I had been unable to tend my flower bed for 3 years (health problems). It was completely overgrown with weeds, of course. A friend cleared it for me, tearing out all the weeds, roots & all (we thought). Now, little 'weedettes' are reappearing. I'd like to know what I could use to kill the weeds until I replant this flower bed in the spring. Thank You, Carolyn Sue Lee
This sounds like the perfect opportunity to "solarize" your soil!
Here is an article that will help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/projects/how-to-solarize-garden-beds-to-eliminate-garden-pests-in-the-soil.htm
First I had to get rid of the crabgrass. Once it was all gone the clover took over and then a strawberry like weed became prevalent and now it is a reedy type of 'grass'. We treat the lawn with preemergence every season but nothing is working as well as it should. My dad was a district supervisor for the Arkansas Extension Service, but is now deceased. I always thought I would be able to get his advice, but since that is no longer possible, I do appreciate any help you can give me.
The best way to prevent lawn weeds is to have a healthy, lush lawn that crowds out weeds. This means regular fertilizer, mowing and watering. Pre-emergents work fairly well but they need to be re-applied. If applied in March, they lose effectiveness by the end of May. As people become aware of the issues with lawn chemicals, interest in the "unlawn" is growing. Here is an article on it; https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/category/lawn-care/lawn-substitutes
I live in Southwest Florida. I have a very small garden. I am not an avid gardner, and I prefer not to use pesticides in my garden. I only have flowers (nothing edible). I can’t get rid of this weed. It’s a creeper with deep roots. When I pull it breaks. And so it continues to grow. It can get taller than some of the flowers. It killed the marigold, and others are barely hanging on (false heather or Mexican heather, purple Mexican petunias, and some other small flowers I don’t remember the names). Please help me get rid of this without killing my plants. Thanks :)
Unless you choose to use selective herbicides, then your only option is to carefully dig up all of your important plants at the correct time. Kill off all of the weeds in the bed with boiling water (Fast method) or solarizing (takes a few months). Then you can plant all of your plants back at the correct times.
Since the weeds are well established, they will be much stronger than your garden plants. Most of what you attempt that is not selective to ONLY kill the weed will destroy everything in the bed. Unfortunately, digging all of your plants out and starting with a fresh bed will be best. You may even apply landscaping fabric under the soil after tilling it. This can help with weeds in the future.
Here are some articles that will help you in renewing your garden plot: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/spaces/easy-makeovers-for-your-home-and-garden.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/pulling-up-landscape-fabric.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/overgrown-landscape-beds.htm
it out? It did grow good for few weeks then bonded like concrete.
It sounds like the mixture contained quite a bit of peat moss. This will harden like concrete once it dries out completely. The only way to keep it from doing so is to keep it moist.
From here, I would have to recommend tilling in organic material, such as regular, unused compost. Though mushrooms don't consume much of the nutrients present in those mixes, they don't usually contain a lot in the first place. By the time you go to use them, they are only useful as a way to break up muddy soil textures.
Once you till in organic matter. (I recommend standard compost with a saturated and rinsed (and expanded) block of coconut coir. Coco husk contains natural wetting agents that will help your soil retain more moisture)
If you don't have any important plants in the soil yet, then you can use boiling water to kill off any weeds in the area. Just do this once or twice per day for a couple of days.
These articles will help you to amend soil: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/organic/the-importance-of-soil-for-an-organic-garden.htm
I would like to kill the vegetation in my volleyball court; would it work now to stop spring growth?
It depends on the type of vegetation and if it is actively growing now or not, the type of weed killer and the temperature. In any case it's not the best time for herbicide application. Generally temperatures should be above 50 degrees F (10 C).
When temps warm up a bit, use can use a glyphosate product that will be absorbed through green foliage and translocated throughout the plant tissues, including roots for a complete kill. If it is larger woody vines and shrubs then another product choice will be better such as a bush killer.
Hello- I am searching for a weed killer that will not harm insects and bees. I have a home in SW Utah and have gravel plant beds (with red sand underneath). I also live in southern Wisconsin where I have large perennial beds. I am really interested in a natural solution (besides pulling the weeds) to Round-up or weed be gone, which I do not want to use.
There are, actually, quite a number of options! These articles will help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/organic/homemade-pet-friendly-weed-killer.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/weeds/using-organic-herbicides.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/weeds/safer-alternatives-to-roundup.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/organic/cornmeal-in-the-garden.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/organic/using-salt-to-kill-weeds.htm
The roots (shown in photos) run all through the soil of my back garden. It is difficult to dig where they are. I have tried various methods of getting rid of them, including cutting down my Chinese elm, using raised beds and putting carpet underneath the soil. Nothing has stopped it and it grows quite fast. It is fibrous and mostly thin but does have some thicker strands which are hard to cut through. Very hard to use a shovel wherever they are. Can anyone help?
It is very difficult to say, just by looking at the roots, without knowing which species are nearby. I would suspect the closest thing to your garden. That, or many grasses can set up roots in your soil and grow long before you see anything above the soil line.
These articles will offer some more information: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/fgen/gardening-around-tree-roots.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/tgen/problem-tree-roots.htm