Re: Will solarization kill bamboo?

In article 
<wildbilly-47BC9A.09332905052008@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
 Billy <wildbilly@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:

> In article <481f1811$0$763$4c56ba96@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
>  "Mary Fisher" <mary.fisher@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> 
> > "General Schvantzkopf" <schvantzkopf@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
> > news:MYWdndd-mqlIcYPVnZ2dnUVZ_u-dnZ2d@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > > On Mon, 05 May 2008 11:09:08 +0100, Mary Fisher wrote:
> > >
> > >> "General Schvantzkopf" <schvantzkopf@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
> > >> news:7vadneWBFJUGgIPVnZ2dnUVZ_q_inZ2d@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > >>> My old garden (14'x60') has two problems, on the left side where
I've
> > >>> been growing green vegetables I have a terrible bamboo problem. On
the
> > >>> right side where I've been growing tomatoes I have a wilt problem.
I
> > >>> have a new garden (15'x20') this year so I'm planning on letting
at
> > >>> least part of my old garden lay fallow.  I'm going to solarize the
> > >>> tomato side to kill the wilt pathogens. I've been using roundup on
the
> > >>> bamboo but it's never been able to eliminate it. I was wondering
if
> > >>> solarization would kill bamboo? It's supposed to be pretty
effective
> > >>> against weeds as well as pathogens so it might work. On the other
hand
> > >>> the bamboo might just punch it's way through the plastic.
> > >>>
> > >>> One more question about solarization in general, does it work in
New
> > >>> England? The papers I see on the web are from UC Davis. Ma is a
lot
> > >>> cooler than Ca. For solarization to work it needs to get the soil
> > >>> temperature pretty high, will it get high enough here?
> > >>
> > >> What's solarization?
> > >>
> > >> Mary
> > >
> > > Solarization is done by covering the garden with clear plastic for
the
> > > entire summer. The plastic acts as a greenhouse so it raises the
> > > temperature of the soil to > 110F.
> > 
> > Thank you. It would also keep the soil dry though, which isn't good
for 
> > most 
> > plants.
> > 
> Mary, the point is to sterilize the ground, to get rid of 
> vegetative pests. So, yeah, it wouldn't be good for any plant 
> under the plastic. A little moisture though, would probably help 
> in the transfer of heat.

Hm.  Might try that on the main garden bed this year to finish killing 
out the bindweed and wild sunflower.  I intend to ONLY container garden 
this year (except for Okra out front) so I could lay down heavy mil 
plastic and put the pots on top of that.

I won't have to weed!  (happy dance!)
-- 
--

Peace! Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a *****."
                                               -- Jack Nicholson