Weeding...Again

It seems that I find myself in serious weeding mode about every other week.  Today was one of those days. 

I started the day intending just to water the garden - something that is much more time consuming while the pivot is turned off in preparation for cutting the hay field.  I went out first thing to get it started, knowing that I have to set the sprinkler about nine different places to get the whole garden and at fifteen minutes a spot, we're talking several hours.

Well, I couldn't help pulling a few weeds once I set the sprinkler.  And a few weeds always leads to a few more.  I swear it's like a drug...or eating potato chips...only not as fun.  But seriously, I cannot just pull one weed.  I have to pull a "section."  It may have to do with a need to see some kind of progress each time, and honestly, pulling one weed is like folding one sock.

So, as the sprinkler made its way through the squash, I made my way through the pig weed.  Mind you, I was not dressed in long pants and muck boots for this.  I sometimes have a hard time choosing the proper clothing for the job.  I was in capris and tevas.  But it worked for me.

palmer amaranth - pig weed

Pig weed is a very tall weed (almost to your waist if you let it grow) and it has one strong center stalk.  It makes this weed pretty easy to pull.  Not easy, but "pretty" easy.  It still takes some muscle.  The only real benefit, is that you don't have to get too close to the ground to do it.  We had a row of pig weed that I wanted to clear, so I attacked that, laying down the weeds as I went.  It was sort of the way that a logger builds a road for himself with small trees, laying them down in front of the tractor as he drives over them.  By the end, I had a nice "path" of pig weed.

An aside about pig weed...I have been looking into weeds that are in fact, edible and pig weed is one of them.  It is called amaranth and it is eaten in many Asian and African cultures.  I knew that the leaves were edible (used in stir fry and steamed as a side dish like spinach), but I understand that the seeds are also used as a substitute for grains.  I haven't taken the leap yet, but I think I will have to harvest some of our volunteer veggies and try them out.  I may not tell the family before they taste it, though.

So after the pig weed row, I started into the potatoes.  The potatoes don't have a pig weed problem.  They have a creeping weed problem - one that I have yet to name.  And when I weed the potatoes, I get down on my hands and knees.

Well, by the time I had made it to the potatoes, so had the sprinkler.  So I was weeding in some pretty muddy conditions.  Initially, I tried to keep clean.  But within ten minutes, I was down in the mud.  I don't know...it was kind of fun.  I managed to weed most of the potatoes before the kids wanted me to come inside to make some lunch.

I'll be out in the garden again tomorrow, I'm sure, cos no one can pick just one weed.