weeds in flowerbeds
 

Does anyone have any suggestions for getting rid of weeds. I have tried several products with minimal results. Has anyone tried Image weed killer? Thanks.

Re: weeds in flowerbeds
 

Sadly, hand pulling seems to be the best answer when it is around plants.

Re: weeds in flowerbeds
 

We had horrible weeds...actually there weren't many weeds but the Zoysia grass invading the landscaping. I spend hours upon hours pulling it out and finally got frustrated because no matter how much time I spent, the next morning there were lots more weeds/grass to pull.

We solved the problem by having a mesh covering laid down and rock put on top. It was worth every penny and although some grass/weeds still creep up where the landscaping meets the concrete or where the edging meets the grass, it's minimal.

Re: weeds in flowerbeds
 

Friends of ours sent me a requested picture of the front of our home in TV........the weeds are huge. When we are there, weeding is not a problem, I will do it. Sailor just called someone to do some curbing to separate the grass from the flower beds and she will take care of the weeds too. We tried Weed Begone to no avail.


Shirleevee

Re: weeds in flowerbeds
 

I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for. And I don't even know if it works in Florida anyway. I assume so, but I know nothing about gardening in Florida's climate.

But just in case it helps, here goes:

If you are looking for something to just flat-out kill the weeds themselves, like Roundup, I am not sure what to recommend. Sometimes with a spray, you hit other things in the target's area. Holding up a piece of cardboard as a shield sometimes works. And make sure there is no breeze before you spray.

What I have always done is just to get the :edit: weeds pulled out in the first place. Be sure to get those roots. And then I play defense - or is it offense? :dontknow: Oh, I really don't know. I should not try to use sports language because I know pretty much nothing about sports. Sorry. I digress.

Back to my plan.

After the weeds are gone, I hit the ground with Treflan, a pre-emergent. That kills the weed seeds so they don't have a chance to even get started. Treflan is the main ingredient in Preen. I just buy generic Treflan and save a little money that way. Treflan is supposed to last about 90 days. There is a new one called Dimension that claims to last 120 days. But I just bought my good old generic Treflan again.

I sprinkle the Treflan on the bare ground in the beds. I always overdo it, but you know how I exaggerate everything. I water this stuff in and then put down mulch. And water that down, too.

I use all-bark mulch. Usually cypress because it is light and has a longer lifespan than most mulches. And it does not get that dog barf mold on it. (Yes, that's what I said. And that's what it looks like. If you have seen it, you know what I mean.) All-bark mulch is more expensive than most, but it lasts so much better from year to year that it actually saves money. I add less each year.

So. . .generic Trefaln because it's cheaper and works fine. Cover it with the hoity-toity mulch that costs more but lasts longer, and therefore is cheaper. I like return on my investments.

I have the most wicked gardening tool for weeds. It's pretty much all I use. But I just checked the Smith & Hawken website and it looks like they don't have it anymore. Anyway, this thing has about a 6-inch long blade, slightly saw-toothed, on a 4-inch long handle. The blade is a little more than 2 inches wide.

The glory of this thing is that it is the sturdiest little gardening tool I have ever seen. I think it may have been called a Farmer's Weeder. I dig with it and I gouge weeds out with it and I hack things with it. And if anybody messes with me, I chase them around with it.

It used to be my standard gift to gardening friends. I did not wrap it. I just tied a big beautiful bow around the handle. This thing looks just like an incredibly sturdy dagger that is not very sharp. I even have a backup because I fear I will lose it. If you come across something that fits this description, consider getting one if you are waging war on weeds.

Well, I just wrote something here that only the gardeners among you managed to get through. And it probably was not the answer that dd46 was looking for. But this is what works around here. It just takes upfront prep by getting the weeds out. And then make sure they never get ahold of the flowerbeds again.

Oh, and even if they say that you have to reapply the pre-emergent after the 90 days, I never do. You may have to pluck a few weeds here and there but it is nothing too serious. I put Treflan down every spring and I think there may even be a residual effect from year to year, although according to instructions, it's worth 90 days. I get pretty lazy by the end of the summer so the beds never get a second hit. They really don't need it. But that's in Ohio.

Oh, and something else. Start buying groundcover or getting it from your friends. (We share our plants.) After a few years, the groundcover will fill in and prevent most of the weeds and you won't have to buy mulch anymore. I call it planning for my old age.

About that groundcover. . .Remember, the first year it sleeps. The second year it creeps. The third year it leaps. You'll get there.

My goodness, writing all this has made me pretty excited. I think I am going back outside to plant a few things. Maybe this is some parallel version of what those women who sit around writing those romance novels go through.

Boomer

Re: weeds in flowerbeds
 

I am not a gardener and am scared stiff of bugs! I've read that using wet newspapers covered by mulch in flowerbeds guarantees no more weeds. Just wet newspapers and mulch, nothing else.

Dunno; just offer FYI

barb

Re: weeds in flowerbeds
 

a landscaper told me a few months ago straight liquid clorine yes pool clorine kills the weeds its does work. just try not to get it on you or your clothes. Also i heard white vineger works too.

Re: weeds in flowerbeds
 

designdiva46- Try selling them. You did post in the " Items For Sale " Forum.

Re: weeds in flowerbeds
 

Betty, the problem with things like bleach and vinegar is that they also kill the flowers and plants you don't want killed if they get in contact with them. There are a few negatives to Florida -- the fast-growing weeds is definitely one of them. What I love is waiting for a plant to grow because I'm not sure if it is a weed or a something that will turn into a pretty flower. So far, it is weeds 10-flowers 1.

Re: weeds in flowerbeds
 

Bombero

How funny...I didn't notice that! 1rnfl

Re: weeds in flowerbeds
 

Bomb,

You sure are observant. I did not notice that either.

And to think, here I was, just givin' away all that, all that, all that, all that, all that advice when I shoulda been sellin' it. Huh. Story of my life.

Oh well, at least I inspired myself to go outside and work in my own flowerbeds for a couple of hours.

Boomer

Re: weeds in flowerbeds
 

I spray gasoline on the mulch beds and then drop a match. Takes care of the weeds fairly quickly, but can be expensive if not applied correctly. Also, best to siphon the gas from the neighbor that continues to park on the street.

Re: weeds in flowerbeds
 

Heck if you get a sale, I have more weeds than I need and I could use a little extra cash!! ;)

Re: weeds in flowerbeds
 

Like Bright, I replaced all the mulch and a lot of grass with mesh and river rock. Weeds still sprout at the edges. My home care company has been following my instructions and drenching the weeds with vinegar. This does kill existing weeds. They hand pull the ones near the rose and hibiscus bushes.

However I just received a picture from them and the weeds are growing back incredibly quickly. They've asked if they can use Roundup and I've reluctantly agreed. I like to try to be environmentally friendly, but sometimes the big guns are required.

Re: weeds in flowerbeds
 

Sigh Bare

We used Roundup this past weekend...just too lazy to get down on my knees to pull the weeds/grass out.

Re: weeds in flowerbeds
 

Bright..The mesh has holes in it..Why did the weeds not grow through???
What type of mesh??

Re: weeds in flowerbeds
 

Donna

I'm assuming the mesh is so tightly woven that weeds cannot penetrate.

Re: weeds in flowerbeds
 

Hi Bright,

Our lawn person said never pull out weeds. Liking that advice very much I have stopped pulling out weeds.

It seems that when you pull out weeds, you do not get all the roots from the weed, the roots then send up more weeds.

So you were doing the best possible thing. I do not want to stop and think about all the weeds I have encouraged to grow by pulling out weeds.

HB

Re: weeds in flowerbeds
 

HB...what do you put on your weeds???

We are paying to have our weeds removed, and he tried to get away with pulling them..We got here and found our beds full...Not too nice on his part!

He thought he would get one over on us, as we are not here all the time...Guess he took his chances and got caught!!! :dontknow:

Re: weeds in flowerbeds
 

Hi Donna,

I do not know what they use. They come once a month and do there thing, they charge $10 a month and there is no contract.

When we got here the other day we had no weeds. I know around the citrus trees they do not use any harmful chemicals and keep that area, around the citrus tress, grass and weed free. I know they have dug around the trees to get the area free from weeds and grass.

HB

Re: weeds in flowerbeds
 

Donna

My husband used Roundup this time. It works only it takes a day or so to see the results.

Re: weeds in flowerbeds
 

Thanks everyone for all the advice. Sorry, I didn't notice it came up in for sale. But I will sell them real cheap!! :)

Re: weeds in flowerbeds
 

:agree:

Re: weeds in flowerbeds
 

In Michigan I sprinkle Preen in my landscaping to control weeds. It sure has worked for me and I swear by it!

Re: weeds in flowerbeds
 

Wees in flowerbed?

Have found someone who will weed your landscaping for $20.00 a month,
to me thats a bargain.

Also, the little weeds in the cracks of your driveways, or sometimes in between the pavers, easy solution...white vinegar. Works for me. Gave up on Roundup.

Simpleme

Re: weeds in flowerbeds
 

Try this solution rather than Roundup:

1 gallon vinegar
1 cup table salt
1 tablespoon detergent

Spray liberally.

I don't know if it will work, but one of my clients and I are trying the newspaper and mulch route. She has a few plants that she's dug up but isn't ready to replace. So, we got newspapers, soaked them and laid them over the plant area. She then put the plastic mesh on top of them and added rocks to look like the rest of her garden. We should know soon enough if this will work. The rest of her yard has the mesh and rocks. The weeds are truly awful throughout, not just along the edges.

If you need to spray near plants, get a gallon milk container, cut the top and bottom off, place it as close to the plant as possible and spray inside the milk jug. Keeps the spray off the plants and lets you spray more of the weeds close to the plants.

No matter what, if the weed is really close to the plant, the only solution is to yank the weed out. So far as I know, there's nothing that is safe to spray by the plants themselves.

Re: weeds in flowerbeds
 

Hi, I accidentally deleted an email I received. The question was about the Lawn and Garden service that we have.

We do not have a contract with her for any of the services she does. When we are in TV we do, what she normally does.

There are no annual contracts for weeding - cost is $10 per month

Pest control is $20 per month

Pruning, trimming and clean up is billed at $40 per hour, but you are charged in 15 minute increments.

Fertilizer application is based on actual quantities used.

They all sell trees and plants. I found the cost of there plants lower than in some of the nurseries I visited while in TV.

Fernview Farm - Sandra and James Harrison
352 245 7905 email fernviewnursery@aol.com

i think she has been invited to speak this November at the Garden Clubs - one in Hacienda Center.

Hope this helps.

HB

Re: weeds in flowerbeds
 

I agree with Boomer on the preemergent. But I use Preen. I also have put wet newspapers down over grass to start a bed and they will cause the grass to biodegrade underneath after it kills it by shutting out air and sunshine. I have been told that using bark mulch is a huge invitation to termites is Florida which seem to be a much bigger threat than in Ohio. I too have a gardening tool that looks like a stick with a metal thingy on the end that has a "V" cut into it. I dig weeds out and don't have to wreck my back by stooping. I cut off the pesky thistle weeds with it, cause you can't dig them and have to do it again next week, but heck, it keeps me out of bars.