Best way to eliminate weeds in the flowers beds

[Schmitth]

I continue to have to pull weeds from our flower beds , and constantly have to go back and start all over again. I have the landscape fabric, I’ve used Preen, and used most types of weed killers. Nothing seems to work efficiently. Anyone have a better solution?

[tophcfa]

I continue to have to pull weeds from our flower beds , and constantly have to go back and start all over again. I have the landscape fabric, I’ve used Preen, and used most types of weed killers. Nothing seems to work efficiently. Anyone have a better solution?

I share your problem. The weeds are friggin relentless. We don’t want to apply carcinogenic poison and nothing else seems to work? Will be following this thread with focused interest.

[jebartle]

Vinegar!

[Arctic Fox]

I continue to have to pull weeds from our flower beds , and constantly have to go back and start all over again. I have the landscape fabric, I’ve used Preen, and used most types of weed killers. Nothing seems to work efficiently. Anyone have a better solution?

"Mulching is generally used to save water, suppress weeds and improve the soil around plants but it also gives your garden a neat, tidy appearance and can reduce the amount of time spent on tasks such as watering and weeding. Mulch is a layer of material, at least 5cm (2in) thick, applied to the soil surface in late autumn to late winter (Nov-Feb)."

[dewilson58]

RoundUp

[Pondboy]

It is a constant battle. It’s the weed seeds that are giving you problems, they blow in from all over and land wherever. Landscape fabrics won’t prevent these invaders. Keep using your weed killer. Walk your property and spray at least every 7 days. Keep the weeds from flowering. Once they flower, they spread their seeds. I hate using chemical as well, but it’s better than pulling the weeds. You might leave some part of the plant behind, where it simply grows from the fragment.

Persistence is key. You live in a climate with an extended growing season. Yard work is never completed, only abandoned.

[MSchad]

I continue to have to pull weeds from our flower beds , and constantly have to go back and start all over again. I have the landscape fabric, I’ve used Preen, and used most types of weed killers. Nothing seems to work efficiently. Anyone have a better solution?

Constant battle, but as earlier post stated, I use vinegar solution.
1gal vinegar
1cup iodized salt or 2 cups epson salt
1/4 cup dawn dishsoap
Spray as needed.

[Maker]

When a weed is pulled out, pieces of the root break off. Those will all grow into more weeds. Multiplying the problem.
The solution is to spray with round-up first. It kills the entire weed. Then pull it out a few days later.
Round-up is rendered inert with sunlight exposure. It will not kill anything a day later if exposed to sunshine. Other things like salt, vinegar, etc, remain in the soil and can harm flowers and shrubs when irrigation or rain starts to spread it out, and drive it downwards.
Round-up is a toxic chemical, and no chemicals should be sprayed on your body or ingested. Spray on a calm day.

[Battlebasset]

It is a constant battle. It’s the weed seeds that are giving you problems, they blow in from all over and land wherever. Landscape fabrics won’t prevent these invaders. Keep using your weed killer. Walk your property and spray at least every 7 days. Keep the weeds from flowering. Once they flower, they spread their seeds. I hate using chemical as well, but it’s better than pulling the weeds. You might leave some part of the plant behind, where it simply grows from the fragment.

Persistence is key.

This is my process as well. Also, we just replaced our edging (thin metal) with a block wall and a compacted gravel edge in front. My hope is that it will slow (not stop) intrusion of the zoysia grass from the lawn. If nothing else, it will make it easier to spray and not have the Roundup hit the grass in the yard I don't want killed.

I use rocks not mulch. Weeds more easily grow in mulch, as it is organic.

[Pugchief]

Roundup is toxic and bad for the environment, humans and pets. The vinegar spray is fine, but the guy form Massey suggested a weed torch. No bending, works great. Available at Lowe's ($50) or on Amazon ($25). Guess where I bought mine..Weed Torch on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L5HBZJL)
You will also need a $5 can of propane which is cheaper locally due to the cost of shipping hazardous materials.

[Pairadocs]

I share your problem. The weeds are friggin relentless. We don’t want to apply carcinogenic poison and nothing else seems to work? Will be following this thread with focused interest.

Same problem ! Read a hint in a gardening book to put down THICK layers of newspaper on the ground BEFORE spreading and fitting the landscape fabric, but all I can say is it did seem to extend the time a bit before the inevitable weeds surfaced ! I suspect the law suits resulting from the various chemical that have caused so many medical conditions in humans, have caused a huge change in the strength and the chemical makeup of what we purchase for "weed control".

[Battlebasset]

Roundup is toxic and bad for the environment, humans and pets. The vinegar spray is fine, but the guy form Massey suggested a weed torch. No bending, works great. Available at Lowe's ($50) or on Amazon ($25). Guess where I bought mine..Weed Torch on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L5HBZJL)
You will also need a $5 can of propane which is cheaper locally due to the cost of shipping hazardous materials.

I have one of these. I use it to burn up what's left after the Roundup kills them. Rocks vs mulch means I'm not catching mulch on fire.

[Michael G.]

Roundup is toxic and bad for the environment, humans and pets. The vinegar spray is fine, but the guy form Massey suggested a weed torch. No bending, works great. Available at Lowe's ($50) or on Amazon ($25). Guess where I bought mine..Weed Torch on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L5HBZJL)
You will also need a $5 can of propane which is cheaper locally due to the cost of shipping hazardous materials.


My only concern with this is your burning the foliage and not destroying
the roots which means those weeds can grow back. :shrug:

[frayedends]

Maybe a torch if you have stone. But I don't think that's a good idea with the pine straw. Roundup works but as noted, it's toxic. Apart from that, it gets into the soil and will damage your shrubs too.

[Arctic Fox]

I use rocks not mulch. Weeds more easily grow in mulch, as it is organic.

Rocks have edges, around which weeds grow. Mulch provides total ground cover and cuts out the light. Either way, whatever works for you.

[Topspinmo]

I continue to have to pull weeds from our flower beds , and constantly have to go back and start all over again. I have the landscape fabric, I’ve used Preen, and used most types of weed killers. Nothing seems to work efficiently. Anyone have a better solution?

Landscape fabric? How old? If years old the dust has collected into nice layer of dirt above fabric which allows weeds thrive in. Key to stopping weeds get them while they’re young before the produce seedings.

To really stop weeds you have to eliminate the dirt above fabric that required removing rock/mulch pulling up old mat treating and leveling the ground. Lay down new mat (landscape fabric the thicker the better) sifting all dirt out of rocks, lay down clean layer over the mat. Good to go for few years till dust puts down another layer of dirt.

How do I know this I’ve pulled up about 1/3 of my rock landscape due to 30 plus Holly bushes removed, cleaned leveled dirt, sniffed rocks removing dirt and layer down clean rocks. I have no weeds in those areas. Where the other 2/3s fighting weeds every month. I either pull or roundup them while they are young/just popped up.

Another thing if you house resale and previously owners planted shrubs and the died you have holes in fabric where weeds really thrive.

[mikreb]

Preen pre-emergent doesn't work. Use Prodiamine or Barricade pre-emergent.

[GizmoWhiskers]

Constant battle, but as earlier post stated, I use vinegar solution.
1gal vinegar
1cup iodized salt or 2 cups epson salt
1/4 cup dawn dishsoap
Spray as needed.
Tried that. Didn't work on mine.

[buster21]

No to herbicides. I’m raising a Monarch caterpillar in my lanai right now and if all goes well it will emerge to become a beautiful butterfly. To suppress weeds in a rock bed, I added pine straw( Ace)and a peat moss blend.(Lowe’s) Planted some lantana to spread over rocks also to block weed formation. I’m experimenting with coffee grounds on my rock beds that have no added mulch to see what happens. I don’t mind hand pulling weeds sometimes because it calms me down!

[Two Bills]

Like several other things I can think of, pulling by hand is still the best method.:shrug:

[ffresh]

:22yikes:I continue to have to pull weeds from our flower beds , and constantly have to go back and start all over again. I have the landscape fabric, I’ve used Preen, and used most types of weed killers. Nothing seems to work efficiently. Anyone have a better solution?

Best weed killer I've used is agricultural vinegar minimum 45% acetic acid - organic and harmless to the environment
Amazon.com (https://www.amazon.com/Calyptus-Concentrated-Vinegar-Dilutes-Concentrate/dp/B0C21K29BV/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=C80YA374TX8C&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.0CWbra8zeIvlnlCSksxsm9L_SK6NPHF3E Jpow0pWmmoV8tNWQThJmRoXijG70_5yTQN8W96VOaKQAspfWt0 hHlzRgDFi1Vc5YgbjDkU8rbJGyO_WGOmo6s7FWP6r3i46E69DD 324blUxSQ70O-1U1kmX8ZFGIzjq1DsjJb3ZOmgZoULztIpOovv_HLaLBeXXCRkB V_TvdQNWYP0j2tZN18fZ0DhAoINQPPl2oyYgwK5LjuduCtI_9v mbVbpqHttxq7Kt6d875T4uARm1eGcy_exn6C8qUpbc6ptIqBCd bTc.kwqR9FLEXHfUhYnwtSM9F9Mc51qgUQnJPQoWuImHkVE&dib_tag=se&keywords=ag+vinegar&qid=1719048871&sprefix=ag+vinegar%2Caps%2C245&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1)

Household vinegar is not strong enough (5% - 7% acetic acid). Needless to say, follow the mixing directions. The stronger you mix the solution, the more effective it will be. The mixture in post #7 uses dawn detergent as a surfactant which allows the liquid to adhere to the plant - works well!

I also use the weed torch in post #5, which works well for me. Be cautious with the ag vinegar - it will burn mucous membrane :eek: (wear gloves and eyewear). The "cocktail" that I mix is about identical to the one posted in #7. I spray when it's dry and hot outside; you'll see results within hours! The torch I use periodically, as needed, between the vinegar dousings

:wave:
FredF

[Girlcopper]

Roundup is toxic and bad for the environment, humans and pets. The vinegar spray is fine, but the guy form Massey suggested a weed torch. No bending, works great. Available at Lowe's ($50) or on Amazon ($25). Guess where I bought mine..Weed Torch on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L5HBZJL)
You will also need a $5 can of propane which is cheaper locally due to the cost of shipping hazardous materials.
Pets shouldn’t be IN the flower beds and if roundup is used properly it won’t affect people.

[La lamy]

Weeding is an exercise for me. I've heard from a yoga instructor that we should put our head below the heart for 10 minutes a day for brain health. Consider bending over to get those weeds your brain health regimen!

[PhilG]

napalm

[barbnick]

Pull the big ones, spray weed killer on all and throw down a good dose of PREEN. I do it every month. Works

[rrman77]

I continue to have to pull weeds from our flower beds , and constantly have to go back and start all over again. I have the landscape fabric, I’ve used Preen, and used most types of weed killers. Nothing seems to work efficiently. Anyone have a better solution?

my daughter bought us a miniature flamethrower that uses a small container of propane. This worked wonderfully well for us.. I think ours came from Amazon. Good luck with your problems.

[Sandy and Ed]

Like several other things I can think of, pulling by hand is still the best method.:shrug:
Funny. On a serious note, I pull the weeds as much as I can but another said once they bear seeds pulling them shakes loose the seeds which then take root. Unfortunately those damn things are too fragile any earlier and simply break off at the surface and leave the root intact. Tis a conundrum.

[Rzepecki]

When a weed is pulled out, pieces of the root break off. Those will all grow into more weeds. Multiplying the problem.
The solution is to spray with round-up first. It kills the entire weed. Then pull it out a few days later.
Round-up is rendered inert with sunlight exposure. It will not kill anything a day later if exposed to sunshine. Other things like salt, vinegar, etc, remain in the soil and can harm flowers and shrubs when irrigation or rain starts to spread it out, and drive it downwards.
Round-up is a toxic chemical, and no chemicals should be sprayed on your body or ingested. Spray on a calm day.

Ditto!

[kendi]

Maybe a torch if you have stone. But I don't think that's a good idea with the pine straw. Roundup works but as noted, it's toxic. Apart from that, it gets into the soil and will damage your shrubs too.

Roundup is absorbed through the leaves of what you spray it on. It dries quickly and will not hurt anything else even if absorbed into the ground.

One exception. There is a type of roundup that in addition to killing the weed will prevent more weeds from sprouting for a year. This type can damage root systems if used a lot in one area.

[richardblanchard]

I continue to have to pull weeds from our flower beds , and constantly have to go back and start all over again. I have the landscape fabric, I’ve used Preen, and used most types of weed killers. Nothing seems to work efficiently. Anyone have a better solution?

I like you have tried all types of weed killers, including regular vinegar. I finally found something that works on YouTube. It is vinegar but you need to make sure it’s at least 30% and not regular vinegar. It works wonders weed is usually dead the next day once a week, you go through your flowerbeds with a spray bottle of the peer 30% vinegar and spray weeds that may be coming up. I did this for about a month and definitely have less weeds. Just remember the vinegar has to be 30%.

[BoatRatKat]

I weed for my parents and they have rocks. I'm constantly doing a combo of spraying the vinegar solution and pulling up weeds. My house has all mulch and I never spray and only have to pick very few weeds out every now and then (like a handful). The mulch seems to an environment the weeds don't thrive in.

[coleprice]

I apply Sprectacide Weed Killer WEEKLY that i make from concentrate in my pump up sprayer. Mix 8 oz of "Sprectacide Weed & Grass Killer" concentrate (white bottle) with 1 gallon of water in the tank, shake it up and walk around and spray any weeds that you see in your flower beds. This only takes about 5 or 10 minutes a week if you first sprinkle PREEN in your flower beds to significantly reduce the number of weeds that sprout. Preen doesn't kill weeds, but it prevents most of them from germinating, then the Spectracide spray kill the weeds that sprout.

[mjr0773]

The vinegar / dish soap potion sort of works but it only kills the leaves and not the roots. Without killing the roots the plant will return.
Hand pulling by far is the best method but be sure you get the roots.
As a preventative measure you will see much improvement in weed pressure if you only water the plants you have and don’t just water the entire bed. Drip irrigation is the way to do this as dry rocks or bed is not a very good environment for weed growth. You’ll still get weeds but the volume will be significantly different.

[eyc234]

Pinestraw

[Jim1mack]

I put down pre-emergent which does keep the weeds at bay. I also walk around my planting areas once a week with Round Up in a pump sprayer to spray the grass that encroaches these areas. Don’t forget the cracks in your driveway.

[waterflower]

Cancer

[FredMitchell]

Look up the Latin and common names of your "weeds". Memorize them.

They are now an integral part of your landscaping. Remember how little they cost! Smile and enjoy the extra time you made available for your preferred activities.

[justjim]

Rocks have edges, around which weeds grow. Mulch provides total ground cover and cuts out the light. Either way, whatever works for you.

Most people seem to start with mulch or pine straw and switch to rock. Just what I have observed in TV.

[MrLindy]

We've used Preenfor lawns and vegetable gardens for years! My wife loves Preen in her flower gardens. I love applying it in the Spring on the yard. It Really prevents and controls weeds - much better than any Scott's or other products we tried. You'll love it also! Lowe's has it. So does Amazon.

[ron32162]

Use newspapers . Take out the mulch lay a thick layer of newspaper down and wet it then put the mulch back on top and no weeds. in a few years the paper will mulch up then do it again.

[Ptmcbriz]

I use Groundclear. It doesn’t migrate and only kills the plant or grass you spray it on. It’s comes in a gallon sprayer at Lowe’s. I take 10 minutes every week and walk around the grass and hit any weeds, then hit the flower beds for any grass or weeds. Before the end of the day they are already brown. It’s the only way to keep it under control with the least amount of effort. Everyone has 10 minutes a week. Plus no bending over. Pulling weeds is futile because you rarely get all the root and it just comes back. You have to spray them.

[Regorp]

"Mulching is generally used to save water, suppress weeds and improve the soil around plants but it also gives your garden a neat, tidy appearance and can reduce the amount of time spent on tasks such as watering and weeding. Mulch is a layer of material, at least 5cm (2in) thick, applied to the soil surface in late autumn to late winter (Nov-Feb)."

Mulch becomes a breeding ground for weeds when wet or all the time. Pulling out once a week works best

[Jesslindsmom]

Won’t the torch method burn the landscape mat?

[Kelevision]

I’m told that using mulch or pine straw is better for keeping the weeds at bay than landscaping rock/stone.

[midiwiz]

I continue to have to pull weeds from our flower beds , and constantly have to go back and start all over again. I have the landscape fabric, I’ve used Preen, and used most types of weed killers. Nothing seems to work efficiently. Anyone have a better solution?

real easy to solve. you need the heavy duty fabric, then you need at least 3 inches of mulch. We use cypress mulch in bulk never a weed since 2006!

[UpNorth]

Pinestraw

Exactly. It is what the developer uses everywhere to keep the weeds in check around the landscaping. Cheap and easy. Apply a fresh layer at least once a year. Chemicals are ok if you use them properly, but be careful about using some of the "extended control" ones that contain dicambra around your shrubs. They can kill or stunt growth of plants or even palm trees. I found out the hard way.:sad:

[OhioBuckeye]

I feel for you we heard putting down a barrier like newspaper, sheets of plastic. It worked OK for a while then the weeds would pop up right against the flowers or shrubs! Preen we found out works the best. Don’t know what to tell you!

[nn0wheremann]

I continue to have to pull weeds from our flower beds , and constantly have to go back and start all over again. I have the landscape fabric, I’ve used Preen, and used most types of weed killers. Nothing seems to work efficiently. Anyone have a better solution?
Roundup has a pre-emergent weed killer, in peletized form that seems to work better than Preen

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Some of them are "presents" left to me by generous squirrels. Thanks to those happy helpful critters I now have a gorgeous cluster of elephant ears around four feet high in my flower bed. I also get a couple of deerberry plants that pop up, but I usually pull them because they take too long to flower. I might let the next set stay, if they're "gifted" in the right location.

I use either pine bark or cedar bark (not shreds) each year, topping off the previous year's layer, and depending on what's available when I remember it's that time of year again.

I also hand-pull the weeds by the roots. This takes practice, patience, and a sturdy comfortable foam garden kneeler. I have fewer weeds this year than I've had in the past few years (not including the squirrel presents).

My garden bed is 100% organic because I grow flowering herbs in it, and because I want the bees and other pollinators to be safe collecting nectar. No pesticide, no fertilizer. If it's meant to grow, it grows.

[merrymini]

I hate rock. They heat up in the sun and get hot hurting the roots of plants. Then you put fabric under them and the water and fertilizer does not go where you want. Dirt gets into the rock and weeds grow. Horrible. Pine straw is the best. Never use chemicals such as round up. Buy vinegar at 30 %, cut in half with water and dish soap. Never use salt. It can never be removed from the soil and will kill anything else you may want to plant. Vinegar is a chemical but does not have long term chemicals that can have deleterious effects. It does an excellent job of killing weeds and does not cause cancer or other issues. I garden every day, as it is my hobby. It feels daunting at first when weeding but if you pull the weeds when flowering, you will see progress.

[Jboduch]

The weed torch looks awesome. Even if it doesn’t work I want to try one :)


My only concern with this is your burning the foliage and not destroying
the roots which means those weeds can grow back. :shrug:

[Nana2Teddy]

Exactly. It is what the developer uses everywhere to keep the weeds in check around the landscaping. Cheap and easy. Apply a fresh layer at least once a year. Chemicals are ok if you use them properly, but be careful about using some of the "extended control" ones that contain dicambra around your shrubs. They can kill or stunt growth of plants or even palm trees. I found out the hard way.:sad:
Unfortunately, pine straw doesn’t look good for long. We covered our one year old (new home) pine straw with a thick layer of fresh pine straw three months ago, and it already has flattened and is turning gray. The Villages seems to add new layers of it 2-3x annually, and when they let it go too long it looks really bad.

[RRGuyNJ]

Roundup (Glyophospahte) does not sterilize the soil. It kills by absorption through the leaves and will not leach through the soil. I saw a comment that sunlight will kill roundup's effectivness after a day of exposure. If that's true it's even better for not killing thing through the soil. I go through 2 1/2 gallons of concentrate every year at our home in NC (4 acres) so far I haven't died. Good luck!

[admiral72]

We had good results with Snapshot. Follow directions and warnings. Do not use on vegetable gardens.

From Manufacturer:

Snapshot® specialty herbicide delivers season-long control of broadleaf and grassy weeds. Depending on your area, Snapshot works around the clock for up to eight months to keep landscapes and container—and field-grown nursery ornamentals weed-free.

[DavidK]

Although our home check service, Away Without Worries, does not control weeds other than ones that crop up in the driveway or sidewalk, this season we just could not pass by the weeds we were seeing as we checked the homes of our customers. It has been a hayday for the weeds in landscaping beds here in The Villages. The weeds really thrived in the hot dry weather. They are determined to enter through a seam or hole in the landscape fabrics. Some grasses actually find paths from the lawn to the landscape through the decorative walls and travel and grow on top of the fabric and root in the decomposed materials in the landscape rock or gravel. They get enough water from the irrigation zone to be happy and multiply. So, we have found that pulling them is a good starting point. Once the visible weeds are gone, the beds can be controlled with granuals or sprays like Preen, Roundup, and Spectracide. Care must be taken not to let the spray get on the plants or flowers. Some weeds try to thrive by growing inside the plants and they are hard to see at first but once they get above top of the plant, they need to be traced to the ground and pulled out by the root. Do this the morning after a watering. Preen is a pre-emergent and stops weed seedlings as they sprout. Roundup and Spectracide kill existing vegetation by contact with the existing plant foliage. Treat any herbicide with caution as you would any poison; wear safety glasses and rubber gloves and be sure to wash any exposed skin when done. Regular treatment with a pre-emergent and a herbicide works well.
Pull and Spray keeps weeds away!

[MicRoDrafting]

Definitely appears to
be a Jerry Baker remedy !!

well known (40 yrs) for creating
concoctions from safe household
products for “Yardening Needs”

[Villagesgal]

Constant battle, but as earlier post stated, I use vinegar solution.
1gal vinegar
1cup iodized salt or 2 cups epson salt
1/4 cup dawn dishsoap
Spray as needed.

I tbsp of Dawn is all you need. I walk my property every 2 weeks with this in a sprayer and it works great. As far as the preen, you are probably not using enough. I use it yearly before I leave for 2 months or more and have hardly any weeds when I return. It's cheap, double down on it and it will work wonders. If you stay on top of it, it really isn't a problem.

[DonnaNi4os]

my daughter bought us a miniature flamethrower that uses a small container of propane. This worked wonderfully well for us.. I think ours came from Amazon. Good luck with your problems.

I read an article about using a small device like you would use to brown a crème brûlée. It’s an intriguing thought but needs to be used with caution around mulch that could ignite. It isn’t using toxic chemicals and I have tried preen which does suppress the growth but doesn’t eliminate it. I have some artillery fern and it seems impossible to get rid of them. Apparently when you pull them they drop seeds and only very extreme chemicals over a course of 3 months will get rid of them. Growing together they can make beautiful ground cover. But popping up where you don’t want them? Not so much. Incidentally I have used a vinegar/salt/dawn solution and lost plants as a result.

[drrichard]

I continue to have to pull weeds from our flower beds , and constantly have to go back and start all over again. I have the landscape fabric, I’ve used Preen, and used most types of weed killers. Nothing seems to work efficiently. Anyone have a better solution?

I have sprayed liquid pool chlorine (cheaper and stronger than bleach) for years and love the results.

[NJRICHARD]

Double the recommended amount of weed killer. That is what the commercial landscapers use, and it WILL stop the weeds much longer. Be careful around plants and hedges.

[itzfun]

I continue to have to pull weeds from our flower beds , and constantly have to go back and start all over again. I have the landscape fabric, I’ve used Preen, and used most types of weed killers. Nothing seems to work efficiently. Anyone have a better solution?

A friend told me about this, and it works perfectly. Never use Roundup/glyphosate again!

This solution is as cheap as it is effective, providing you with the garden that you have always dreamed of. Grab a 1/4 cup of the original blue Dawn dish soap, two cups of Epsom salts, and a gallon of distilled vinegar. From there, transfer the solution into your own weed sprayer. If you do not have one on hand, your local hardware store will have you covered.

For best results, wait until the morning dew has evaporated before spraying the solution. Once you have sprayed the weed, there is nothing else to do. When you check your garden later that day, those pesky weeds are going to be long gone. The best part of all is that this solution is actually far less costly than the harmful chemicals you are going to find at most stores.

How To Make DIY ‘Weed-Be-Gone” Without The Harsh Chemicals | 12 Tomatoes (https://12tomatoes.com/diy-weed-killer-spray/)

[ohcarroll]

Same problem ! Read a hint in a gardening book to put down THICK layers of newspaper on the ground BEFORE spreading and fitting the landscape fabric, but all I can say is it did seem to extend the time a bit before the inevitable weeds surfaced ! I suspect the law suits resulting from the various chemical that have caused so many medical conditions in humans, have caused a huge change in the strength and the chemical makeup of what we purchase for "weed control".

You can also use cardboard. It is called sheet mulching.

[CHWdancer]

Vinegar!

Use 1 gal vinegar, 1c table salt, 1/2c dawn. Apply liberally to weeds. It's not a permanent solution, but I have found it's good for a few months.

[Sully2023]

I continue to have to pull weeds from our flower beds , and constantly have to go back and start all over again. I have the landscape fabric, I’ve used Preen, and used most types of weed killers. Nothing seems to work efficiently. Anyone have a better solution?


I hired a local fellow who pulls them for me at a very reasonable rate. I tried weed killer. The weeds laught at it!

[tophcfa]

Someone on our street bought a house to be used as a rental property and did the absolute best thing to prevent weeds. They got rid of all flower beds and shrubs and planted grass on 100% of their yard. It doesn’t look great, but it’s extremely low maintenance as far as weeds are concerned.

[pcntech]

Mowers will visit several different yards in a day. All manner of stuff with be on the mower from these yards and transfer to other yards. Dandelions, clover, weeds, etc. And yes it is a never ending battle. Wind driven seeds land everywhere.

[Maker]

Using salt for weed control is effective, but salt never goes away. Constantly spreading more every few weeks will eventually build up enough to harm everything growing there. Weeds, flowers, shrubs alike.
Need to look at the whole picture, including how time concentrates seemingly harmless compounds, making a soil that nothing wants to grow in.

[main12use]

I use Green Gobbler that I purchase at Ace Hardware. It really works the best for me. It is 30% vinegar. It even kills dollar weeds which are very hard to kill.

[Pugchief]

My only concern with this (weed torch) is your burning the foliage and not destroying
the roots which means those weeds can grow back. :shrug:

Not really true:
Weed torches are designed to heat the plants’ cells causing them to burst. This destroys the weed’s stem, which causes them to no longer be able to ingest water or nutrients, essentially killing the weeds. This is a fairly easy process that involves holding the torch and walking slowly between garden rows, killing the weeds in less than a second.

A weed ecologist from the University of California, Tom Lanine, offers information on when it is obvious that weeks have been effectively killed using this method. Essentially, he says that when the weed changes from glossy to matte, then it should die within a few hours. It is recommended to leave the weed to compost naturally and there is no need to disturb the soil.

Another expert, Mike Orzolek from Penn State, recommends that flaming weeds two to three weeks apart. Flaming will kill annual weeds completely, but does not kill the roots of perennial weeds. Often, gardeners will see new shoots a week or so after flaming and additional treatments can deplete the roots, killing the weeds.

source (https://donotdisturbgardening.com/are-weed-torches-effective/)

[PurePeach]

Preen pre-emergent doesn't work. Use Prodiamine or Barricade pre-emergent.

I beg to differ. I use Preen about every six months and it works well. HOWEVER, when I apply, I apply it very liberally to the point that the rocks look like they have a dusting of snow on them. I have very few weeds that pop up in between applications. When I do, I spray them with Roundup (mine has a little cover over the nozzle so it goes only where I want it to). It is rare that you see a weed in my flowers or me pulling up a weed. :spoken:

[juddfl]

I have someone take care of my flower beds as I am not able to do that kind of work. I do have a hint on how to kill the weeds that grow in the cracks of your driveway and walkway. I'm a tea drinker. I boil water for my tea and as my tea is brews I go outside and pour the rest of the water from the tea kettle along the cracks. I start at the bottom of my driveway and work my way up to the garage door. That way I don't stand in any water as it slopes toward the street. The next day, weeds are gone. I guess I boil them to death!!!!

[stewiegal]

1/4 cup dawn liquid
2 cups Epsom salts
1 gal white vinegar
Works great, Epsom salts good for plants, non toxic

[katherineboettcher]

I continue to have to pull weeds from our flower beds , and constantly have to go back and start all over again. I have the landscape fabric, I’ve used Preen, and used most types of weed killers. Nothing seems to work efficiently. Anyone have a better solution?





I use Preen about 3 times a year in the garden beds. It really helps prevent weed growth. Especially if you use it as a pre-emergent (pre-season) treatment.
Also the best weed/grass killers without using pesticides is a simple combination of concentrated vinegar, salt, dish soap and water. To make 2 liters of weed spray, add 1cup table salt, 6 cups Harris 35%white vinegar, 1 tablespoon Dish soap, fill with water to 2 liters. Stir well. Spray. When done , rinse out sprayer unit. I recommend wearing gloves. It is pretty caustic on skin. Stand back. The weeds will die!

[Nana2Teddy]

Someone on our street bought a house to be used as a rental property and did the absolute best thing to prevent weeds. They got rid of all flower beds and shrubs and planted grass on 100% of their yard. It doesn’t look great, but it’s extremely low maintenance as far as weeds are concerned.
I’m surprised ARC approved that.

[Two Bills]

Get rid of all the plants that need constant watering and feeding.
Let the weeds take over the borders.
Just call it a Natural Environment Friendly Garden if reported.
No maintenance, and saving the planet.

[MorTech]

A friend told me about this, and it works perfectly. Never use Roundup/glyphosate again!

This solution is as cheap as it is effective, providing you with the garden that you have always dreamed of. Grab a 1/4 cup of the original blue Dawn dish soap, two cups of Epsom salts, and a gallon of distilled vinegar. From there, transfer the solution into your own weed sprayer. If you do not have one on hand, your local hardware store will have you covered.

For best results, wait until the morning dew has evaporated before spraying the solution. Once you have sprayed the weed, there is nothing else to do. When you check your garden later that day, those pesky weeds are going to be long gone. The best part of all is that this solution is actually far less costly than the harmful chemicals you are going to find at most stores.

How To Make DIY ‘Weed-Be-Gone” Without The Harsh Chemicals | 12 Tomatoes (https://12tomatoes.com/diy-weed-killer-spray/)

Those chemicals are harsher than Roundup. I kid you not. Roundup is just a weak phosphonic acid that breaks down rapidly. Just because 12 Kalifornia morons sitting on a jury decide Roundup causes cancer does not make it so.

[JRcorvette]

If you try to pull them out a the root does not come out with the top of the week it will just grow back over and over again. Just spray with weed killer if they are not too close to your other plants. You can also spray the ground area where there are not weeds appearing.

[Packer Fan]

I weed for my parents and they have rocks. I'm constantly doing a combo of spraying the vinegar solution and pulling up weeds. My house has all mulch and I never spray and only have to pick very few weeds out every now and then (like a handful). The mulch seems to an environment the weeds don't thrive in.

We replaced our pine needles with Pine Bark over landscape cloth. The only thing we really have any issue with is some grass shoots that come from the Zoysia grass. Almost no weeds other than that. The acidity of the pine bark keeps them away. I don't get the rocks, Pine Bark looks way more natural, easy to maintain, and if you need more it is like $2.00 a bag at Lowes or HD. Also, if it gets in the lawn and the mowers hit it, it doesn't fly and break your windows....
Ed

[LeRoySmith]

Like several other things I can think of, pulling by hand is still the best method.:shrug:

You are my hero.