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RE: My Part In The "One Straw Revolution"
I used clover for cover crop last year, as the drought the year before cut severely the available hay for mulch. Once the clover reached a certain height and the plants got so big, I was unable to stay on top of the weeds and the huge are was a horrible mess.
I have used clover cover crop before due to mulch shortage, but this was the worst mess! So don't count on it stopping weeds well, unless you pull the weeds.
Just about everything you see green here (except leeks in foreground) are volunteers or weeds gone wild. With the soil balanced, things do really well, and that includes weeds.
Weeds are a conundrum for most people. But as I walk around in my yard, I find plants that are edible, beautiful and useful. But I totally get how you feel. I work on removing the non-native stuff, for now. And I have a particularly nasty one: Lesser Celandine. Then, there's dead nettle, from Europe and Asia, and jewelweed, which is native to the northeast, but it goes crazy. I keep a hedge of it for the hummingbirds and pollinators, but remove the rest.
Image: Ohio State University.
But this is off the topic. If you have only native "weeds", (as I understand that book), your garden should be able to thrive among them if you prepare the field as the author explained, with minimal work, no tilling, just mulching with straw and cover crops. It's the idea of co-habitation, I guess. The book has a spiritual element, (not religion), more like oneness with everything, and working together.
I have lesser celandine here, but it's not been too much of a problem. I like its bright yellow color in the spring. I also have dead nettle, and the trailing variety has caused more problems than the upright one. And jewelweed, well jewelweed is supposed to grow in the vicinity of poison ivy, as it is an antidote. We have poison ivy and we have jewelweed, but it's not much of a problem either.
The plants that were problems were dock and a few I don't know the names of, but have been contending with for years. I don't mind the weeds in the yard, in fact, there are more weeds than grass in my yard. But I don't want them taking over the veg garden like they did last year, with the connivance of the clover cover crop!
After reading The One Straw Revolution I am ok with the weeds. It is a balance, by keeping the beds small I can keep up with the weeds that will harm plant growth and I can grow dense. I even considered 3x3 but those would be far to much expenditure for little gain. The big change will take some time as the soil and the bed adjust year after year, weeds will grow but the food and clover will keep the majority of the weeds from the area. Also, hay is one of the worst to mulch with since it is loaded with seed, I learned this the hard way. I think it will provide a great way to grow a balanced system. I will also be trying to seed my veggies well before the last freeze, which worked well with me for certain crops this year in the laboratory. PEACE and LOVE to you two. I can't wait to get out there to help!! I will be sending you an email later today or tomorrow.
I've been using hay since 1993, and it may be loaded with seed, but put down properly, there are NO weeds.
I'll be looking for your e-mail!
You better teach me that trick because I wind up with grass every time... I'm hoping to make time tonight and read your hay post... I have been slacking
Here ya go:
https://steemit.com/gardening/@goldenoakfarm/about-using-hay-for-mulch
and if you come to visit, you can see first hand how it works.