I have cleared a space for planting flowers this spring. The problem is the grass and weeds keep coming back. How do I get rid of the grass & weeds without harming the dirt? |
It's best to hand pull the grassy weeds, or dig them up, taking the roots along with the tops. Then cover the bare soil with several thicknesses of newspaper, weighting it down with rocks or pegging the paper down with bent wire "staples". Eliminating sunlight from the soil will kill any remaining roots and keep weed seeds from germinating. In the spring, when you're ready to plant, you can remove the newspaper mulch, or dig holes in it to plant your flowers. If you leave the mulch pretty much intact, it will keep the rest of the bed virtually weed-free. Cover it with bark chips or other organic mulch material after you've finished planting your flowers. |