Bed Maintenance:

Bed maintenance, which would include weeding, is usually the most overwhelming aspect of landscape maintenance for the homeowner. A few easy steps can lessen your degree of difficulty.

First off, when it comes to weeds, do not allow yourself to become overwhelmed. The best approach to minimizing or eliminating weeds is to address it regularly. Periodically walk through your garden. If something green pokes up that shouldn’t be there, pull it or spray it with a herbicide. Do not allow the weed to mature and flower, thus spreading more weeds. A liquid spray should only be used on a calm day. Take care not to allow the herbicide to over-spray onto other plants.

Weeding is best done shortly after a rainstorm that has saturated your beds. The soil will be soft and the entire root can be pulled out with the weed.

Secondly, weed prevention is an important step. Please do not believe that a weed barrier will eliminate your weeds. It actually doesn’t because weeds will still germinate in the mulch. In addition, it makes it more difficult for rainfall to saturate the bedding so moisture for the plant is limited and makes your job of watering more of a burden.

Apply a pre-emergent herbicide like Preen. The pre-emergent will not kill existing weeds, but it will prevent new weeds from germinating. The pre-emergent should be applied to your beds 2 or 3 times each year: early spring, mid summer, and mid to late fall.

Next, to maintain defined bed lines, edge your beds periodically. If you edge your beds lightly 2-3 times each year, it will prevent the lawn from invading into your beds which gives the appearance of jagged bed lines. Repeatedly edging your beds also makes the job much easier. This is best done by using a round point shovel and digging a shallow trench along your bed line. There is not treatment, when it comes to bed edging that is 100% maintenance free.

Finally, mulch cover is important. A 2”-3” layer of an organic double or triple processed mulch is most favorable. The benefits of mulch are extensive. Mulch helps deter weed germination in your beds. In addition, mulch also insulates your plant’s roots from extreme heat and extreme cold.

Mulch, as it breaks down, also helps to amend your soil in your bedding, replenishing some nutrients that either leach away with water or are absorbed by your plantings. Mulch is aesthetically pleasing. Finally, mulch helps retain moisture in your bedding, one of the most important attributes.

Don’t expect to have to mulch every year. It’s true that many people do for appearance sake. You may be able to get the job done with touching up in thin or bear areas. A thin coat of mulch, purely to add color, can be applied if your mulch has started to accumulate in your beds. If your mulch depth begins to exceed 3” or so, simply turn your mulch over. It will promote the mulch to begin to breakdown and add some color. Adding mulch to well covered beds can actually be detrimental to the health of your plants.