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Weeds!!!

#1

D

Derek

What is the best way to rid flower beds of weeds? I have been working at a friends house, the flower beds have been very neglected for a number of years. I have pulled weeds and weeds and weeds. Chickweed is taking over now. I have raked and stirred the chickweed back into the soil as it is too small to pull. I pull the bigger ones and use a weeding tool to try to keep them under some control. There is lots of weeds, buttercups, dandelions, morning glory, and thistles. i just can't keep up to it. I have thought about removing about 4" of the soil and putting in landscaping fabric and bring in new soil. I would guess this would take about 5 cu.yds. Trying to put together a spring plan. I am planning on going over once a month thru the winter to keep it in control.


#2

B

bigmoose

I would say if the beds are just toast, and you are thinking of removing soil, the easy way would be to use a round up product, if you live near an farmers supply, and look for a generic,you can buy it fairly cheap,,spray only the things you want to kill, wait a week plus, repeat . wait a couple weeks,,remove large dead stuff, till the rest then simply install weed fabric e.t.c.


#3

Chev

Chev

Weed fabric will not help. The weed seeds will just sit in the new top soil and the be a pain and ineffective.

A weedeater, some roundup, and a pre-emergent should knock everything back. Depending on what you are growing in the bed a ground clear may be beneficial to regain control. I would save that as a last resort though.

Pics would go a long way.


#4

D

Derek

I wish I would have taken pics when I started. i spent 12 hours pulling weed there. Imagine weeds as ground cover, it was that bad. Pre-emergant is Casaron? I think that is how it is spelt. In BC it is hard to get herbicides without applicator licenses. we can't even get Scott's weed and feed. i can get roundup for sure.


#5

RobertBrown

RobertBrown

If you have a tiller, till the soil several times allowing seeds to germinate in between tillings. This will be a big help with weeds that use seeds to reproduce. If you have weeds that use rhizomes, that is a whole different problem.
I suggest you try tilling, rent one if you have too, but it seems to me that you need one if you want to pursue this garden hobby.
After you till you need to root through the soil and see if you find rhisomes, they look like little potatoes with roots. If you find these remaove as many as you can. You will have to use a herbicide, a premergent.
I don't think that removing dirt is necessary or a good idea.


#6

D

Derek

RobertBrown said:
If you have a tiller, till the soil several times allowing seeds to germinate in between tillings. This will be a big help with weeds that use seeds to reproduce. If you have weeds that use rhizomes, that is a whole different problem.
I suggest you try tilling, rent one if you have too, but it seems to me that you need one if you want to pursue this garden hobby.
After you till you need to root through the soil and see if you find rhisomes, they look like little potatoes with roots. If you find these remaove as many as you can. You will have to use a herbicide, a premergent.
I don't think that removing dirt is necessary or a good idea.[/QUO
TE]
That is kind of what I have done this time I used a small tiller that attaches to my weed eater and grab the bigger pieces. I guess a little shot of round up on them as they come out will do the trick I will try the pre-emergent as well
Click to expand...


#7

173abn

173abn

Derek,once you pull,till ,get all the weeds out pile on plenty of mulch.Use bark,or even artifical mulch.I have a chipper so I grind up bark as long as it 's not walnut.I've also used straw which works well.I would'nt use hay as it usually contains weed seeds...russ


#8

D

Derek

If I were to put down a couple inches of bark mulch should I put down landscape fabric or just throw it down?


#9

RobertBrown

RobertBrown

Derek said:
If I were to put down a couple inches of bark mulch should I put down landscape fabric or just throw it down?
Click to expand...

If you are going to use fabric, your faced with the dilema of planting through it in the spring. If landscape fabric is an option, then the weed issue should be manageable.
I was thinking that your garden was of a size that precluded landscape fabric. A good landscape fabric shpuld minimize the weed problem by design. Quality fabric should last 3 years. This should be installed with mulch or gravel..


#10

173abn

173abn

I would'nt use the fabric myself,It winds up being a pia down the road.I'd just continue adding mulch....russ


#11

D

Derek

I'll ditch the fabric idea, there is some old fabric I have to get rid off the top soil barley covers it now and weed roots have grabbed ahold of it as well. The yard is about 85x140 and the beds cover most of the perimeter with hedging cedars in the back. Thanks for the help, this will be a spring job.:thumbsup:


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