Desperate Measures

I have a 30' x 25' perennial bed that has become the bane of my existence. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get rid of the weedy perennial grasses, bindweed, thistle and other obnoxious weeds. They have literally taken over.

Plus, the garden didn't quite turn out how I had envisioned it when I planted it. I have wanted to redo it by moving most of the plants to a different location within the bed because of height issues.

Tonight I searched online for ideas of what to do with it, and made several trips outside to contemplate it. I finally came to the conclusion that with all the weeds in there I had to do something about them first. Since I've been digging, digging, digging, mulching, mulching, mulching for several years already and not making much progress, I came to the conclusion that desperate measures where called for if I was ever going to turn this into a decent bed. Each time I dig I just turn over more weed seeds to sprout. It's a vicious cycle.

Knowing full well that I may lose some things that I hadn't planned on losing, I sprayed the bed, trying to avoid the desirable plants that I want to move when redoing the bed.

Has anyone else ever been reduced to doing something so drastic? I'm normally not one to use chemicals, but I declared defeat with the digging and mulching and just want to start new with that bed.

I'm feeling a bit guilty though.

Joan, I hear you!!! Don't feel guilty - we all get pushed to that limit on occasion, I think. I'm very close to doing that myself in a couple areas - between the blackberry vines (more like trunks), thistle, nettles, and just plain old weedy grass, I am just unable to get it all out. This last March or so, I was able to clear out the center part of this big bed, but both ends are beyond my muscles. I planted twelve new rose bushes in the cleared area and they are doing well, but the darn blackberries keep popping up, along with the bane of my existence - sheep sorrel, a weed that is UNkillable, I'm afraid. So far, I'm staying ahead of it in the rose area, but I know it will be a constant challenge - especially if I don't do something about the two ends.

Thank you Murmur, for lessening my guilt. I told DH that there's really nothing in that garden that can't be replaced, and I've declared defeat to the perennial weeds. If I can get the weeds killed, I'll just mulch around the surviving plants and start over with that bed once it cools off.

Well, not to make you feel guilty or anything but this is the best time of year to 'solarize' soil. UV resistant clear polyethylene plastic over soil for a month or two will kill weeds, seeds, and even soil-borne fungi and pathogens. But it takes time.

http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/hgic1261.htm

Claypa, yes, that would most definitely be ideal. It's the perennials in that bed that are keeping me from doing that. The only things in there that I'm really attached to are the daylilies, and they are starting to send up bloom stalks. Once they are done, I might take a chance on moving them, even in the heat of summer, and applying the method in the link you provided. I've printed it out. Thanks!

I put clear plastic down on a patch of weeds back in April (10' x 25'). The weeds are still actively growing under the plastic despite drought and temps hovering in the mid to high 90's. I should've put down black plastic to exclude light. Lessons learned.

The rest of the lot has been scraped over a period of several evenings and weekends. Weeds included pines, poplar, and sweet gum saplings; poison ivy, blackberries, honeysuckle, and grapevines (which are a real pain to get rid of). I have resorted to spraying any new weeds that pop up.

How I cleared my flowerbeds:
1. In spring I dug up and potted all the perennials, taking care to remove any weed or grass roots that were entwined with the perennials' roots.
2. I sprayed 'Roundup' on the flowerbeds and waited for all the weeds and grass to die..
3. I forked-over the flowerbeds and waited for buried seeds to germinate.
4. I hoed down the weed seedlings before they set seed.
5. I replanted the perennials.
What I should also have done:
6. Sprayed broad-leaf weed-killer on the adjacent lawn, to prevent the lawn weeds from seeding into the newly cleared flowerbed.

Joan, I am mopping on weed killer around my plants instead of spraying. Using a dust mop saturated with the "kudzu killer" roundup has saved my hoeing back. In tight places that I really want to be careful, I'm on my hands and knees using the mop without the handle. Painful but effective. Here's a link to the source of the tip.

"In a lawn or closely planted perennial garden, pulling or digging may not be practical. Careful use of herbicides might be better. A wick made from a rag wrapped around a stick like this will put the herbicide just where you want it. You can saturate the rag and carefully brush it over the weed without harming desirable plantings."

http://www.gardengatemagazine.com/extras/49weed03.php

I have a perennial bed, 100 ft long and 7 feet wide. It is 6 years old now and the weeds are not difficult. I do have a dog, and whenever I have to take the dog out, I walk her along the flower beds and pull weeds while she goes about her business...a few minutes a day keeps the beds weed free. Every spring it gets edged, by this I mean I take the shovel and turn over a couple inches along the grass line, keeps the lawn from creeping in. My little garden trowel is an added extension of my hand in the summer, it comes in handy for gently uprooting the more stubborn grasses. Right now, at this time of year, the beds are weed free except for the odd little clover. Also, what helped most was training hubby to mow the lawn clippings AWAY from the beds.

Great ideas! Thanks!

I I think I'm getting a plan of attack in place here.

1) I'm going to keep spraying around the perennials, and "mopping" the weeds that are close to them. (Great idea) Every few days or so I'll do this, because I'm sure I didn't get all the weeds sprayed on the first try. This should be a good start.

2) Once the perennials are done blooming and it's starting to cool off, I'll move as many of them out of the garden as I can. (I don't think I can move the rose bushes.) I'll just have to work around them and hope they survive the remodeling.

3) Then I'll turn the soil over so the seeds can germinate.

4) After ridding the garden of thee new flush of weeds that germinated, I'll cover with black plastic and leave until about this time next year. At that point I'll take the plastic off and ammend the soil and prepare it for replanting. (The perennials I moved out of there will have been living in the veggie garden all this time.)

5) Replant, but take care to do a better job this time. Have a plan before I just start plopping plants back in there where ever they land. :)

6) I'll most likely have to order more daylilies!!!! :)

7) Mulch the garden good, and be more vigilant about the weeding.

Phwew! This is going to be be a long project. Does it sound like it might work? I realize that the daylilies will be moved two years in a row with this plan, and some of them might not like that, and most of them probably won't bloom. But hey, this is tough love.

Sounds like you've got a good plan! And it's in writing too! Better print this off, Joan. You gotta lot to do. "grinning"

I should print multiple copies and paste them on the fridge, mirrors, computer screens, and everywhere so I don't lose sight of "The Plan". LOL

I know exactly what you mean! LOL

I recommend applying Preen (pellets) to your garden before you plant and mulch. It is a good thing to apply to your garden because it keeps weed seeds from germinating.

I've never used PREEN. It doesn't hurt the perennials, just the seeds, right?

Watching this thread closely because am thinking of totally redoing my perenial bed. No weeds but it is just very scraggley and lots of tall plants in all the wrong places. Thinking about digging what I don't want to loose and trying the "lasagna" method that I found on another thread. Don't know how to link but you may try finding it in the search forum utility. This is pretty drastic too but claims to clear everything. Still contemplating.

If you want Preen only to control weeds, purchased Preen Weed Control.

I'll check into that. Thanks! Now, where would I fit that into my schedule above. LOL

Joan,
I just used newspaper which someone else here suggested. I used it at a thickness of about 3 sheets. I layered them all over the bed and left little holes around all the plants. A few weeds came up around the base of the plants and I just pulled them out. After a while, everything under the paper died and the paper composted into the soil. I layed some mulch over the paper for looks too. Very rarely did a tough weed pop thru the paper but then I just used round up and sprayed that weed only. Worked pretty well for me and the soil underneath it came out great too. I turned really soft and easier to work with rather than the hard dried clay it used to be.
Olivia

I've used newspaper before. The only problem I had was we have cats and they kept ripping holes in it.

Because I am getting older and am losing my eyesight, I have decided to get rid of my large flower beds and just make smaller ones that I can more easily control. MY problem is, when things come up outside the beds I have a terrible time pulling them up. Right now I have paths mowed around some things because I wanted them to bloom where they seeded. Makes my hus. nuts. But when they are blooming he agrees that it is OK. Don't feel guilty. At times, it is best to start over when you can. LIZ

Ahhh Joan...I think I've got the twin to your bed at my house. I just sort of grumble and avoid looking at it at the moment...it's a mixture of over crowded iris, a couple of shrubs, some clematis that a Virginia Creeper decided to move in on and a very unruly rose bush. Various weeds and wildings have shown up...goldenrod, sumac and an elderberry bush. It's grim.

Badseed said once to use a paintroller with Roundup...that would be great, but I need a bulldozer.

As soon as it gets cooler...(Nov), I'll dig up everything that I want to keep and try and get it under control. I'm not even thinking of trying to leave anything in the bed....just dig it all out and start all over....*sigh*..

Do you think it's because the beds are bigger, that they are so hard to control? All my smaller beds are looking pretty good. Finally got them all mulched again last night. They are all spiffed up for the 4th of July now. :) However, I think I need to put a tent up over that one big one that I sprayed. LOL It's looking worse now than it did before I sprayed.