Weeds in mulch beds

5,707 Views | 36 Replies | Last: 2 yr ago by planoaggie123
chap
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AG
We have a pretty large bed in our yard that has some trees. I can't seem to get rid of the weeds and, after the freeze, they have been really coming in strong. I have sprayed Roundup and other brands. Is there something I can buy and coat this area in that will kill all the weeds?
Cramp00
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3+" of mulch
10andBOUNCE
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AG
Do you have a weed barrier under the mulch? I would make sure you do. Just do a complete cleaning of the area - pull weeds, lay fabric and add mulch.
Desert Power
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AG
I have the exact same problem right now. What do you guys do with your old mulch after you add new stuff?
Aggie71013
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Maybe it's too old, but I pulled a bunch of weed barrier last year because the weeds just grew right through it.
FatZilla
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Douse bed in 2, 4D, those all look like broadleafs
chap
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FatZilla said:

Douse bed in 2, 4D, those all look like broadleafs


Thanks. Where can I buy this?
Cramp00
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lowes, hd, walmart, target, tom thumb, amazon, piggly wiggly to name some mom and pops
FatZilla
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chap said:

FatZilla said:

Douse bed in 2, 4D, those all look like broadleafs


Thanks. Where can I buy this?


Pretty much every box store, outdoors store, tractor supply etc. will carry a product with it as the active ingredient. I always buy the home brand concentrate at tractor supply and use my hand sprayer for it.
Dogdoc
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How long ago did you spray and with what concentration of Roundup. Roundup should wax those weeds. It is a slow kill, and even slower in cool weather when the weeds aren't growing fast. I sprayed roundup on a bunch of weeds and grass this past Monday and am just now starting to see the effects.
JP76
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2,4d will work but be careful with it around that st Augustine
ftworthag02
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The only time we use weed fabric is under a gravel (dg) path. Never recommend using it in flower beds because the weeds or Bermuda will find the seams and come up through there or it will eventually break down. Weeds are going to germinate on top. Make sure you have properly installed edging to help prevent Bermuda or zoysia from getting into the bed. Mulch heavily and top it off every spring. Keep a sprayer of round up or trimec around to hit the sporadic weeds. Get in the habit of checking your beds every other week during the growing season.
Ronniecoleman30
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Spray with roundup on a non windy day, warmest part of the day and sunny. This time of year about 7 to 10 days all should be dead. After they are dead put down a preemergent(snapshot or barricade) to prevent further weeds, water in and do not disturb.
FatZilla
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JP76 said:

2,4d will work but be careful with it around that st Augustine


Its still safe for st aug as long as you follow the directions on using it if you plan on spraying your grass. Temps cant be too high during apply so an early morn or late afternoon apply is best. For a bed spray with very little getting on the grass, you can spray anytime imo.
craig09
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This advice is what you should start with. As a former landscape contractor, I can promise you that weed barrier fabrics are not going to give you the results you're looking for. All it takes is for some seed heads to blow in from somewhere in your lawn or your neighbor's and weeds will settle in the mulch and germinate on top.
SpreadsheetAg
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I would use a hand trowel to dig out the big boys from the root. Then spray the 2, 4D. Then use a texas native hardwood mulch 3" layer
planoaggie123
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ONE-TWO-- said:

I have the exact same problem right now. What do you guys do with your old mulch after you add new stuff?

I actually find this to be a great question. I am about to clean out my beds this weekend. I have used that HD colored mulch stuff in past but looking for more "organic" / "local" solutions this year so want to start fresh...

I plan to just use HD lawn bags and fill them up. Assume I will need a lot.

Historically i would not clear out and would just layer on new.
Bassmaster
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Weed barrier sucks and creates problems later when you want to replant beds.
boredatwork08
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ONE-TWO-- said:

I have the exact same problem right now. What do you guys do with your old mulch after you add new stuff?


Always leave old mulch in place. Underneath the surface it is being broken down into some rich soil full of various beneficial microbes that perform best when they are not disturbed.

I have one bed where I've added 4" of mulch every year without removing the old stuff. It's not any higher than it was the first year and I have some beautiful soil underneath.
SpreadsheetAg
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planoaggie123 said:

ONE-TWO-- said:

I have the exact same problem right now. What do you guys do with your old mulch after you add new stuff?

I actually find this to be a great question. I am about to clean out my beds this weekend. I have used that HD colored mulch stuff in past but looking for more "organic" / "local" solutions this year so want to start fresh...

I plan to just use HD lawn bags and fill them up. Assume I will need a lot.

Historically i would not clear out and would just layer on new.
Randy Lemmon (Ag garden line radio host) says not to use dyed mulch:
Quote:

I especially loath the black variety.

Among the many reasons for my hatred is that the wood sources are very questionable trash wood. And I don't care what they dye it with, it's still a dye that leaches into the soil, causing negative side effects.
...

[ol]
  • It doesn't look natural: It looks artificial, and to me, it's the equivalent of putting plastic or fake flowers in a landscape an artificial look that people make fun of. Mulch for a landscape should be part of nature and it should reflect the area's natural aspects. Plus, when dyed mulch dries out or the leaching happens, it looks gray and ugly. Then, more dyed mulch gets lumped on top. Ugh!!!
  • Most dyed mulches are made of recycled waste wood: It's almost always composed of trashed pallets, old decking, demolished buildings, or - worse yet - treated "CCA lumber." CCA stands for chromium, copper and arsenic - chemicals used to preserve the wood. That ground-up trash wood is then sprayed with a dye or tint to cover up the inconsistencies in the wood and give it a uniform color. Most dyed-mulch manufacturers claim their dye is "organic," but they rarely reveal their wood sources. So, if it looks like chipped-up wood with no elements of compost or organically enriched soil, that's an indication of a questionable wood source.
  • There's a negative effect on the soil: Dyed mulch doesn't break down into the soil the way native and shredded mulches do. Instead, dyed mulches especially the midnight-black variety - leach the dye and possible CCA contaminants into the soil, killing good bacteria, beneficial insects and earthworms.
  • Nitrogen fixation almost always follows: This is indicated by yellowing leaves on annuals and perennials. The soil's natural nitrogen, needed to help keep the plants green, starts working hard to break down the mulch wood instead.
  • Shredded native mulches with composted elements break down in the soil: The best mulches become part of the soil's organic content over time. That makes for more beneficial soil bacteria and enhances the environment for earthworm production. Composted mulches, or those naturally aged, actually release nitrogen into the soil, helping the plants rather than robbing from them.
  • [/ol]
    I recently bought 5 yards of texas native hardwood mulch (way too much) for $150 and free delivery. That works out to 68 EA of 2 CUFT bags you'd find at home depot.

    or about $2.21 a bag (price conversion). Equivalent price to the Vigoro dyed mulch you might find at HD, but way better quality, and I don't have to mess with unbagging - just load pile into my gorilla cart and dump into the beds where needed...

    A good mulch like Living Earth from Lowe's is $5 a bag, FYI.
    planoaggie123
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    I plan to buy from the below place. Native mulch.

    https://www.texaspureproducts.com/149/Products-Pricing

    I always stink at guessing how much I need. Should be more deliberate this year.

    I assume when you buy by the "yard" it is not bagged and they just dump it in your front yard?
    SpreadsheetAg
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    Correct

    Mulch (and my cutie pies)


    Before


    After


    I overestimated mine as well
    I bought 5 yards and have used probably 2 -2.5 yards on just my front 2 beds - 1st bed was 6x30,. 2nd bed was 8 x 25. Now I need to use the rest around my trees and my septic covers in the backyard.... oh boy
    mosdefn14
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    Related question, but lets remove mulch from the equation. Say one wanted to take jasmine ground cover out of a bed that they're constantly clearing of leaves and acorns/pecans sprouting into new plants, and the thought was to fill it with 4" or so river rock to make blowing leaves out easier, and add some succulents. Would you still not recommend weed barrier? What would be your best idea to make the bed easier to clean out?
    SpreadsheetAg
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    Not sure, the river rock would do a good job preventing weeds from growing in and of itself... for leaves and pine needles, acorns, pecans.... move the tree?
    rlb28
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    mosdefn14 said:

    Related question, but lets remove mulch from the equation. Say one wanted to take jasmine ground cover out of a bed that they're constantly clearing of leaves and acorns/pecans sprouting into new plants, and the thought was to fill it with 4" or so river rock to make blowing leaves out easier, and add some succulents. Would you still not recommend weed barrier? What would be your best idea to make the bed easier to clean out?
    We have river rock in a couple places and it's hard (not as difficult as our jasmine though ) to blow the leaves out of it.
    planoaggie123
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    We have rock in some areas around pool where I assume the previous owner likely had some sort of ivy.

    As rib28 said, its easier but not easy.

    We have to be careful to avoid rocks from blowing into the pool (get stuck in pool cleaner) or lawn (pciked up by lawnmower).

    Just seems like when you have beds directly under a tree or in the line of fire of a shedding tree it is just difficult with no great answer.

    To me, i would probably go with what visually looks as both will require effort to keep clear.
    mosdefn14
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    I can get 60% or so of the leaves out of the jasmine with a backpack blower and that's easy enough just inconvenient. I've gotta think I'd do a little better with the 3-4" rocks (smaller would definitely make a mess) We've got 2 60"+ circumference red oaks and the neighbors have 3 similar live oaks, so it's a full 2 season leaf job.

    My biggest thing though is keeping stuff from sprouting everywhere and spending hours each week digging our baby oak, pecan, and hackberry trees. So main concern/question was whether weed barrier would be a help for this under the rock, and what the best type was (fabric, plastic, etc).
    SpreadsheetAg
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    If you don't plan to grow anything, then I would definitely use weed barrier under the rock, if you are planting succulents per the OP , you will have to cut holes in the weed barrier wherever the succulents are planted.

    I recently cleared a bed next to my driveway and I:
    1. Dug out all the weeds with a shovel
    2. Sprayed roundup
    3. Put down weed barrier - Vigoro Weedblock (https://www.homedepot.com/p/Vigoro-3-ft-x-50-ft-WeedBlock-Weed-Barrier-Landscape-Fabric-with-Microfunnels-1242RV/302720132)
    4. Put down crushed granite underlay
    5. Put down pavers sand for the 12 pavers I spaced out through the bed
    6. Filled the rest in with pebbles (my wife's choice, I should have stuck to my guns on the larger river rocks, because the pebbles blow all around and the kids love to to play with them and spread them all over the driveway - a big pain the ass .... but the leaves and needles do blow out of it pretty easy on a lower blower setting since they just sit on top).


    rlb28
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    mosdefn14 said:

    I can get 60% or so of the leaves out of the jasmine with a backpack blower and that's easy enough just inconvenient. I've gotta think I'd do a little better with the 3-4" rocks (smaller would definitely make a mess) We've got 2 60"+ circumference red oaks and the neighbors have 3 similar live oaks, so it's a full 2 season leaf job.

    My biggest thing though is keeping stuff from sprouting everywhere and spending hours each week digging our baby oak, pecan, and hackberry trees.
    So main concern/question was whether weed barrier would be a help for this under the rock, and what the best type was (fabric, plastic, etc).
    gotcha. I have the same with the oaks, but never a problem with them sprouting in the jasmine. Hmmm.
    cevans_40
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    Esplanade EZ or Specticle total will smoke anything you spray and give you some good residual.
    FarmerAg01
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    I spread AMAZE pre-emergent in my beds in the Feburary and it typcially lasts all summer. You can get it at Lowe's. Its a granual and just use a 16oz dixie cup and scatter it about in the beds. It doesn't prevent every grass and weed, but takes care of 95% of them.
    planoaggie123
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    Went to order mulch for the house....$50 delivery fee.

    That pretty much wipes out any benefit of purchasing bulk. For 3 yards I will effectively gain mulch the equivalent of 5 bags + i will have a huge mess in our driveway.

    May just end up folding down all the seats in my wife's SUV and go that route and that way dont have to worry about scheduling a dump of stuff at our house....
    planoaggie123
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    Bought 4 yards....hope I did not over-do it....the biggest issue I have is the mulch we wanted is only available in bulk. They do not offer it in bags. Thefore if I come up short i would not easily be able to fill in the "missed" areas. The delivery fees are so high a second order would prove to be costly...
    planoaggie123
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    Ok...4 yards is definitely a lot.

    Started yesterday:



    This morning (after working last night for 2.5 hours):



    I did most of the "detail" work yesterday (around flowers, etc) so today after work will hopefully go a bit quicker with just dumping entire loads and spreading quickly. Body is sore. Goal is to finish before bedtime on Friday....

    ChoppinDs40
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    I'm sure Plano neighbors love that in the culdesac. Should've put down a tarp first
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