You have probably seen weed block fabric in Home Depot or Lowe’s and wondered if this stuff actually works. You may have found out first hand that using black plastic underneath landscape gravel or decomposed granite is a huge problem, so what about this new product?

If you don’t know black plastic ends up becoming ragged pieces, sticking up through landscape stone. Weeds are pop up wherever the plastic tore or disintegrated from heat, or where holes were cut to install plants. Because water can get underneath the plastic, where it is warm and moist, weeds will grow prolifically and are all but impossible to remove without using chemical herbicides.  

The only solution to breaking this cycle, is to remove all the landscape rock, clean up the deteriorating plastic.  As for using weed block fabric, despite that fact that it is supposed to be superior to plastic since it is tougher and does not degrade, it has its own set of problems.

Most likely you plan on cutting holes in it for plants, and once you do, you are back to the same problem of weeds coming up where holes were cut.. Also, eventually dirt and plant litter will accumulate on top of the fabric, weed seeds will sow themselves there, and the next thing you know you have a weed crop on top of your weed block fabric with roots extending through the fabric, making them impossible to remove. 

It is far easier to replace the rock on top of bare dirt and control weeds with alternative methods such as the Weed Flamer or other environmentally sound weed control products.

Or, even better, plant low water use ground cover and you will reduce weeds through root competition and shade the ground, which in turn will make your yard cooler in the summer.

The Community Food Bank in Tucson continues its spring classes with another set of workshops in April. If you are interested, you need to sign up early. These workshops are free! Contact Melissa Mundt at 622-0526 ext. 263 if you are interested.

 Site Design: Friday April 1^st 9-11.

 Garden Basics:  Saturday, April 2^nd 10 am to 12 pm

 Irrigating with Gray Water: Thursday April 7^th 9-11 am

 Soil and Compost: Friday April 8^th 9-11 am

 Seed Saving: Wednesday April 13^th 2-4 pm

 Planting a Healthy Garden: Friday April 15^th 9-11 am

 Save Time, Money and Food: Saturday April 15^th 9-11 am

 Hands on Passive Rainwater Harvesting: Thursday April 21^st, 9-11 am

 Self Watering Container Construction: Monday April 25^th 9-11 am

 Hands on Irrigation: Friday April 29^th 9-11 am

 Gardening for Market: Saturday April 30^th 9-11 am

Roundup herbicide flies off Tucson store shelves every spring. Many people don’t think twice (or maybe they do but buy it anyway). If you have read or heard Monsanto state that Roundup is safe, according to an article by Crystal Gammon in the June 2009 Scientific American magazine article, they are not telling the whole truth.

Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, has been long touted as safe for humans and the environment. Since research focused mainly on that one ingredient, most people believed the product to be safe. What researchers have discovered, however, it is not Glyphosate that is the problem.

The inert ingredients in Roundup, including solvents, surfactants and chemical preservatives, are far more dangerous.  Specifically, one ingredient, polyethoxylated tallowamine, was found to destroy human cells. This inert ingredient along with others in Roundup, are far more dangerous than the active ingredient Glyphosate. 

All of the herbicides and pesticides we use never biodegrade, and live forever in our soil, drinking water, and in our bodies. Chemicals such as these accumulate in our cells, and never go away. There are tests available that can determine exactly how much herbicide and pesticides you have been exposed to your whole life. Pretty scary, isn’t it?

 Be environmentally and morally responsible. Don’t use herbicides or pesticides. They don’t work anyway, don’t you find that you have to continually retreat? These products are poisoning our food, our drinking water and killing wildlife.

There are alternatives. Check out the Flame Dragon™ weed killer. Vinegar at 5% acidity kills weeds when they are small (check online, store bought vinegar is only 2%). Use a hoe! If you have gravel in your yard, get rid of it and plant native ground cover to keep dust down. Weeds are far easier to control in soil than in stone; plus, plants will keep your yard cooler. Stone is a magnet for heat, and stores it long after the sun goes down.