| I planted a new pachysandra bed this spring. At the time, I was not aware of a pre-emergent. Small weeds are growing throughout the bed, out of control. Most look like crab grass. I was told to weed the bed and use Preen, a pre emergent. When I got the Preen home, I noticed on the instructions that it is not recommended for pachysandra. Do you have another suggestion to treat the bed? |
| There are several methods you can use to keep crabgrass out of pachysandra while it becomes established. One is to mulch in between the plants with an organic mulch several inches thick. This will break down over time and feed the soil, and the pachysandra will be able to grow through it when it spreads. Another is to scuffle the soil with a rake or hoe after each rain to disturb any germinating or emerging weeds. Yet another possibility is to use corn gluten meal applied to the soil and watered in as a pre-emergent herbicide. This will break down in about two months, prividing a small amount of nitrogen to the plants. |
