Weed Prevention - I give up - HELP !

[Graspher]

I have two large kidney shaped areas (containing trees/bushes) that are bordered and filled with medium size pine bark mulch. Anywhere from 1 to 4 inches deep.

I've been struggling with weeds for months. They won - I lost.

I don't want to use a weed barrier mat, newspaper or cardboard under the mulch.

Is there a chemical (been trying to avoid that but at this point I don't care anymore) that I can use that won't harm the tree/bushes but will kill weed growth?

Or do I just keep pulling hoping for the day when there will be no more weeds?

Any other suggestions?

Thank you.

[retiredguy123]

I use Roundup, which the EPA says is safe to use. I don't believe the lawyers.

[N44125]

Another vote for Roundup, works great.

[Polar Bear]

Preen.

It’s not perfect but very good. You’ll have to pull up or kill existing weeds. But Preen prevents new weeds from sprouting. I use it twice a year and have to pull just a few weeds occasionally.

[Graspher]

Thanks for that - will investigate both.

[New Englander]

Without a weed barrier, The weeds will never give up. I agree with others that say use Roundup.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Roundup will kill this batch of weeds. But it won't prevent more from growing in the next few months. Why don't you want to use a weed barrier? It's inexpensive, only labor-intensive for a day (you have to pull back all the mulch, lay it down, then toss the mulch back over the barrier and add a fresh layer), and will prevent a good percentage (not all) of weed growth. After that, you just pull the individual weeds out as they show up.

You'll still have to kill off or physically remove the current batch of weeds before laying down the mat but you'd have to do that whether you have a mat or not anyway, so that part isn't any extra work.

[vb993]

I have two large kidney shaped areas (containing trees/bushes) that are bordered and filled with medium size pine bark mulch. Anywhere from 1 to 4 inches deep.

I've been struggling with weeds for months. They won - I lost.

I don't want to use a weed barrier mat, newspaper or cardboard under the mulch.

Is there a chemical (been trying to avoid that but at this point I don't care anymore) that I can use that won't harm the tree/bushes but will kill weed growth?

Or do I just keep pulling hoping for the day when there will be no more weeds?

Any other suggestions?

Thank you.
What we first thought were weeds in the shrubbery bed, and tried to pull them out, we found that they were long rhizomes from the St. Augustine grass that propagates that way. Found out the lawn guy was not edging around the planting beds to prevent their spread. Found another lawn service who did the proper job plus sprayed a Roundup like product (non cancerous) to kill the remaining little weed sprouts that pop up.

[Kilmacowen]

Best to kill with roundup, it kills the root. If you pull there will be roots that remain to grow again. If you want to pull wait for a week after spraying.

I use extended preen twice a year, good for 6 mos. My big problem is crabgrass that grows in the bushes. HD suggested a spray to attach to hose, but directions say not to use in 90 heat so i 'll have to wait. Preen will not kill crabgrass, but HD gave me a granular crabgrass preventer to spread in the early spring. We'll see how that goes.

[brianherlihy]

ok her is the best/ 1 gal of vinager / 4 cups of water/ i use 2 caps of roundup / concentrate/ and now the best and 2 cups water and salt boil water and salt and put it in sprayer / and go to town no weeds:MOJE_whot::MOJE_whot::bigbow::bigbow::bigbow ::welcome:

[thevillagernie]

If you are using weed killer...Zoysia is no weed and it won't kill it...you have to use weed block...your in Florida

[Alana33]

The Complete Guide to Roundup Exposure. Are you at Risk? (https://www.yourgreenpal.com/blog/the-complete-guide-to-roundup-exposure-are-you-at-risk)

1 Gallon distilled white vinegar (5%)
1 cup Epsom salt
1/2 cup Dish soap
Simply mix all the ingredients together in a sprayer, and spray on the weeds. I have found this recipe to be effective on driveways and walkways. The soap works to spread the vinegar and salt across the entire surface of the plant. Once the plant is covered it becomes dehydrated and dies.

[ejcarter01]

After you kill the weeds with roundup or another weed killer use Preen. it's a pre-emergent. It will help keep the weeds out for several months.

[bonrich]

The Complete Guide to Roundup Exposure. Are you at Risk? (https://www.yourgreenpal.com/blog/the-complete-guide-to-roundup-exposure-are-you-at-risk)

1 Gallon distilled white vinegar (5%)
1 cup Epsom salt
1/2 cup Dish soap
Simply mix all the ingredients together in a sprayer, and spray on the weeds. I have found this recipe to be effective on driveways and walkways. The soap works to spread the vinegar and salt across the entire surface of the plant. Once the plant is covered it becomes dehydrated and dies.

I use the same recipe except my mix is 1lb of Epsom Salts. I do find that it is effective on exposed weeds where the mixture can get to the roots, unlike in the landscaping beds with a fabric laid down, and a cover, very hard to kill a weed since the root is not easily soaked with the mixture to kill it. When used, very effective, spray in the AM and dead weeds in the PM.

[ruralgoddess]

I use Roundup, which the EPA says is safe to use. I don't believe the lawyers.
Roundup contains carcinogens! Its not safe.

[Bethwill]

I have found Spectracide to work much better than round up. Just make sure you don't spray the leaves of plants you like. The weeds in the summer are crazy. It is not so bad when rainy season is over..

[Girlcopper]

Roundup contains carcinogens! Its not safe.
Wear your mask and wash your hands when done.

[LeeChitty]

Have you tried Casoron by Lilly Miller? It is a weed preventer. Check it out.

[chrissy2231]

Home made weed killers -
Error 404 (Not Found)!!1 (https://www.google.com/searchq=natural+weed+killer+borax&oq=natural+weed+&aqs=chrome.3.0j69i57j0l5.9971j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8)

You have to pull the large ones. Your bush trimmer should be including weed pulling in his service. If you need someone, let me know as mine is FAB!!!

[Scorpyo]

Wear your mask and wash your hands when done.
Excellent. I was going to say the same thing but I was afraid the anti-mask contingent would jump all over me. :1rotfl:

[Sunflower1]

We use a mixture of 1 gal of vinegar, 1 cup of salt, 1 tbs of Dawn soap, put it in a spray and spray it on the weeds. We have found the mix to work far better then roundup. Buy the least expensive vinegar & salt.

[Janhug123]

ok her is the best/ 1 gal of vinager / 4 cups of water/ i use 2 caps of roundup / concentrate/ and now the best and 2 cups water and salt boil water and salt and put it in sprayer / and go to town no weeds:MOJE_whot::MOJE_whot::bigbow::bigbow::bigbow ::welcome:
How much salt?

[tophcfa]

Without a weed barrier, The weeds will never give up. I agree with others that say use Roundup.

We have found that weed barriers can’t control the very pesky Florida weeds. However, the weed barrier makes it much more difficult to pull out existing weeds and get the roots out. A combination of agricultural strength vinegar, roundup, weed pulling, and preen are all necessary just to keep the dam things under control. Good luck.

[greenflash245]

product called Ranger.

[kendi]

Round up as suggested above. They have a type that will not only kill weeds but also prevent more from growing for 3 months in the sprayed areas.

Round up also carries a weed killer that will prevent weeds from growing for up to a year. But read the label carefully before buying. I don’t think this one is to be used in flowers beds.

[rmd2]

Round-up can kill plants and bushes even if you just spay near them. I know from sad experience.

[merrymini]

I resist using chemicals but they can work well. Lowes sells 30% vinegar. Mix half vinegar and half water with a tablespoon of liquid dish detergent. Spray on the weeds because, like round up, it kills everything. Do it in the morning on a hot day, with no rain, and you will see things die pretty quickly. Preen keeps seeds from emerging and is very effective. I never use salt. It remains in the soil and cannot be removed. The black weed barrier does not allow water to penetrate properly, that includes, fertilizer, which can run off in different directions and not go where you want it to. Yes vinegar is a chemical but not like round up which can be very nasty to you and the environment.

[17362]

I have two large kidney shaped areas (containing trees/bushes) that are bordered and filled with medium size pine bark mulch. Anywhere from 1 to 4 inches deep.

I've been struggling with weeds for months. They won - I lost.

I don't want to use a weed barrier mat, newspaper or cardboard under the mulch.

Is there a chemical (been trying to avoid that but at this point I don't care anymore) that I can use that won't harm the tree/bushes but will kill weed growth?

Or do I just keep pulling hoping for the day when there will be no more weeds?

Any other suggestions?

Thank you.

Preen and roundup have been with me for years. Works great!

[chriskean82]

Preen every 3-4 months. Make sure you water in. Roundup to spot treat but you’ll have to pull the dead weeds. Chris, Kean Landscaping & Design. Or just hire me! Lol 727-593-0253

[Sherry8bal]

I use PREEN - it's a big jug of granules and you can put it down about 3 times a year but you need to get the weeds out first and this will keep them out.

[jimjamuser]

Best to kill with roundup, it kills the root. If you pull there will be roots that remain to grow again. If you want to pull wait for a week after spraying.

I use extended preen twice a year, good for 6 mos. My big problem is crabgrass that grows in the bushes. HD suggested a spray to attach to hose, but directions say not to use in 90 heat so i 'll have to wait. Preen will not kill crabgrass, but HD gave me a granular crabgrass preventer to spread in the early spring. We'll see how that goes.
Weeds can be pulled up completely if the soil or mulch is very wet. Go out after a large rain or do a lot of watering and then pull s l o w l y .

[tophcfa]

I resist using chemicals but they can work well. Lowes sells 30% vinegar. Mix half vinegar and half water with a tablespoon of liquid dish detergent. Spray on the weeds because, like round up, it kills everything. Do it in the morning on a hot day, with no rain, and you will see things die pretty quickly. Preen keeps seeds from emerging and is very effective. I never use salt. It remains in the soil and cannot be removed. The black weed barrier does not allow water to penetrate properly, that includes, fertilizer, which can run off in different directions and not go where you want it to. Yes vinegar is a chemical but not like round up which can be very nasty to you and the environment.

I use the 30% vinegar straight up with a little dish soap to make stick to the weed leaves. Works great, but the smell is nasty and lasts until a good soaking rain.

[CFrance]

Another vote for Roundup, works great.
Roundup has a version that lasts for three months, and also one called 365, which is supposed to last a year. It doesn't, of course, because of the amount of rain we get here, but it does work for a long time. I have used it on our CYV stones, including around trees and bushes, with great success. When we leave TV for six months, I cover the whole area. I don't have the back for hand-weeding and don't want weeds taking over while we're gone.


I don't understand why OP doesn't want to use a weed mat.

[CFrance]

Wear your mask and wash your hands when done.
The big problem with Roundup is for the farmers who spray it extensively over vast amounts of territory and are exposed to the fumes.


It has been banned in some countries, especially for farm use. But if you are careful and don't use it on a windy day, it won't cause a problem.

[tophcfa]

A Covid silver lining. I never had a mask at the house to wear when spraying roundup. Now we always have plenty of masks available!

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Round-up can kill plants and bushes even if you just spay near them. I know from sad experience.

You also can't spray it in any garden that grows vegetables or herbs if you intend to consume them.

You can spray it if you have potted plants raised above the ground, but if the roots of those plants are going through the hole of the pot into the soil of your garden, you would definitely not want to spray Roundup anywhere near those pots.

I just pull the weeds out every week. If I come home from work and see a few stragglers I grab them on my way into the house. So my "weekly" weeding session only takes around 40 minutes.

[Polar Bear]

...I just pull the weeds out every week. If I come home from work and see a few stragglers I grab them on my way into the house. So my "weekly" weeding session only takes around 40 minutes.
That’s pretty much what I do, except I add Preen to the system. My weekly session is about 5-10 minutes.

[Graspher]

Roundup will kill this batch of weeds. But it won't prevent more from growing in the next few months. Why don't you want to use a weed barrier? It's inexpensive, only labor-intensive for a day (you have to pull back all the mulch, lay it down, then toss the mulch back over the barrier and add a fresh layer), and will prevent a good percentage (not all) of weed growth. After that, you just pull the individual weeds out as they show up.

You'll still have to kill off or physically remove the current batch of weeds before laying down the mat but you'd have to do that whether you have a mat or not anyway, so that part isn't any extra work.

Landscaping is outside my wheelhouse....for the most part. One of my kidneys contains bushes - a few of the bottom branches are growing down/into the mulch and dropping a root system. I don't want to choke that growth with a material barrier.

The other kidney is just trees and I'm thinking about doing it there. Thanks for your insights.

[Graspher]

What we first thought were weeds in the shrubbery bed, and tried to pull them out, we found that they were long rhizomes from the St. Augustine grass that propagates that way. Found out the lawn guy was not edging around the planting beds to prevent their spread. Found another lawn service who did the proper job plus sprayed a Roundup like product (non cancerous) to kill the remaining little weed sprouts that pop up.

Point on. I have that going on too and have advised the lawn guy. Thanks...

[Graspher]

Preen every 3-4 months. Make sure you water in. Roundup to spot treat but you’ll have to pull the dead weeds. Chris, Kean Landscaping & Design. Or just hire me! Lol 727-593-0253

Heard that! I'm not there yet....but my wife is! If I toss in the towel she'll be callin....

[Graspher]

Thanks everyone for taking the time to jot down your wisdoms - most helpful !!

[Topspinmo]

I have two large kidney shaped areas (containing trees/bushes) that are bordered and filled with medium size pine bark mulch. Anywhere from 1 to 4 inches deep.

I've been struggling with weeds for months. They won - I lost.

I don't want to use a weed barrier mat, newspaper or cardboard under the mulch.

Is there a chemical (been trying to avoid that but at this point I don't care anymore) that I can use that won't harm the tree/bushes but will kill weed growth?

Or do I just keep pulling hoping for the day when there will be no more weeds?

Any other suggestions?

Thank you.


Even if you put barrier down the weeds will eventually still pop up. Best to us weed killer when the weed first sprout before the Blum and are easier to kill when young.

[Topspinmo]

A Covid silver lining. I never had a mask at the house to wear when spraying roundup. Now we always have plenty of masks available!

You need respirator

[Topspinmo]

Excellent. I was going to say the same thing but I was afraid the anti-mask contingent would jump all over me. :1rotfl:


Yes, I’ll jump in and say mask does nothing! Need respirator. :pray:

[Kahuna32162]

The Complete Guide to Roundup Exposure. Are you at Risk? (https://www.yourgreenpal.com/blog/the-complete-guide-to-roundup-exposure-are-you-at-risk)

1 Gallon distilled white vinegar (5%)
1 cup Epsom salt
1/2 cup Dish soap
Simply mix all the ingredients together in a sprayer, and spray on the weeds. I have found this recipe to be effective on driveways and walkways. The soap works to spread the vinegar and salt across the entire surface of the plant. Once the plant is covered it becomes dehydrated and dies.

Works great on our paver driveway and pool area and it non carcinogen.

[JohnN]

I just have a spray bottle with white vinegar. Simple, dirt cheap and seems effective.

[mulligan]

Roundup contains carcinogens! Its not safe.

You would have to drink quite a few gallons to actually get cancer.

[big guy]

Without a weed barrier, The weeds will never give up. I agree with others that say use Roundup.

Landscape mat, or weed barrier, is no insurance that there won't be weeds. Soil and any other stuff that gets between the rocks or pine bark mulch create an environment perfect for seedlings to grow.

[Nucky]

You can Stand On Your Head and Spit Chicklets. There is no way you can stop the weeds and grass from growing exactly where you don't want it to be. I tried the Vinegar route with very little success. We even excavated the stones and put down a triple layer of the finest weed barrier and still son of a gun the weed were back. I bought something on the advice of a professional at Lowes in a Black one-gallon container and a sprayer and at long last no weeds. We glow in the dark but at least no weeds. Good Luck.

It was worth it. My wife's happy and that's what counts more than anything else in the world. (I hope she reads this post)

[dtennent]

I would also avoid salt (sodium chloride) around any garden area. Salt can affect other plants as well. Vinegar, being the natural result of aerobic fermentation, is biodegradable and is much safer.