This morning I puttered in the kitchen making a big salad for tonight's dinner. You know the type of salad where you layer lettuce and all kinds of veggies in the bowl and let it sit for several hours before tossing and serving it. Then I dumped some home canned goods from 2008 that I found furtively hiding behind more recently preserved food. That, of course, necessitated several trips to the compost heap and gave me quite a few jars to wash, dry and store back with the canning supplies.
Then I went outside and did something I feel very good about getting done.
Even though the strawberry patch was totally weedless (weed-less, as in free-of-weeds) a few weeks ago, that darn quack grass has sprouted up heavily within nearly every last plant out there. Apparently the mulch I put down around the plants and in between the rows was enough to discourage the quack grass in those spots, so it got mad at me and grew right within the plants where there was no mulch.
It actually looked like I had planted some ornamental, spiky grass out there. The quack grass was sticking about 6" above the strawberry plants and I know for sure if I had let it go, in two weeks time I wouldn't have been able to find the strawberry plants. What a mess. I was smart enough to start in the rows where it was the worst so by the time I got to the couple of end rows, I could move along a little faster which encouraged me to stick with it and finish the whole patch.
Now what do I do to keep the quack grass from attempting another take-over? Maybe conditions won't be as favorable as the plants themselves continue to grow and get thicker during the season. I can only hope.
Looks as if our strawberry harvest will start two to three weeks early this year as there are already blossoms on the plants. Yahoo! Who isn't eager every year for those first succulent, red, ripe strawberries?So what do I have on the schedule for tomorrow? Dunno. I haven't made out my list yet, but I'm betting I'll find enough to fill my day. Hope you all have a great weekend!
12 comments:
Sounds like a productive day for sure! My days are so full right now I don't dare make a list. I'm just flying by the seat of my pants going in 6 directions at once! Aack! Your list making inspires me.
You never win the war with quack grass you only get ahead of the battle for a few days. Right now my flower gardens are pretty much all quack grass. My back won't let me get out there and dig it out and I can't get the husband to do it so grass it stays.
Love those types of salads! :) Great job on the strawberry plants, but sorry the quack grass didn't get the memo that it didn't belong lol.
I don't know about quack grass bit I have about 4 other variets invading the rocks! that is where in practical;ly all split /entry homes buit nowadys,you have landscaping to prevent back spash of mud or grass right onto the lower level windows. so there is a layer of black( heavy duty) plastic and a couple layers of rock. but the weeds are peeking through to many holes in the well wore plastic,you can't see my hanging flowers fore the weeds--heehaw. but than I should never have sold the real thing,A slit level home my father built and I bought from the estate,boy am I dumb,if only we could foresee the future
I think ,my spell check quit working,I refuse to blame it on my brain@#%67^&7890----------
Freedom Acres Farm - Truth be told, days when I don't get my list made I seem to get just as much done tackling whatever pops up in front of me. I guess the act of making the list just organizes my mind a bit because there are many days when I never even look at my list after I've made it. Does that make sense? Oh well, I guess flying by the seat of one's pants isn't a bad plan . . . especially when there is so much to do.
Sparkless - Will your back allow you to do just a small amount of time on the weeding a couple of times a day?
Stephanie - Ha! Seems there are a lot of jobs around here that don't "get the memo" regarding the proper way to be!
judy - Just goes to show that nobody has yet figured out the ultimate weed control method! Maybe Mother Nature is trying to tell us leaving things more au naturel is the way to go??
Stubborn quack grass. Perhaps it was trying to fool you, looking all ornamental. But you, Ms. Pea, are too smart (and too hard working) for that. Enjoy those strawberries. We'll all be drooling on our computers when you post about the harvest. :)
I like the way you think.... attack plan on the quack grass. A motivational factor to set yourself up for 'success' to finish a not-so-fun job! Glad your strawberries are on an early schedule this year! Hope you are having a good weekend.... and it is 'okay' to take a day off... or two....!
That darn ___ grass. Fill in the blank, mine is wire grass. What a nuisance. Seems like everybody's got it in some form or another.
Mama Tea - Too smart? Too hard working? Nah . . . just too stubborn to let it have the upper hand!
Lisa - We DID take a "day off" today! How 'bout that? We had a blessedly rainy day and I spent it in my quilt room. How good does it get??!
Leigh - Yep, one invasive, blankety-blank, un-killable species or another! Gives us something to do when our lists are all caught up. HAHAHAHAHA!
I've been so busy this weekend look at all I've missed, potato planting, strawberry blossoms AND rain?! yay! Glad you are starting to experience the growing season again.
Erin - Feels good to be back playing in the dirt!
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