How to control weeds in flower bed

Does the weed and feed or other product work for flower beds? I want something for the beds, as well as my yard, that will keep weeds at bay. Any suggestions for a product? There is mulch but in some areas I don't have fabric down because these plants are not established enough and will be spread - I hope! Even in the much there's some weeds popping up.

Suggestion?
Kathy

Hey Kathy.....

Well, not to disappoint you, but... mulch is the only weed suppressor I recommend in beds. I will occasionally use round-up if it's something I can't yank out or it's proliferating more rapidly than I can knock out, but you run the risk of it getting on something you want to keep.

Weeding is one of those progressive things - one year, you'll feel like all of your time is spent doing it, but the more you can keep the weeds from flowering and spreading their seed around, the less work you have the following year. It really does get easier, I promise!

One of the ideas I like the most is green mulch - in my flower beds I'll often seed any open areas with Sweet alyssum. It shades the soil, chokes out a lot of the weeds, smells and looks great. And it doesn't take a whole lot of water, can take some shade or a lot of sun... It's low enough that anything of any size will come up over it and is easily recognizable.

Good luck, HTH!

That's a great idea - the Sweet Alyssum. Does it grow that easily by seed? I'll try that in some areas. I just purchased Preem (?) to sprinkle on the yard and some beds. I like that ideas - thank you.
Kathy

Incredibly easy - you have to be careful with it at first, because it looks like a weed until it blooms >smile< .

Isn't Preen a pre-emergent? If it is, it kills all seeds - which means you won't be able to put the sweet alyssum in until it inactivates. It also means that none of your plants will re-seed. But if that's okay with you .... one of the things that made me uncomfortable with it is that it does say on the package not to put on lawns - so, does that mean it damages live plants, or what? I never did use it for that reason.

Pagancat is right. Preen will stop all seeds from germinating, including flower or vegetable seeds intentionally planted as well as reseeding flowers and vegetables. Like Pagancat I don't use it either for those reasons.

Karen

Some areas where the plants are bushes/trees or non reseeders i think it will be fine. It can also go on lawns I think. Maybe I'll get a post started for that question.

Kathy

Kath, double check the package instructions - it might have changed since I purchased it, but I think it stated specifically not to....

I'm going to be contrarian here, so please take this in the positive way that it is intended.

Context-- we (team of 4 in a landscape committee) care for 5 acres in a condo/townhome community. We have converted > 3000 sf of lawn to flowerbeds in the past year. We have weeds. We do not use any herbicides, or fertilizers, etc.

We weed by hand. Every flowerbed gets visited 2x per week. The weeds are pulled, and composted. We generate several bushels of pulled weeds a day, which is turned into approximately 1 cu yard of fine compost per 6 weeks in the summer. So the additional labor effort I would put into the "weed tending" bucket is turning the compost over 1-2x a week.

Aside from the excellent exercise, fabulous compost, and reduced expense (no chemicals), we get to know intimately every inch of the property that we are responsible for. We see problems while they are still small, and get them fixed. We notice when the hummingbirds are staking out their territories, and when the neighborhood kids are getting a bit out of control running around in places they shouldn't. We talk to our neighbors who are intensely interested in what we are doing, even though they "don't have time", and sometimes we recruit new people to donate coffee grounds.

My opinion is that you don't know your garden unless you personally weed your garden. And being that this is a composting forum, most people would love to have the fine compost we generate as part of the process.

greenjay: I like your method.

Wonderful comment Greenjay. What I'm just beginning to do is compost! I need to research how to create a compost pile. I've been taking all my materials to one site. Otherwise, I'm lost. Just don't have time, or when time allows, don't have energy to research how to "make a compost pile". Other than adding materials and turning it with a pitch fork - I'm lost. Would love a 1.2.3. of compost suggestions.

My problem with weeding is bad knees and 60 hrs of work each week away from home - 1 hr driving time TOO. I'm not out to kill the universe, I just want to the best of both - compost as I've already started and ability to kill off the weeds that overwhelm in a very hot and humid Virginia day.

I agree - no 'over reacting here' just typing what I need to know and ask in a friendly way. This may not be the correct thread for this question - forgive me if the compost thread was not the correct thread, not really sure which thread would fix my new problem. I don't look at every thread at DG, selected as most people do. I thought this was the most likely of the ones I watch to get the best comments.

Thank you all.
Kathy

Kathy, if you will send me your e-mail address I will send you my easy cheap composter instructions, with photos. I am 65 years old and have been using this method for 15 years. Believe me it is the easiest way to get great quick compost.
Mittsy

Kathy, I have been using newspaper under my mulch this year with great success. I put down about 6 sheets, overlapping edges, wet it, then add some mulch. I tend 3 gardens at church and have only had a few weeds pop up near plants, none in between. The first garden at home I used it on always had weeds, this year the bed is neat and tidy.

Cathy

Cathy, thanks for the newspaper tip, weeds this year were a real continuous back breaker. The only good thing about them is they fill up the composter. Now is that six sheets thick, or a total of six sheets around the plant
Mittsy

Mittsy, I try to cover every surface with 6 sheets, all around the plants and any exposed area that will have mulch. It isn't exacting. The paper breaks down and will let new plants poke through, but keeps the weed seeds up high so they don't root. cathy

Cathy, any problems with water getting to your plants?

I've had great success with the newspaper method, though if it's a crowded bed, the newspaper can be cumbersome to work with.

When putting my veggie patch 'to bed' in the Fall/Winter, I clear the bed then put down newspapers, then top that with a mixture of horse manure and leaf mould then wet the whole area down. Magic. It cuts way back on the Springtime weeds.

I've had no problem with water to plants. I actually think they are doing better with no competition for moisture and it has been a very dry summer. For a crowded bed, I tear the papers in half, sometimes even crumple them to fit into a spot. Just do your best. My top layer of mulch doesn't have to be as thick with the paper under it. My neighbor doesn't mulch over hers since she has lots of plants that will cover the view of the paper, like hostas. She just layers new papers every spring. The other day was the first time she had to get in to do a little weed cleanup, and that was just around the edges of the bed. I can't believe how little time I spend weeding now. My front yard gardens always look neat with maybe 5-10 minutes a month for spot weeding.

My biggest problem is with the seeds from my neighbors golden rain tree. Cutest little chinese lantern looking seed pods, I love when they bob down the street during rain, but they will sprout anywhere they land.

Thanks everyone for all your helpful information on newspapers as mulch material. I will have to start gathering some to prepare my beds for winter. It sure sounds good to cut down on weeds for spring.

Hi Shihtzumom, I don't have a lot of time, or the back to turn a lot and stuff like that.
Last year in the fall I started one and just started throwing things in when I had them. leaves, potting soil that was getting old, veggie and fruit leftovers. If they were whole and starting to go bad, I just threw them in. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is even without tender loving care, When I got ready to use it in the spring, it was wonderful
So obviously, it'll compost in spite of us.
I think I probaby turned it once or twice the whole time.
Now that I am learning more and trying to really do it right, it will probably be terrible.

Lorraine, if you were here I'd bop you over the head.

It'll be fine, Ms. Positive. Honest!

I have been weeding by hand as well (or at least trying to), but I can't seem to keep up. I think it's the fact that I can't devote time to a consistent weeding regimen and the weeds get too big. I wish I could tell you the name of it, but I have one that is incredibly invasive and is in seed right now. I have been desperately trying to get them all out of my lawn and from the edges of my beds.

I seem to have the most success pulling weeds directly from the mulch. There isn't much for the weed roots to cling to, and they don't take much dirt with them. I think I will have to spray something on the lawn.

David

I've had some success with using 20% (acidity) vinegar on weeds.

LorraineR: Your method sounds right to me. Like sheet composting. It will do itself.