Photo credit: Teresa Watkins, Windmill Gardens, Holland, MI.
At a recent client consultation, my client was at her wit’s end trying to keep up with the weeding of her garden beds. I could feel her pain. It’s a major issue in the final dog days of summer. Torpedo grass had infiltrated her backyard beds and it was not going to get better or easier to get rid of the weeds. As she had only 7 to 8 plants and an oak tree in a 15’ x 6’ – 7’ space, my best advice was to carefully dig up the plants, preserving as much of the root ball as possible, and lay under another shaded area. Then I would spray a non-selective herbicide throughout the bed around the tree. In a week the herbicide would have done its job (always check product label), she could clear and level out the ground, check the plants’ root balls for any torpedograss rhizomes, and replant her shrubs, and mulch. Determine where the invasive weed is coming from to keep it out of the yard. You could also solarize the bed but this late in the year, you would probably want to delay planting freeze-sensitive shrubs till early Spring.
One of the best ways to keep weeds out of your turf and garden beds is to make sure you start off with a clean slate. Make sure there are no weeds already existing in the ground. The next way is to make sure your turf or garden bed is healthy with dense coverage and mulched correctly. Competition and 2” – 3” of mulch can keep weed seeds from germinating or weeds taking over. Leaving large bare spots allows uninvited plants to grow.
I saw clear examples of weedless beds at the Garden Communicators International 2024 Annual Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Botanical gardens, private, and trial beds at Frederik Botanical Gardens, private home gardens, and Walters Gardens, showcased lush, abundant plants, with little to no weed issue. And it wasn’t that these gardens had people who pulled weeds 7 days a week. It helps to provide competition, maintain mulch levels, keeping an eye out to remove any new unwelcomed guests. It was also because they spaced the plants based on their mature size, and made sure there was good air circulation. This provides competition for nutrients, water, and sunlight. What is your biggest weed dilemma? Do you hand pull or feel comfortable using herbicides?
Photo credit: Teresa Watkins, Michigan State University Grand Ideas Gardens, Grand Rapids, MI.
Photo credit: Teresa Watkins, Walters Gardens, Zeeland MI.
Photo credit: Teresa Watkins, Gardens Crossing Retail Nursery, Zeeland MI.
Photo credit: Teresa Watkins, Walters Gardens, Zeeland MI.
I took over 2000 photographs while I was touring gardens. Check out a few of them at Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park album on Facebook.
Fall starts September 22nd, what should you do this month to get your yard ready for Fall? Check out What To Do in Your Landscape for September. My Plant of the Month is a beautiful flowering vine that has a flower color that will make you euphoric. I’ve added where you can buy the plant online. I saw beautiful, lush outdoor rooms in Michigan that showcased tropicals. My Design Tips feature how you can create your very own space. Landscape Malpractice this month is one of the most common mistakes and its just carelessness and ignorance on both landscapers and homeowners. It’s not 10pm, but do you know where your rain sensor is?
Want to travel to beautiful gardens around the world with me? Check out Art in Bloom Garden Tours. America’s oldest and most prestigious Philadelphia Flower Show and a visit to Longwood Gardens will be a wonderful Spring trip!
After attending a wonderful conference that was inspiring and educational, I’m ready to go for the Fall. Listen to Better Lawns and Gardens on Saturday mornings live on WFLA-Orlando and anywhere you listen to podcasts.