# Garden is a mess, where did I go wrong?



## Downriver Tackle (Dec 24, 2004)

My son a side job at a dairy farm, so I had access to endless cow manure. Put a couple yards in the garden and tilled it in. Well, whatever those cows ate, is now growing all over my garden and taking it over. I can't even tell what corn I planted, and what came from the manure. All kinds of other things growing also. And thick!! 

I'm guessing I should have probably used Preen on the garden and then planted pre-sprouted plants or container plants? I did mostly seed planting and the seeds I planted are coming up at the same rate as what came from the manure. A mess!!!


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## phantom cls (Nov 7, 2008)

not having much luck with mine either! had a young doe out there last nite and was pounding my sweet corn. the real kicker is, my 2 dogs were just sitting watching the deer!


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## Downriver Tackle (Dec 24, 2004)

Mine is growing better than ever with the manure and no munching problems since it's fenced, but the undesired plants is overwhelming. I tried to weed a few out today, but just gave up. WAY too many!!!


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## Albaman (Mar 14, 2014)

Okay fella's, first off I know nothing about gardening. My extent of gardening doesn't go past cutting the grass and tilling her garden and that's it. 

She Who Must Be Obeyed is the green fingered one in our household and so I shall impart what she does to keep the weeds at bay, She has me dump all the grass clippings in one spot by her garden and when the veggies and stuff start showing she puts down newspaper then covers the paper with the grass clippings.

She swears by this method, I've just had a look at the garden and sure enough it's pretty much weed free. Once she has harvested all that is in the garden she will have me till both the paper and the clippings into the ground ready for next spring.


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

Have the cow manure stacked in a pile. It will heat up and kill the seeds. It may take a year or two to turn it into compost.


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## Nostromo (Feb 14, 2012)

I use the news paper under grass clippings technique. It works except as dry as it's been lately my mowing in not producing much of a yield. Getting out the hoe tomorrow.

Good luck


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## Downriver Tackle (Dec 24, 2004)

Luv2hunteup said:


> Have the cow manure stacked in a pile. It will heat up and kill the seeds. It may take a year or two to turn it into compost.


 That's probably my problem. A couple hours from cow to garden. Straight out of the pit.


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## Albaman (Mar 14, 2014)

Nostromo said:


> I use the news paper under grass clippings technique. It works except as dry as it's been lately my mowing in not producing much of a yield. Getting out the hoe tomorrow.
> 
> Good luck



Takes us a while to do but one of us is out there every day with the hose making sure the garden gets a good drink. When we first moved into this place SWMBO had me run a water pipe and install a tap at the at the edge of the garden.


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## swampbuck (Dec 23, 2004)

Cover the plants, round up the rest....may have to hit it a few times through the summer.


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## Fabner1 (Jan 24, 2009)

I make my rows wide and when the small weeds come up I Rototill them under.  No getting around pulling between plants. I make and use a small stool to sit on for the job. You will have to do it at least three times. After that you can let them go. (or not)

old Colonel Fred


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## kroppe (May 7, 2000)

Hoe the weeds, don't pull them.


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## Steiny (May 30, 2011)

Weeds go together with gardens like peas & carrots. Just have to stay after them and it gets better with time.


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## Downriver Tackle (Dec 24, 2004)

I get the weeding part. Do that every year. I more asking about the manure part. First time I have ever put fresh, not bagged manure in the garden, and now have this exploding carpet of all kinds of stuff, corn and all. I see other people that get loads of manure and don't have the same problem. Should it have been aged? Should I have put Preen down? This manure was about 2 hours from straight out of the dairy farms pit.


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## Radar420 (Oct 7, 2004)

Downriver Tackle said:


> Should it have been aged? Should I have put Preen down? This manure was about 2 hours from straight out of the dairy farms pit.


We always use aged manure. Fresh manure can be high in nitrogen and burn young plants. I'd imagine fresh manure also might harbor pathogens. Aging the manure will kill all those seeds and other nasties (but you'll lose nitrogen)


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## Nostromo (Feb 14, 2012)

Going forward if you want to use fresh manure do like the farmers do and apply it just before I go deer hunting.


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## WALLEYE MIKE (Jan 7, 2001)

Luv2hunteup said:


> Have the cow manure stacked in a pile. It will heat up and kill the seeds. It may take a year or two to turn it into compost.


Yes, should be composted first.


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## Anish (Mar 6, 2009)

We always get manure the year before we need it. We leave it in a pile to age it, put it on the garden in late fall, then it's ready to go in the spring.


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