How to Control Grass in Flower Beds
If you love to garden, you probably aren't too fond of weeds, and grass that grows anywhere other than the lawn is considered a weed. Like any other weed, grass is persistent and, unfortunately, impossible to eradicate permanently. Ellen Brown, a gardening expert for Thriftyfun.com, will tell you that weed killer will kill the grass, but grass seeds will always find their way back into your flowerbed; blown in on the wind or dropped by birds or other animals. Whether you choose toxic chemicals or organic methods, weed management is going to take work. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Paper or mulch
- Ground cover plants
- Vinegar and lemon juice solution
- Hoe
Instructions
-
-
1
Put down a layer of newspaper after you have planted bulbs, for example. According to Ellen Brown, this should help keep weeds at bay. She also recommends three to four inches of mulch, compost or other organic material. These materials will be absorbed into the garden, so be prepared to reapply as needed.
-
2
Brown also recommends planting ground cover plants. The University of Illinois Extension website lists not only the aesthetic benefits of ground cover plants, but writes that they can also "provide dense soil cover, retard weed growth, and prevent soil erosion." These plants should greatly reduce the amount of time you spend pulling up or spraying individual weeds in your flowerbed.
-
-
3
Weed killers containing toxic chemicals like glyphosate are certainly effective at killing weeds. They are also effective killers of every other plant they may come in contact with and are potentially dangerous to humans and animals. Since they do not prevent the return of weeds in the flowerbed, you might want to try whipping up your own organic weed killer from vinegar and lemon juice. The writers of Small-Farm-Permaculture-and-Sustainable-Living.com write that lowering the pH of the plant in question----in this case, grass----will kill it as effectively as something like Roundup, and they recommend spraying this organic alternative to weed killer:
-4 oz. lemon juice concentrate
-1 quart white or cider vinegarMix the two ingredients together in a spray bottle and head outside, preferably in the heat of the day.
-
4
Dr. Jerry Parsons, PhD, advises every gardener to get a hoe. This, he says, is the only true way to keep weeds at bay and is to be done when the weeds are still small. "Cut the tops off by shaving the surface or cutting barely under the surface," Dr. Parsons writes. "Nothing is gained by digging deep. Exceptions to this are Bermuda grass and Johnson grass."
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Try to remember why you started a garden in the first place. It was probably because you enjoy working outdoors, you care about your living environment and that of those around you, and you would like to see your natural world thrive. Avoid toxic chemicals if you can and enjoy the work a garden requires.
