26-06-2004, 11:02 AM
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Use Weeds Killer to Keep Weeds Out of My Flower Garden?
(Jay Chan) wrote in
om:
Try landscape fabric. It blocks a lot of weeds and makes pulling the
others easier. However, manufacturers recommend you cover the
fabric with X inches (cm) of mulch.
As for using herbicides, I never had to do it, so I don't know.
(Have had landscape fabric installed 2-3 years now).
Actually, I had already had landscape fabric installed before I put
mulch. As I said, it helps in the first one or two years. Now, four
years later, I find that the following things makes it increasing less
effective in blocking weeds:
- I like to plant new stuffs (such as annuals). Therefore, I keep
digging through the landscape fabrics; this not only making holes on
the landscape fabrics, but also causing soil to be spreaded on top of
the mulch and got all mixed together.
When I add something (which is rare) I usually just make a slit with a
razor or if it's big, I cut a V shape or similar, leaving part of the
fabric attached. (I think instructions recommend an X shape.) Bulbs
don't seem to have a problem pushing the flap and mulch aside to grow
through the opening. I do get a some soil on the fabric, but I usually
leave it unless it's big pile, then I just scoop it up, push it back into
an opening or throw it in the lawn.
If you've got too many open holes to patch, you should probably just
throw the fabric out, even though it should last 15 years. Especially
if you perpetually find yourself with more plants than openings.
- As mentioned previously, the mulch has decomposed significantly and
become more like soil than mulch.
I'm using large pine bark nuggets and haven't noticed a problem with
that. What kind of mulch are you using?
Moreover, I become less and less like to use landscape fabrics (and
mulch) because it prevents me from easily adding fertilizer or other
goodies directly to the soil. Seem like the only way to add fertilizer
is using liquid fertilizer.
I don't add stuff to my flower bed, but I guess you could make more flaps
next to your plants and stick stuff in a pile under them. If you're
feeling the need to mix things in, well that's another story.
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