried to garden in the fenced area...but after tilling--WEEDS WERE CRAZY WILD! I have boxes out front now-- weeds all around (paths are wide enough for a push mower) but minimal amounts of weeds in our boxes. It makes much easier gardening for sure.
We're coming to an end gardening soon...and the grasshoppers are starting to move in again.
Your broccoli looks great.
Hope you harvest bunches of it.
Pat

Sam I Am...... said...

I can't keep up with the weeds here....it's a jungle the father South you go. You did good! Are you sure it's not the SPF that's bothering you?

RB said...

Because so much of our land is under pine trees, Bro Tom rakes all the needles into natural areas around them and we spray that so weeds don't come up.

The rest, we weed, just like everyone else does.

God bless.

RB
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