Would like input on potentially drastic option for garden beds

And I should have added, some type of mulch will go on top.

Have you considered scrapping the beds salvaging as much of your good soil as possible and building a greenhouse there instead? In a greenhouse, or hoophouse you have a little more control over what goes in because it is a closed system. This would prevent weed seeds from blowing in, and provides more rigid barriers to keep the grass incursion at bay. I also suggest this because it sounds like you are busy elsewhere in the summer, so a greenhouse or hoophouse lets you do more in the shoulder seasons, and even in winter.

In my attempts to rehab apt complex parking island suffering from 30 yr of the managers gick addiction I found that the super grass bred by that chemical onslaught would only weaken to: one summer solarization followed by the 3 layer cardboard + at least 6” mulch. On the 3rd year I could finally grub out the weakened root balls. This does take out the use of the space for 3 years but since your time is limited it may be the best use of your time right now. I’m 70 and I have to use my energy time units wisely, let my support allow the process to mostly do itself if that makes sense

I use wood chips, then pull up and weeds and flip unpside down or where they will freeze over night or compost.

Michael Moreken wrote:I use wood chips, then pull up and weeds and flip unpside down or where they will freeze over night or compost.  I dealing with dreadeth bermuda grass.

There was a mention of grass invading the beds from outside.
I wanted to suggest a barrier consisting of something like comfrey.
The comfrey roots and leaves do a good job keeping other plants out and sucking up any "leaking" fertility from the bed.

I compost on top of existing beds with leaves every winter, sometimes under cardboard, sometimes not.
Cardboard placed around new starts can really help, but ultimately I just chop and drop weeds until the crops are big enough to shade them out entirely.

William Bronson wrote:There was a mention of grass invading the beds from outside.
I wanted to suggest a barrier consisting of something like comfrey.
The comfrey roots and leaves do a good job keeping other plants out and sucking up any "leaking" fertility from the bed.

That seems like a really good design solution. Comfrey itself doesn't spread too aggressively I take it? There may be other plants that could be used similarly. I wonder about something like daylillies.

Some comfrey spreads, but  Bocking 14, the most commonly  used variety, only spreads via root disturbance.
I think horseradish could be used in similar role.

Here's the video that introduced the concept to me:

Yep, wood chips. No till.
Also Eric, the sun is shooting out plasma filiments. Only the very deep rooted bushes have survived. Im in northern Nevada though. Seen good results from cardboard integrated into beds. Worms love cardboard.

Most weeds grow on soil where calcium and phosphorus is not readily available.  Humates will add microbes (fungal hyphae) which predigest the minerals into available form so plants can uptake it.  It also sequesters moisture.    Best to hydrate it all before putting on as it disperses more evenly that way,   Remove weeds first, this mixture will discourage any weed seed left in your growing medium from sprouting.  Keep in mind soil in containers tends to dry faster than soil on ground level.   My husband refers to the book “When weeds talk” by Jay Macaman.  It has charts showing nutrient deficiencies that encourage weed growth.  He puts the cal/Phos and humates in a compost tea sprayer and sprays on our pastures, raised beds, fruit trees, garden, everything.  If you use a backpack sprayer, let it settle out first, and the sediment settle to the bottom, then use the stuff on top.  Otherwise it will clog your sprayer.  Then you can pour the rest out on your planting areas and mix it around a bit to disperse it in the soil.  

Thanks everyone for the replies.  I had a nearly week-long migraine that started on Tuesday and didn’t stop till Saturday morning.  I had to take a sick day Friday so I spent all Saturday figuring out how I am going to finish off the semester this upcoming week.  This means I have had no time to post!

I think I need to clarify one misconception.  Grass is not invading from outside the garden.  It came from my own addition.  I will explain.

My daughter has a rabbit that gets plenty of organic Timothy hay.  She dumps the litter in a pile near the garden, but it is getting tall and she dumped some *IN* the garden.  That grass is mostly Timothy that came from rabbit litter.  I stopped the continued dumping of rabbit litter (too bad because the pellets are plenty helpful), but I am plagued by the grass growing in the wood chip compost.

Really, at this point, smothering seems like the best option.  And I can certainly get access to enough cardboard to make smothering a viable option.  I will still cut holes and plant through the cardboard, but I will have to be extra careful about weeds there.

And I do grow comfrey, just outside of my garden beds and it is wonderful, though it did not like last summer’s drought, but that was the first time in 10 years I have seen a drought that bad.  I am assuming that it will pop right back up again.  I may even dig one up for roots and plant more, even though six plants gives me a lot of chop and drop fertilizer.

Eric

Hi Kukla,

Welcome to Permies.

@peter Ellis

What do you mean by “flame them”. Starts fire right on the grass. And you mention a weed burner - is that a tool or a product ?

I've been reading about sun solariazation, and my understanding is it only sterilizes the top inch or two. I can understand your reluctance, though, especially if growing in raised beds with nowhere for the worms to escape and the bacteria to recolonize from.

But also, I tried solariazation last year and didn't find it particularly effective. Early spring, when I WANT to prepare the garden, is not when the sun is strong enough to fry weed seeds under plastic. In mid summer, when the sun is hot, I don't tend to leave any place in my garden empty long enouh

Another technique that looks interesting and I want to try on my garden this year is pre-germinating the weed seeds before you plant, by scuffing up the soil, watering, then covering with plastic to create a nice, perfect sprouting environment for the weeds. 2 weeks later, kill the weeds with a hoe or with fire, then plant normally.

I also use a lot of cardboard to kill very weedy areas, but it doesn't lend itself well to planting things like carrots so I am hoping this pre-sprouting technique might work for the areas I want to grow things I don't plant from transplants.

Catie,

Solarizing is intriguing me a bit more.  I can understand why in Ontario that solarizing might not work well, but I live well to the south of you and I just might be able to kill off the weed seeds before planting.  My raised beds sit on top of old beds that were once deep in the ground so some of my soil microbes and other goodies might be able to burrow out of the way.  I am still not 100% sold, but I am more open to the idea than before.

As for crops, I won’t be planting carrots.  Personally, they are the one vegetable that just doesn’t suit my taste.  And I am being very mild/polite on this point.  Actually, the crops I plan to grow would be things like tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, and maybe peas or green beans.  I other words, these are crops that either grow vertically, and can be easily mulched under (tomatoes) or squash which sort of smothers on its own.

I am continuing to update my garden plans for spring, and planting time likely will come as soon as April, so thanks very much for keeping me on my toes and offering up very useful suggestions.

Eric

Peter Ellis wrote: Go over the beds with a weed burner and singe that stuff. A day or so before you plan to direct sow your earliest seeds, flame that bed again, then promptly seed. When it’s time for transplants, burn the weeds, put your transplants in and rake the mulch back onto the bed, leaving the transplants clear of the mulch. Say three inch rings open around transplants.
By burning the weeds back you slow their growth, use their reserves and give your plants a head start so they can out compete the weeds. Putting the mulch back serves the same purposes, plus all the benefits of a good mulch.
And I would still go with a high density planting design. Again, outcompete the weeds, shade them out and give them no place to grow.

Lenore Ogbor wrote:@peter Ellis

What do you mean by “flame them”. Starts fire right on the grass. And you mention a weed burner - is that a tool or a product ?

Lenore, what Peter is talking about is a propane torch like this one that we use:


source

As you can see here there are several different ones to choose from:

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Weed-Torches/zgbs/lawn-garden/3480723011

Hi Eric, I'm sorry you are having such a rough time.  Sounds like you have decided to stick with cardboard and wood chips.  I have had a similar situation in my food forest want to be.  On top of the weeds I also have been invaded by gophers.  My solution worked pretty well. I covered the ground with cardboard doing my best to interlock it and double up the connecting places. Then I piled on 10" to 12" of wood chips.  When it came time to plant I  used all the large nursery pots I have accumulated over the years ( can you say horder?) I also bought a few, they are pretty cheap.  I drilled a bunch of holes all over them. Then I dug a hole and planted the pots. ( I put old fire wood in the bottom, then sifted native soil, so I didn't reintroduce weeds. Then wood chips, the soil, then quality organic soil and compost. The weather was difficult last year, so nun of my gardens did very well, but things grew, and it kept the gophers from eating my plants. Some weeds grew up the sides of the pots, but it was manageable. Like you I just don't have enough time to manage tons of weeds.  
I don't know if this would work for you. I used the wood and wood chips to hold water so I wouldn't have to water as much, and it worked wonderful.  If you try this method, you could just sift the soil you dig from the hole. That way you can use your own amazing soil. The soil life in that spot will be disturbed, and unhappy, but with the holes in the pot I think it should recover.  
What ever you decide to do I hope it works for you. Good luck Jen