Weeds May 3, 2020 16:30

I've got my hands full.  Cutting, pulling and chopping weeds is what I am doing.

Each new year starts with cover crops, weeds and wildflowers that are allowed to flourish in the vineyard. The vines are dormant. The entire vineyard is green with plant growth.

In April I mow and plow in the cover crop leaving only the weeds in the vine row. Here is where the real work takes place. Controlling weeds between the vines is delicate tedious hand work. This is why many growers spray herbicide down the entire length of each vine row.

I don’t abide herbicide. I have chosen the tedious way instead.

This is a vine row with weeds that needs work.

The worst weeds are the ones that keep coming back even after all the chopping and weed whacking I do.  After my first pass down a row the ground looks summer neat. But then some weeds grow back so I need to repeat the whole process of chopping and weed whacking. My dream is that doing the job just once would work.

 Weed Overview 

• Plantain is the worst. Keeps on coming back like a boomerang. They say you can eat the leaves and make past to put on skin, but I never have.  Here it is growing under Mourvedre after the first pass 3 weeks ago.

• Filaree grows then dies, but leaves this twisty, sticky seed pod.

• Burr Clover grows then dies, but the burrs left behind are unpleasant and a real nuisance on dogs. It is a legume so they say it adds nitrogen to the soil. I think it may have inspired velcro.                                                                      
• Wild radish has pretty flowers and woody stems. Its flowers and seed pods are good to eat. I've eaten them, mildly spicy. Cut it down or pull it once and you are done.
• Wild Oats no problem. Pretty waving in the wind. Cut is once and it is gone for summer. It will be back next winter.
• Rattlesnake Grass is my ornamental favorite. I preserve small patches to enjoy seeing.

Contemplate any weed up close and you see beauty.

  Filaree        Wild Radish