How to Kill Weeds in a Flower Bed
Killing weeds in the flower bed requires a different approach than killing weeds in the lawn. Herbicide weed treatments kill the flowers as well as the weeds, if they come in contact. Before using an herbicide, try pulling the weeds or try a homemade weed killer. The non-toxic method is better for you and the environment. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Pulling Weeds
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Pull perennial weeds. Perennial weeds such as dandelions continue to come back unless the tap root is removed or killed. A weed tool with a two-pronged end helps with hand weeding. Shove the tool down in the soil as close to the base of the weed as possible. Use a prying motion to loosen up the tap root. Once it's loosened, the weed should come out easily. If the root breaks, use the tool and try to get the rest of it.The weed tool also works well on shallow-rooted weeds .
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Kill the weed with white vinegar. Pour white vinegar on the weed. This works well on annual weeds such as crabgrass. Give the vinegar five days to work. Perennial weed runners can be as far as 2 to 3 feet from the plant. For some weeds, vinegar won't work, you will need to dig deep and try to pull them. Avoid splashing the flowers with the vinegar. If some does get on the flower plants, rinse them immediately with cold water and they should be alright.
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Use an herbicide if the other methods aren't working. However, if it gets on other plants or flowers, they will die. This works if the spaces between the plants and weeds are wide enough apart. When the plants and weeds are close together, try covering the plants with plastic bags or other material while you treat the weeds.
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Tips & Warnings
The best way to get rid of perennial weeds is to pull them while they're young. They won't have time to go to seed, and the tap root won't be as long and tough to pull. Keep mulch in the flower bed to control weed proliferation.
Always follow the directions on herbicide labels.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit dandelions in the forest image by lanka from Fotolia.com
