Sometimes, one word is all it takes to put you in a bad mood:
Taxes. Blizzard. Weeds.
Weeds seem to pop up overnight, multiply by the hundreds, and show up at the worst times, like just before you host the neighborhood cookout. (Why, weeds?!)
How to get rid of weeds in flower beds? Check out these tips:
1. Prevent Weeds in Flower Beds with Mulch
Give pesky weeds a hard time with mulch.
Weeds need sunlight to grow. Mulch keeps everything dark so the weed seeds can’t sprout.
Mulch is also a great multi-tasker, offering way more than just weed control, from conserving moisture to adding nutrients to your soil.
2. Weed Barrier Fabric for the Win
We’re not talking about that flimsy plastic stuff. Don’t even waste your money on that. Water can’t penetrate plastic, so it’s a bad idea.
Use what the pros use to control weeds in plant beds: 20-year landscaping fabric. Pass by the five to 10-year type.
The fabric goes down right on top of your topsoil, then starves the soil of sunlight, so weeds struggle to grow there.
Yes, weed seeds might sneakily drift in on top of the fabric and germinate in the mulch on top of it, but these stray weeds are easy peasy to pull out by hand. Their roots aren’t deep in the soil.
A couple notes here:
Don’t use weed barrier fabric if you’ll be planting bulbs — they won’t come up through it.
And don’t use it where you’re planting annuals. Too much digging around every year.
3. Prevent Weeds in Flower Beds with Pre-emergent Weed Killer
A pre-emergent weed preventer, such as Preen, or Snapshot is a great way to prevent weeds in flower beds when seeds haven’t yet germinated.
It zeros in only on ungerminated seeds, so it won’t hurt any plant material that‘s already growing.
4. Weeding by Hand
Get rid of weeds in plant beds the old-fashioned way, by pulling them by hand. Instant results!
But when you yank a weed by hand, it often breaks off, leaving the root behind. That means it will quickly re-sprout. Weeds are shifty that way.
Many weeds also have very long root systems, making it difficult to remove the entire root. Just when you think you have it all, snap, it breaks off.
Pro Tip: A non-selective weed killer with the active ingredient Glyphosate will kill any part of the weed left behind after pulling them out by hand.
5. Kill Weeds in Flower Beds with Post-emergent Weed Killer
If your flower bed is completely overrun with weeds, consider using Glyphosate to get rid of weeds in planting beds.
But this isn’t your best option if there are a lot of existing perennials or shrubs in your planting beds. The weed killer will kill them, too. That’s why it’s called a “non-selective” weed killer. It kills everything.
Hate Weeds? Give Them the Boot with Outback in Idaho Falls and Boise
If you get rid of weeds in your planting beds, you can focus on words that put you in a good mood:
Vacation. Nap. Oreos.
Stop worrying about weeds and partner with an expert landscape maintenance service in Idaho Falls, and Boise, ID
We serve residential and commercial properties in Idaho Falls, Rexburg and Pocatello, Idaho, as well as Bonneville, Madison and Bannock counties.
Call us at 208-656-3220. Or fill out the contact form to schedule a no-obligation meeting with one of our team members.
We can’t wait to hear from you.
