Regardless of the season, weeds are working hard to rob your plants of water, nutrients, and ultimately, their health. Weeds can spread almost like wildfire depleting the soil of nutrients. Here are some ways to help prevent your weeds and grass from taking over your flower beds and other areas of your lawn.

If you’re looking for no-cost methods, an “English Border” both looks and works well. This method is simply a shallow ditch dug between the flower bed and lawn, typically with the side facing the lawn cut straight down for a crisp and clean look. This style of border doesn’t take too long to dig, especially when the soil is moist enough!

As herbicides are not everyone’s first choice for weed control, this is another option to utilize. There are only herbicides that kill only greases without harming other kinds of plants or causing serious environmental problems. Before you purchase, make sure you check that the label clearly states it is for the control of grasses alone.

If the thought of using commercial herbicides makes your skin crawl, there are greener and cheaper alternatives…one of the most popular is creating a solution of vinegar, salt and dish soap and spraying where you don’t want grass or weeds to grow. Make sure to use a highly acidic vinegar found at a hardware and garden store rather than one that is used in households.

If you’re looking to get crafty and creative, you can create a physical border and make it a part of your landscaping design. Utilize bricks, concrete pavers or even terra cotta tiles. If you want to get extra crafty, wine bottle sunk neck-down could even make a nice-unique border. Just pay attention that they are deep enough to keep the grass from growing underneath them, but are still easy to mow next to or be chewed up with a string trimmer.

Sometimes, you have to go back to the basics and although you will rarely hear someone say they enjoy pulling weeds, but the old-fashioned way is the best approach at times to rid of that unwanted growth. Pulling weeds is a lot easier a day or so after a good rain or watering. Keep in mind you want to grab the weeds when they are small before they get too established and deeply rooted.

Mulch will also be your best friend! Mulch is the answer to many garden problems and it also happens to be the best method to prevent weeds. Not only does it look great, it blocks sunlight and helps retain moisture. Essentially, mulch keeps water in and weeds out! Before applying mulch, make sure to remove any visible weeds in the area and then apply a 2 to3 inch thick layer to your flower beds or any place afflicted by weeds! The amount applied is critical because if you apply less than 2 inches, it won’t stop the sunlight from reaching the soil and if you use more than 3 inches, it prevents water from seeping into the ground.

Our team at TPS can help control and keep your gardens and grass free of weeds and many other potential contaminants as well as help improve the levels of organic matter in your soil. Click here for more information on our services.