Have you tried installing weed fabric between the soil and the mulch? Seeds will still germinate in the mulch, but the roots will have trouble getting established through the barrier, making the weeding chore much easier.

Jane,

Why are you worried about roundup around your flowers? If overspray is the issue buy a product called a red weeder......no drift, complete control and you use WAYYYY less of the product.

There are more natural weed killers available - we have the EcoSmart brand - made from fatty acids IIRC. It smells like cloves & HD has it here...

Thank you. I didn't know about the other brands. I've never used any in NY, always could manage with mulch and pulling. Here, between the heat and aggressive growth, I'm worn out. I didn't think of weed mats because the worker used round-up in the beginning. Plus it was cooler and there weren't many weeds...different story now!

He has killed so many of my plants, I told him he can't go near my beds with weed killer. He even sprayed potted plants, killing them.

I'll try these other products. I can't afford to keep replacing the wood chips, which seem to break down quickly. My mistake was making too many large beds. I wanted to get rid of grass, but now it's ridiculous trying to keep up with it.
Thanks for the good ideas,
Jane

It's a never ending battle. I've pulled up a lot of my lawn and put in beds of native bushes and plants surrounded by wood chips. Don't put down landscape fabric, weeds will soon start to grow up through it, and send roots down into it, which makes it impossible to pull them without disturbing the landscape fabric. I just make it a habit to pull any I see as I pass by before they can set seed, and plant things that spread and choke out weeds. I won't use any weed killer as I have two dogs and don't trust any chemicals they could get on their feet. I've found a bed of Boston Fern is the most low maintenance of any I have, it spreads quickly and chokes out the weeds. You just have to keep it well contained, as it is invasive.

you could rake some of your mulch aside and put down newspaper, that will kill a lot of the grass in a chemical free way.

Is the grass in the flowerbed the same type as in the lawn? If not it could be nut sedge. With nut sedge you have to dig down to get the nut at the end of a rather fragile root or else it just regrows. I haven't found any types of weed killer that really works on nut sedge.

I tend to take a stroll through the garden in the evenings after work just to see how everything is doing. While I stroll around I will pull every weed that I spot which really reduces the amout of time I have to spend weeding. Other then that I really crowd my plants together which helps to discourage weeds from taking root. There just isn't enough room for anything but the most determined of weeds to start growing.

How thick a layer of mulch are you using? The deeper the mulch the better it works to prevent weeds. My mulch is usually about 3 inches deep. The deeper mulch also works better to keep the soil moist.

Instead of using a hoe to get at the weeds buy a digging pitch. That way you can loosen up the soil around the weeds roots to make it easier to pull without disturbing the mulch all that much. I bought a heavy duty digging pitch from lee valley tools and it is the best gardening tool I have ever owned.

I use cardboard instead of newspaper, it lasts longer.

Cardboard lasts longer, but breaks down slower. If you feel you might be planting something in that spot, use newspaper. If you feel fairly certain that you won't be, go with cardboard.

We use grass clippings that have aged for a few days. Works really well. Few to no weeds and it holds water. Alot less watering with grass mulch.

Hey,
I thought I was the only one with this problem. My yard guy has killed so many of my plants, he considered most lilies "weeds." He even sprayed 2 small trees with roundup, killing them both. I have post traumatic plant killing syndrome, my husband thinks I'm crazy because the site of yard guy's truck put me into a panic.

I will try the cardboard and newspaper idea. The other thing I have done is put edging around the borders of the beds, and yes deep mulching really helps.

I fired the yard guy after he recently weed whacked 2 bouganvilleas, a Mandevilla vine, and four passion flower vines. This was in conjunction with the round up episode.

Thank goodness you got rid of this lawn guy, he sounded like a disaster. If you don't want overspray with round up cut the bottom off a soda bottle and place it over the weed you want to target then already through the top.

I agree with suggestion of thick mulch and strolling the gardens in the evening. Its good to remember the newspaper trick, too.

Oh morningloree, I feel your pain. I told my guy he is not to spray anything anymore, just mow. I told him I was paying him half of what I was paying. He quit! Then showed up the next week saying, 'okay, I'll just mow.'

He killed so many of my plants, I can't tell you. We moved into this house 8 months ago and I've been surprised with what has appeared. He promptly sprayed a large Amaryllis bed killing more than half the bulbs. Caladiums kept popping up and he would spray them.

The clincher was some potted plants I had growing under a large Oak which I found dead the next day.

I'll give the cardboard idea a try.

Jane

Use a combo of vinegar, Dish soap and Di Limone (orange oil) for an effective organic contact weed killer. Just be careful of the overspray.
If your bed is established you can use extended control weed products like durazone, I use it along the edges and near the house or fence.
Be particularly careful of using glyphosate around fruit trees as it ties up important minerals esp manganese.
The final solution for me is to grow weeds I can use... Sweet potato vines are growing in my banana beds.

I read somewhere, perhaps from someone on these forums, that a good way to use Round-Up is to 'paint' it on the weeds with a sponge or brush. Since it is a foliar herbicide, this will kill the weed(s) without wasting over-spray on the soil or other plants. I have not used Round-Up yet, though I am not adverse to its usage. From what I have read, it really is a fairly eco-safe, if not eco-friendly, product as it breaks down too quickly to really have any long-term effects. But I think that proper use plays a large part in this, as it does with just about anything. In some cases, like trying to clear a large plot of land, I can see using a sprayer. My backyard neighbor just cleared a plot that is about 100 yds x 15 yds for a big bed he's going to put in. But for small areas and spot treatment, I think I would use the sponge/brush.

You also use a piece of cardboard to sheild the overspray from getting to the other plants, keeping it just on the weeds.

You also use a piece of cardboard to sheild the overspray from getting to the other plants, keeping it just on the weeds.

If you put Preen in your beds you can prevent most of the weeds. It is a preemergent.

I have heard of Preen, I will look for it and try some newspaper and cardboard. My husband personally likes our yard guy, but as I finally put it into perspective for him, "Would you want a surgeon that does not recognize an appendix, then why do I have a yard guy that doesn't recognize plants?" Very helpful info.

Just keep in mind that Preen will prevent ALL seeds from germinating. So you will not be able to direct sow anything in your beds and any plants you count on to reseed themselves will also fail. Not a big deal for those who don't bother with propagation or start seeds in flats, but just wanted to make sure you were aware of this 'side effect'.