Johnson Grass and Rain

[oxankle]

Waked this morning to a lovely rain.  Just over an inch of rain, perfect.

Now; on this rocky ground I've sown sqash, cantaloupe, onions, pepper and tomato, just to start.  The squash will crawl over the piles of rock I've mined from this spot, and so will the cantaloupe--oh, I forgot the cukes.

However, the pepper and tomatoes will have to compete with a bumper crop of johnson grass and some bermuda.  The bermuda I can handle, but a hoe is useless against JG.  My plan is to let it get knee high, then go out with roundup and a paint brush and kill each stalk, root and branch.  I cannot spray without killing my peppers and tomatoes.

Anyone have a better plan?
Ox

[amylou]

After you are done gardening for the year put a pig in there. It will dig up the bulb of the JG, eat it and it will be gone for good. In the meantime I have no non-labor intensive ideas. Sorry.

[Bear Foot Farm]

Use a sponge mop and kill it while it's small

[Callie]

Or surround your tomatoes and peppers with a piece of cardboard or styrofoam or something and spray away? I'm not sure why you are waiting until it gets so tall.

When I have big patches of grass, I flood the spot and get down on my hands and knees and start pulling. If it's tough to get up, I use my potato fork to loosen the soil and generally lots and lots of roots come up.

[oxankle]

Sponge!!!! I like the pig better, but it is not my land and I'm in town right next to an apartment complex.
Ox