How to Prevent Weeds in a Flower Bed
Weeds often grow more quickly than flowers do and can shade young plants so severely that they may fail to thrive. Also, a weed-infested flower bed can ruin your home's curb appeal, and can sap many of the nutrients from soil as well. Even if you are not an expert gardener, there are a few steps you can take to rid your garden of the weeds and prevent them from growing back. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Flower bed
- Manure/compost mix
- Mulch
- Gardening gloves
- Flats of flowers
- Hand spade
- Landscape fabric
- Preen weed preventer
- Plastic garbage bag
- Utility knife
Instructions
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1
Don gardening gloves and use the hand spade to dig up any existing weeds in the flower bed. Be sure to dig deeply enough to remove all the roots. Dispose of the weeds in the plastic garbage bag.
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2
Roll out the landscape fabric over the flower bed. Lift the flowers out of the flat and position them on the fabric where you think you want to plant them. Stand back and look at the spacing from several angles and adjust the position of the plants as necessary.
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3
Cut a small "X" in the fabric where you wish to plant a flower. Use the hand spade to poke through the hole in the fabric and dig a hole for the flower. Place the flower in the hole and sprinkle some of the manure/compost mix around the roots. Fill in the hole with loose dirt and pat down firmly. Repeat until all flowers are planted.
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4
Sprinkle some Preen on any areas of the flower bed not covered by the landscape fabric. Spray the flower bed with enough water to thoroughly wet, but not flood, the soil.
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5
Distribute a 2-inch layer of mulch over the entire flower bed, being especially careful to gently push some of the mulch around each flower to help hold in the moisture and discourage any weeds from pressing up through the opening in the landscape fabric.
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Tips & Warnings
After 7 to 10 days, use fertilizer, but only around the flowers, not the whole flower bed. Water the garden every day, and remove any weeds that may appear.
Do not cut too large an opening for the flowers. Be careful not to cut yourself when using the utility knife . Keep children away from the knife, plastic bag, flowers, manure/compost, Preen and flowers.
