gary wrote:
I have just finished hand-weeding an 800 sq ft garden. The weeds were
everywhere and, because I didn't get all the weeds and/or their roots,
I'm sure that, in the very near future, the weeds will re-sprout.

What can I use to kill the remaining weeds and/or their roots without
harming the established shrubs in the garden? How do I apply that
product?

(I want to kill the weeds BEFORE I blend a 2" layer of redwood bark,
kelp meal, worm castings, bat guano and chicken manure, etc into the
top 6" of soil) and plant new shrubs.


Newspaper. At least 8 layers thick. For large areas, I've used thick
corrugated cardboard boxes, too.

It keeps the light away, so annual weeds can't germinate. The most
persistent perennial weeds occasionally make it through, depending on
how well you overlap, but most of the weeds I have in the areas I've
done this in have been very shallow rooted annual weeds who's seeds had
found the top dressing, or grass creeping in on the edges.

You can plant through the paper, cutting or leaving holes where you
want, or you can wait a season, and the paper will be decomposed enough
to plant through.

I've done areas where I've put composted manure above or below the
newspaper, with bark mulch on top, and some areas with just bark mulch
(not the nuggets, the mulch) on top, and I haven't found any significant
difference in results. I usually have 3 or 4 inches on top of the paper.

--
Warren H.

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