by Stefanie Plum, Gather Partner Team
Member since:
February 19, 2008

"The Book of Weeds" (Chat Transcript)

April 29, 2009 11:36 AM EDT (Updated: July 31, 2009 04:28 PM EDT)
views: 260 | rating: 10/10 (15 votes) | comments: 142

Spring has sprung, which means we can all dig out our shovels and seedlings to begin tending our gardens. While we all enjoy seeing flowers and vegetables in full bloom, there is one thing that stands in the way - pesky weeds!

Join us for a live chat, Thursday @ 3PM ET with author of The Book of Weeds, Ken Thompson. Ken's new book provides advice on handling weeds - how to recognize them, how to control them, and how to exploit them. The first step is to know your enemy, so weeds are identified and the survival strategies of various types is explained to enable you to get rid of them more easily. Finally, an explanation of what makes a plant a weed, and what makes it a useful or even critical part of the garden ecosystem!

Get your questions ready and join us from 3-3:30PM ET on Thursday for the chat. Three participants who ask a question during this time period will be drawn to receive a copy of Ken Thompson's new book, The Book of Weeds and 250 Gather PointsTM each.

 

 

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Comments: 142

Kat W. Apr 29, 2009, 11:44am EDT
I sure could use this book! I will try to be here.
Netty B. Apr 29, 2009, 11:48am EDT
Interesting, whole book about Weeds! LOL
Bridget ♥ Apr 29, 2009, 11:49am EDT
Weeds, that's what my yard is made of! LOL!
Elizabeth B. Apr 29, 2009, 11:58am EDT
WOW! this is one I could soooo use! LOL@ Bridget, I hear ya, mine is full of star thistle, fox tails and a weird velcro weed thinggy....this is going to be a good chat looking forward to it!
Samantha W. Apr 29, 2009, 12:07pm EDT
Can't wait till tomorrow!!!!
Alex In Wonderland Apr 29, 2009, 12:36pm EDT
Bridget same here. Seriously! I have more weeds than anything else in my yard. I will try to be here!!
C.L. R. Apr 29, 2009, 12:55pm EDT
Sounds like a great one, hope I can make it.
Ann W. Apr 29, 2009, 12:57pm EDT
This is going to be a great chat!
Desiree T. Apr 29, 2009, 1:08pm EDT
I'm wanting in on this!
Cynthia T. Apr 29, 2009, 2:22pm EDT
Cool! I would love to get that book. I hope I can be here.
Denise W. Apr 29, 2009, 3:04pm EDT
Wow I would love the book. We are doing all organic and I am afraid we are loosing the battle
Susan B. Apr 29, 2009, 3:05pm EDT
Hi there :)

I usually plant my garden plants in containers on our small porch. I have to get to the weeds quickly before they overtake a pot, but when the plants are all littlem it's hard to tell what is a weed :(
j - Frugal Mom - r. Apr 29, 2009, 3:33pm EDT
It sounds like a great chat.
Amanda C. Apr 29, 2009, 4:09pm EDT
cool, I have a few questions along with tons of weeds that seem to have taken over my backyard. Will try to remember to come back tomorrow for this!
♥¤ J K¤ ♥ Apr 29, 2009, 5:38pm EDT
I really hope I can make it to the chat.
Jeanette(Nettie) R. Apr 29, 2009, 8:20pm EDT
I just weeded my garden. There were things that I thought were weeds but one gardeners weeds is another gardeners flower! I did pull up something that was pale green with a very light silvery fuzz to it. Didn't recognize it so it went by by!
CyberGwen ! Apr 29, 2009, 9:27pm EDT
My weeds are so tall that I lose my dog in them and he is a big dog! I will try my best to remember to be here. I really need to learn more about weeds and gardening. You know what they say about the key to winning a battle .....know your enemy!
Stefanie Plum, Gather Partner Team Apr 30, 2009, 2:17pm EDT
I'm glad to see you're all excited to join the chat! I'll be back at 3PM ET to introduce our guest. See you then!
karen h. Apr 30, 2009, 2:20pm EDT
i would love to be here but i will be gone out with my mom and the funny thing is were going to buy plants for our garden lol!!
♠~Dnbuster~♠ ~. Apr 30, 2009, 2:47pm EDT
i am early i am really curios how to get rid of my weeds.
Rose H. Apr 30, 2009, 2:48pm EDT
Glad I saw this announcement. My gather friends all know I love gardening which means I have to deal with weeds. I don't get too riled up about them, since I garden organic and some weeds, well they are just flowers in the wrong spot:)
I can always use a good gardening book, this one sure sounds interesting - looking forward to the chat:)
Stefanie Plum, Gather Partner Team Apr 30, 2009, 3:00pm EDT
Hello everyone. Welcome to today's live chat with special guest Ken Thompson! He will be discussing his new book, The Book of Weeds. Ken will share his advice on handling weeds - how to recognize them, how to control them, and how to exploit them.

The chat will run from 3-3:30PM ET. You can begin posting your questions now.
♠~Dnbuster~♠ ~. Apr 30, 2009, 3:01pm EDT
how do i recognize weeds from plants. I am just so excited to have something growing i dont know the difference..lol
Ken Thompson Apr 30, 2009, 3:02pm EDT
Hi there - good weed growing weather here in England - mild and damp
Sandy M. Apr 30, 2009, 3:02pm EDT
I hate weeds. lol. I usually buy scotts or preen weed preventer for gardens. is there another way I can get rid of them besides chemicals and besides pulling them?
~♥~ Kim ~♥~ Apr 30, 2009, 3:02pm EDT
I always have something that comes up in my garden that I'm not sure if it is a flower I planted the season before or a weed. I'd love to be able to identify easily which is which. I actually posted a photo of one this year I'm trying to figure out what it is....Weed or Flower? My question is there any easy way to identify the weeds before you've grown them half the summer? :)
Ken Thompson Apr 30, 2009, 3:03pm EDT
Well, Dnbuster, that's what everyone wants to know, but really it's up to you. If you like 'em they're not weeds, even if everyone else tells you they are.
Ho everyone!

I was wondering- what is a non-toxic, non-chemical way to make sure weeds don't grow in my garden, without harming other plants? I want to plant vegetables, but don't want to harm the soil or plants with chemicals.
CC Miranda the artrat (or am i?) Apr 30, 2009, 3:03pm EDT
i've just been weeding the fleas off the cats. i live in an apt complex. no gardening required.
Mary G. Apr 30, 2009, 3:04pm EDT
Is there any way to keep the weeds away without using harmful chemicals?
Susan B. Apr 30, 2009, 3:04pm EDT
I definitely don't want to use chemicals. How tall should I let the weeds/flowers get before I can tell the difference?
Mary G. Apr 30, 2009, 3:04pm EDT
Are there any good weeds?
DiAnA D. Apr 30, 2009, 3:05pm EDT
our church just started a huge garden here in FL and it looks great! All the food is donated to the urban ministry food bank!
Trish A. Apr 30, 2009, 3:05pm EDT
We are struggling with poison ivy. I don't want to put toxic chemicals on it. Any solution that is better for the enviornment?
DiAnA D. Apr 30, 2009, 3:05pm EDT
oh i'm so allergic to poison ivy!
Kay M. Apr 30, 2009, 3:06pm EDT
How do I fight these dandelions without chemicals?
Sandy M. Apr 30, 2009, 3:06pm EDT
I hate poison ivy and it grows back so quickly.
Mary G. Apr 30, 2009, 3:06pm EDT
Is there a better time in the day to weed?
Sandy M. Apr 30, 2009, 3:07pm EDT
just looking at poison ivy makes me itch.
Trish A. Apr 30, 2009, 3:07pm EDT
My husband reacts bad to poison ivy also DiAnaA.
Ken Thompson Apr 30, 2009, 3:07pm EDT
I had a look at Kim's plant and I'm not sure if it's a weed either. The secret of telling if it's something you planted is just to be careful - make sure you label everything you plant so you don't forget what it is or where you put it. If you're sowing seeds, make sure you sow them in rows, then anything that comes up in a row isn't a weed. Or sow one or two in a pot where you can keep an eye on them - then when they come up you know what they look like.
♠~Dnbuster~♠ ~. Apr 30, 2009, 3:07pm EDT
HaHa thanks ken:)
DiAnA D. Apr 30, 2009, 3:07pm EDT
Mary - - when the bugs don't chase you out of your garden :)
DiAnA D. Apr 30, 2009, 3:08pm EDT
we had a huge garden growing up.. one of our summer chores.. each kid had a row to weed!
DiAnA D. Apr 30, 2009, 3:08pm EDT
any tips for a garden in sunny, hot, dry FL?
Ken Thompson Apr 30, 2009, 3:08pm EDT
Mary G, there certainly are good and bad times to weed. Choose a dry, sunny, windy day, then any weeds you pull up or hoe out will shrivel up and die quickly.
DiAnA D. Apr 30, 2009, 3:08pm EDT
we had a container of tomatoes one year but something got to it
~♥~ Kim ~♥~ Apr 30, 2009, 3:09pm EDT
Thank you for taking a look. I have two of those growing...nice lil mounds they are. lol I try to leave the tag with everything I plant. Because I know me I'll plant it and forget it. I not sure with the ones you looked at if maybe they ended up the lucky ones with no tags...or just a purdy weed. ;) But thank you again for taking the time to look at it. :)
Trish A. Apr 30, 2009, 3:09pm EDT
I never thought about there being a better time to weed. Thanks for your answer Ken. Why windy?
Sandy M. Apr 30, 2009, 3:10pm EDT
Kim, I to looked at it. if its a weed its a nice looking weed:)
Mary G. Apr 30, 2009, 3:10pm EDT
I was actually wondering if the time of day makes a difference when pulling weeds. My weeds are growing so fast that its become a big problem.

I did laugh Diana at your answer.
I'm very lucky that we don't suffer too much from weeds, unless our neighbors let their lawns go to weed and it comes over, but we do seem to have a lot of mushrooms that pop up in our back yard. I don't know if it is because we used mushroom compost when we planted our flowers and trees or it's just natural for that to happen in South Ga.
~♥~ Kim ~♥~ Apr 30, 2009, 3:11pm EDT
If a windy day would you not take the chance if the weed had already went to seed having the wind blow the seeds about?
~♥~ Kim ~♥~ Apr 30, 2009, 3:11pm EDT
Thanks Sandy...that's what I thought....it's a nice filler weed...if it's a weed. ;)
♠~Dnbuster~♠ ~. Apr 30, 2009, 3:12pm EDT
interesting time to weed.
Sandy M. Apr 30, 2009, 3:12pm EDT
Kim, I would keep it and see if any flowers bloom on it.
Our yard is over run with crab grass, and other assorted weedy patches. We moved in last year, and the house had been empty for almost a year before we bought it, and the lawn was not well taken care of prior to that. Any tips on how to get rid of the weeds without killing the grass?
Ken Thompson Apr 30, 2009, 3:13pm EDT
Already lots of people want to know how to kill weeds without chemicals, because we all want to avoid toxic chemicals if we can. For big, tough perennial weeds, there's really no alternative to digging out as much as you can, but the you need to do two things - a good thick mulch of something like garden compost, wood chips or composted bark, the thicker the better, maybe on a layer of wet cardboard or newspaper for good measure. And the second thing is lots and lots of good, vigorous, spreading garden plants. Basically you don't want to leave ANY space for weeds to grow.
~♥~ Kim ~♥~ Apr 30, 2009, 3:13pm EDT
I'm going to Sandy. Rose in that post seems to think it's a flower so now I just have to wait to see what it's going to be.
Mary G. Apr 30, 2009, 3:14pm EDT
I have the dry solved living in Southern California and will try weeding on the days with a breeze. I can grow vegetables year round just need to get the weeds under control. Thanks for the reply.
Pam H. Apr 30, 2009, 3:14pm EDT
I have tulips and crocuses coming up in my yard near my porch, but the weeds seem to be growing up and around them. Then again, maybe they are another flower coming up for Spring. I am not sure what to do, hate to pull them.
Amanda C. Apr 30, 2009, 3:14pm EDT
We rent so I really have no idea of all the stuff coming up what is a weed and what is actually a flower. But we do have these things that have taken up our yard and flower bed that have tons of leaves and an oval shaped bud on them that has little bristles on them. They havn't opened yet so I don't know what they are going to look like opened. They don't stick up but sort of arch over and hang down. Any idea what they are without a photo? Probably not, but I am guessing they have to be some sort of weed.
Sandy M. Apr 30, 2009, 3:14pm EDT
thanks Ken, maybe then I should be planting my flowers closer together.
I would love this book as there are many herbs that I'd love to plant, but I understand that they are very aggressive and become pests like weeds. For example, mint.
Janet "Jax" B. Apr 30, 2009, 3:15pm EDT
Good afternoon....and my whole front yard is weeds....
Trish A. Apr 30, 2009, 3:15pm EDT
Ken what about the poison ivy that's already there? Any ideas?
~♥~ Kim ~♥~ Apr 30, 2009, 3:16pm EDT
I've started last summer killing my weeds where they were not directly close to a flower by pouring boiling water on the weed. It worked great for weeds that popup in the sidewalk/driveway cracks.
Sandy M. Apr 30, 2009, 3:16pm EDT
Thanks for posting it here Kim. I wouldn`t have seen it otherwise.
Janet "Jax" B. Apr 30, 2009, 3:16pm EDT
We tried and tried to get grass to grow to no avail....we don't know what to do to get rid of the weeds and be able to grow grass.
Pam H. Apr 30, 2009, 3:17pm EDT
Jax, you are so funny
penni d. Apr 30, 2009, 3:17pm EDT
ken's book looks interesting (I want it, I want it). I personally try to find uses for weeds.
then there are others that I try to Bully out of the yard,lol.
Ken Thompson Apr 30, 2009, 3:18pm EDT
Well, Princess, I was trying to kind of work around your existing plants with my earlier answer about mulch and stuff, but if you just want to clear a weedy garden with no effort and no chemicals, you can't beat an old carpet - just put it over your weeds and leave it for a year. That may not quite kill everything when you come to take it up, but there won't be much left.

And why a windy day for weeding? Because there's nothing like wind for drying things out, including weeds. A good day for drying washing on a line (do people still do that - we do) is a good day for weeding.
Sandy M. Apr 30, 2009, 3:19pm EDT
I like to hang clothes out on a line still.
Lol, yes Ken, I do dry my laundry outdoors to this day. Warm sun and nice breezes are great for drying.
Trish A. Apr 30, 2009, 3:19pm EDT
Great idea about the carpet, maybe we can try that with our poison ivy. Neither of us can safely touch it or be around it so the carpet could be a good answer. Thanks.
♥¤ J K¤ ♥ Apr 30, 2009, 3:19pm EDT
any suggestions for getting rid of crab grass? It is trying to take over my flower bed.
Rose H. Apr 30, 2009, 3:20pm EDT
Ken - Hello:) - How do I deal with dollar weeds, they seem to take over my flower pots (I have two large pots with Azaleas and they love it there:) and once started I have to change out all the soil to get rid of them.
Mary G. Apr 30, 2009, 3:20pm EDT
I don't have a dryer, so always hang clothes to dry.
Ken Thompson Apr 30, 2009, 3:21pm EDT
Yes Katie, mint can be a thug, although a lot depends on your local climate, because mint really likes it damp. My garden's a bit dry and beleive it or not, I have trouble even keeping mint alive. If it's a thug in your garden, the traditional davice is to knock the bottom out of an old bucket, sink it in the ground and grow it in that.
penni d. Apr 30, 2009, 3:21pm EDT
ken, I use shredded newspapers a lot for mulch. is it true that colored paper, as comics pages are NOT to be used? If so, then why not?
Susan B. Apr 30, 2009, 3:21pm EDT
Thanks for your answers Ken :)
Wet cardboard? Hmm... that's a new trick!

I have a rock driveway (which I hate, but it came with the house!). Part of it has become over run with weeds. I've heard that extremly hot water, or salty water poured on weeds (or grass) will kill it. Since I want the driveway free of plant life, is this something that I could try?
Rose H. Apr 30, 2009, 3:21pm EDT
We don't have a dryer either. Living in Florida the sun will dry your clothes just fine:)
♥¤ J K¤ ♥ Apr 30, 2009, 3:22pm EDT
Any old carpet for a year? wow I've never heard of that.
Thanks Ken, that is a great idea. I'm going to try it.
penni d. Apr 30, 2009, 3:22pm EDT
exploiting weeds are down my alley, ken. I have never seen a book with that section in it.
What made you decide to put it in?
Janet "Jax" B. Apr 30, 2009, 3:22pm EDT
It's true though Pam...we grow some great weeds....and some very pretty ones, but no grass....
♥¤ J K¤ ♥ Apr 30, 2009, 3:23pm EDT
I've heard you can use white vinegar to kill weeds growing in sidewalk and driveway cracks. Does this work?
penni d. Apr 30, 2009, 3:23pm EDT
I don't have problems with thugs in garden,lol...but slugs.. :)
Nick H. Apr 30, 2009, 3:23pm EDT
Is there a way to get rid of weeds at the foundation of the house without chemicals?
♥¤ J K¤ ♥ Apr 30, 2009, 3:24pm EDT
Jax~
LOL sounds like you are describing my flower bed. We have some Dandelions that I know would win some awards if there were such a thing.
Nick H. Apr 30, 2009, 3:24pm EDT
We have weeds that like to grow right up next to the house, but I can't get at them good with a lawn mower or a weed eater, and our house is large, so digging them out would take a long time.
penni, they like beer. I did that where I used to live. You pour some beer in a shallow pan or container and they are attracted to it, where I guess they get drunk and die.
Janet "Jax" B. Apr 30, 2009, 3:24pm EDT
It must be nice...where we live, we're not ~allowed~ to hang out clothes to dry...it's against the neighborhood rules.
Ken Thompson Apr 30, 2009, 3:25pm EDT
Sorry if I'm not too hot on specific weed advice, or recognising weeds from description, but you have a lot of weeds (esp in the warmer parts of the US) that we don't have in the UK. But I remember seeing poison ivy on a visit to California, and I think you should certainly be very careful with it - even gloves probably isn't enough on their own. I don't like weedkillers, but that may have to be one for the glyphosate.
Amanda C. Apr 30, 2009, 3:25pm EDT
we have mint in our yard too, we just moved in last summer and by fall it was all over, it has already started to grow again thsi year. But since we rent I can't mess with anythign that is growing. The lady who owned the house beofre our landlord had so many things planted in our yard. Lots I have no idea what they are.
Sandy M. Apr 30, 2009, 3:25pm EDT
lol katie.
Trish A. Apr 30, 2009, 3:25pm EDT
Some people value dandelions. Dandelions can be eaten and made into interesting things like wine!
Karen S. Apr 30, 2009, 3:26pm EDT
Is there a way to kill off dandilion patches without harming the grass? I don't mind them when they're yellow, but hate when they go to seed and start spreading.