Kirra wrote:


Okay, so my idea to put down the newspaper over the top of the weeds and
then put a light sprinkling of Lucerne on top did not work out quite as well
as planned. There were too many couch runners and weed seeds around that my
thin layer of mulch could never kill. I promise that this weekend I will go
and collect more Lucerne and lay an extra thick layer of mulch and pull out
all the weeds.

Also, next year, at the end of the winter or the very earliest spring, put down
some "pre-emergent" crabgrass killer. It has different names, I think the one
I bought was called "Crab-ex." Most of the things that grow on runners are related
to crab grass and this stuff acts by doing something to the seeds so that they do
not sprout. (The things this stuff kills are listed on the bag, too. Just ask your
garden center person.) This, together with your thicker mulch ought to do the trick. It did
for me. I used 5-7 sheets of newspaper (separated so that I did not have
a big block that would prove impenetrable to water)and four inches of mulch and
it worked great for weeds, but later I found that too-thick mulch appears to
encourage rot and fungus here. It is a delicate balancing act.

Let us know how it works out.


P.S.--Congrats on your win!