I know that I did some whining about the flower beds and the work we did on them. We had to reclaim them after three years of no weeding by the renters. We had to uncover the edging with pickaxes.
Once they were identified, we choose to cover them with weed proof fabric and mulch. We bought miles and miles of the matting. We spent days on our knees pounding the stuff in with stakes and then threw bags and bags of mulch. We bought the mulch by the pallet. 80 bags on each pallet. And we got 2 1/2 pallets worth.
We've had rain. It's been weeks since we did the work and as I cruise through the yard looking, it's apparent that the weed proof fabric wasn't. Everywhere, there are weeds poking through. Not just at the edges, at the seams, or where holes were cut for plants, everywhere.
So, how do the professionals do it? How do they prep the ground for flowerbeds so that the weeds can't spend the next ten years poking up through the mulch? I really want to know.
We did a good job. We scraped the earth, weeded it and then laid down the fabric or wet newspaper. Now, as I survey the flowerbeds, it's to see long green shoots sticking up everywhere. I can either spend hours on my knees weeding, or I can take the RoundUp around and spot spray the weeds. Either way, it's going to be hours and hours of work.
I'm not sure I have it in me.
--Sandee Wagner
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4 comments:
I'm not sure what the difference is, but my weed-proof fabric is still weed-proof...
You know that if it'll help sell the house, you'll do the work--you're just that kind of gal.
how are the front beds?? Didn't you do the newspaper method in front?
There are different grades of weed barrier. I'm not sure what you bought, but you get fewer weeds if you spend more.
You'll get a few weeds no matter what you buy.
Just zap them with roundup. I have a three gallon sprayer on wheels. It pumps up as the wheels turn, so it's not a lot of work. I keep the spray narrow so I don't get overspray on my flowers.
A neighbor in Pryor used roundup and killed off all the weeds for a few weeks before she put in a new (or reclaimed an old) garden.
When you use newspaper, use several thicknesses or entire sections. A single layer won't do.
Last: Gardening is like dieting. You have to stay on top of it all the time or the unwanted stuff will creep up on you when you aren't looking.
Emmylee,
I really bought the good stuff when I redid all these beds. There's weed growth through BOTH the newspaper and the fabric sections. It's depressing. spw
Susan,
I used the good stuff. I promise. You would not imagine what money I paid for all the stuff. Seeing the breakthrough weeds is just heart breaking. Sounds like I need one of those sprayers that pumps itself. I have the trigger spray thing and it makes my hands ache.
I love the dieting analogy!! spw
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