Uncle Ray Rescues His Garden

By Robert Seay, U of A Division of Agriculture

First posted on 07-05-2008

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - “Hey county agent!” Uncle Ray’s voice boomed over the phone. “You’ll be real proud to know what I did.” That was the bait and I bit, “I’m always proud of you, but what did you mess up now?”

His rebuttal came fast, “Looky here! I go to the trouble to keep you up to speed, and that’s the thanks I get?”

Bottom line, after a 10-day ramble around the state to visit other relatives, he came back home to an overgrown garden. Uncle Ray provided this imagery, “Them rain showers caused every weed in the world to grow up out there. I never see’d such a mess!”

It didn’t help to ask, “Well, what did you do, just plow it up and start all over?” His reply suggested an expectation of that question. “Now, see here. That’s the difference between folks like me and you. I make do just by put’n my thank’n cap on and coming up with an answer.” Trying to regain lost ground, I asked, “Well, don’t keep me in suspense. Tell me what you did?”

“I weed et it!” he proudly stated.

Before I could digest that, Uncle Ray continued, “I just went up and down them rows, trimming the weeds smooth to the ground as straight as a chalk line. You know, in a pair of skilled hands, a weed eater is a precision tool. Why the Surgeon General his self could’na did no better.”

Due to abundant rainfall in many locations, many gardeners are caught in similar situations. About the time the weeds get cleaned out, the job has to be repeated.

In lawns and around many ornamentals, herbicides can be used for pre- and post-emergence weed control. However, when it comes to herbicide use around vegetables, gardeners are more hesitant. The other options are: mulching; hand-weeding; tillering or, in Uncle Ray’s case, weed trimming.

Uncle Ray brought me back on track. “Say, do you thank one of them extension specialists would want to work up a fact sheet? We could take some good pictures right now.” I eased out of the conversation with, “Uncle Ray, I’ll get back to you on that.”

The idea of an extension fact sheet on Salvaging the Garden with A Weed Eater brought a smile as I thought about making the initial contact. Should I call Dr. John Boyd, our weed specialist, or Dr. Craig Andersen, our vegetable specialist? The thought of either trying to communicate with Uncle Ray brought a second smile. Til’ Next week!

For more information on gardens and other horticultural matters, contact your county extension agent or visit http://www.uaex.edu and select Home and Garden. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.