Take a quick “green” break and help keep our berries coming in WP: The Berry Patch on the SE corner of North 4th and East 11th needs its spring weeding in order for the strawberries (etcetera!) to grow well this year — but the OSU Master Gardeners who usually take care of it are forbidden from gathering by OSU cancellation of all events until July. So any amount we neighbors can contribute to getting rid of these weeds will help!
Take a quick “green” break and help keep our berries coming in WP: The Berry Patch on the SE corner of North 4th and East 11th needs its spring weeding in order for the strawberries (etcetera!) to grow well this year — but the OSU Master Gardeners who usually take care of it are forbidden from gathering by OSU cancellation of all events until July. So any amount we neighbors can contribute to getting rid of these weeds will help!
- Tools to bring:
- scissors
- gloves
- a garden trowel or other digging tool.
In case there is any confusion as to what plants to pull and what to leave in the ground, here are the “Infamous Four:” weeds you will encounter in the Berry Patch:
Root system = extensive: horizontal and vertical roots can reach 15’
Plants germinate from seed and root-derived shoots.
Wear gloves – prickly!
Cut any buds or dead flowers off them all before they go to seed.
Cut the plant at the base under the leaves and hope that it will die because it is cut off from energy.
Do not pull the root.
Root system = tap root that grows straight down.
Cut any buds or dead flowers off them all before they go to seed.
Use a small hand garden or builder’s trowel to dig down around the entire root system. If you leave even a small fragment of dandelion root in the soil, it will produce a new plant.
Root system = shallow crab-like structure.
Remove new AND old plants!
Loosen soil around and pull out the root by hand.
Root system = horizontal rhizomes that grow deep.
Dig down around root system with a small trowel.
If you leave even a small fragment of rhizome in the soil, it will produce a new plant.