We bought a house 9/2016. Previous owner had done the decotative curbing around the house about 16-24 inches from foundation. They had some different flowers and plants put in and added the red wood chip style mulch. The problem is that they did not use any type of landscape barrier and put the mulch directly on the soil. As a result, especially with a dry spring this year and some winds, we now have a constant battle with weeds in these areas. Is there any product that can be sprayed on the weeds to control and kill them without damaging the plants? We have Hyacinth, Lilies, Firecracker, and a few other shrubs,

oldnodak!
spraying weed killer is VERY tricky! please try other solutions first.
landscape barrier will become problematic, skip it unless you want more aggravation.
don`t know how tall your weeds are (all of the members could help you better if you could post some pic`s) so I would pull the large ones.
lay down three sheets thick newspaper (not the shinny advertisments).You can also use brown paper bags opened up, more work to open them up so I sleeze and use newspaper. Wet paper with the hose to help keep it in place till you apply your 2" of mulch. You might need to pull some weeds in a few weeks. That is ok. This will prove it`s self in the future. Early next year re-apply another 2" of mulch, no need to relay paper. Side note; don`t put mulch too close to bottom of plants, causes stem or crown rot.
Post pic`s please, the better to help you with `em!

I fully agree with Tisha about the landscape fabric (as well as the other advice). With landscape fabric you will still have weeds but they will be a LOT harder to remove. Having mulch on the planting beds helps keep the soil moist, which makes weeds easier to pull out.

I agree !!!
You can also use 5 % white vinagar, as a contact weed killer. Use a piece of cardboard, to shield desirable plants. Weeds over 12 inches tall, will need to be pulled, or dig out.
Wash, sprayer noze out after use. Vinegar will eat up valve. Trust me.
I learned the hard way.
😎😎😎

What weeds?
Grass, plants or both.

I bought some poison Ivy - brush killer and thought I would use it up on some grassy weeds in the side walk cracks.
I think the weeds are still laughing as it did nothing to them, so if you use a weed killer get the right one but do not use a vegetation killer unless you are going paint each weed separately.

I live in a hot arid climate with no summer rains. I use mulch to both inhibit weed growth and to keep the surface of the soil moist.

This year, I have had to use straw for my spring mulch and have a problem with grass growing up through it. I am wondering if putting down the newspaper would create a problem instead of solving a problem. Would the paper dry up in my high summer temps ? It may stop the grass from growing through the mulch, but it would impact keeping the soil moist ...

Phillip ... I do use vinegar ... a lot, but this grass is driving me nuts. As soon as I am working in another part of the garden, I think the grass decides to have a party and when I get back to that section ... YIKES !

I may be the odd man out but I happen to like landscape fabric...if it is the professional grade, about 3 times thicker than the regular stuff. It will be a big job to first remove all the old mulch, remove all the weeds, apply Preen, then apply two layers of landscape fabric. You can use either mulch or gravel on top of the landscape fabric. Then sprinkle Preen again and water it all in. You should be good for at least a year or more; in some of my plantings everything was good for 3 years. Just go out once in a while and pull up any tiny plant that tries to take root - easiest to do after a good rain. The Preen will need to be re-applied about every 6 weeks or so (your mileage may vary).

The fabric I use is this one which is guaranteed for 30 years (not a typographical error).
https://www.samsclub.com/sams/...

I buy Preen (the formulation made for southern yards).
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Pre...

Near edible plants I use the Preen Organic which needs to be applied a bit more often.

RoseBlush1 said:I live in a hot arid climate with no summer rains. I use mulch to both inhibit weed growth and to keep the surface of the soil moist.

This year, I have had to use straw for my spring mulch and have a problem with grass growing up through it. I am wondering if putting down the newspaper would create a problem instead of solving a problem. Would the paper dry up in my high summer temps ? It may stop the grass from growing through the mulch, but it would impact keeping the soil moist ...

Phillip ... I do use vinegar ... a lot, but this grass is driving me nuts. As soon as I am working in another part of the garden, I think the grass decides to have a party and when I get back to that section ... YIKES !

Is it grass or is it dirty straw simply spreading grain seeds?

Rose ! Hi ! 😁

No summer rain hear either.

Darn weeds come up !😮! Where, theres no water.

Newspaper, will let water threw, if water is, applied, slowly. Say, a drip system.

Either ! That ! Or shred newspaper.

😇 ! 😘 !
😎😎😎

@RpR .... it's the usual grass that grows in my garden ...

Phillip ... no drip system here. I can have that grass pulled in the time it would take me to shred the newspapers ...

Usually, it's not this big of a problem, but I wasn't playing at 100% last fall and didn't get my fall mulch down. Oh, well ... weeds have to grow, too.

I pull weeds. Simple but time consuming. Therapeutic.

Deb ...

I have to say it ... It gets too dang hot up here for weeding to be therapeutic ... My summer temps are in the high 90s to low 100s for months at a time.

I don't mind weeding when it's cooler ...

Well, I guess one chooses where to live. I'm pretty content in a temperate climate and have no particular urge to go live in Hades. But, my condolences...

If you have specific desirable plants to protect, placing several layers of newspaper between them is good for killing weeds. Water will soak through.

If you have a larger area, cardboard if very good. I sometimes buy large items and have 3'x5' cardboard to lay down. It lasts, but is easily removable later. And tent stakes or bricks will hold it in place.

@Roseblush, you may have Bermudagrass like I do. It will grow through mulch, landscape fabric, and eventually through newspaper. Dig, dig, dig.

The bermuda particularly likes to sneak in under my creeping phlox. Then I have to resolve to spritzing the edges of my garden with a little bit of chemical specifically designed only for grasses. However, then I still have to contend with the dead grass. I still use a thick mulch for most of my garden which keeps me from having to water too often in a very hot climate.

Buzzbea424 said:@Roseblush, you may have Bermudagrass like I do. It will grow through mulch, landscape fabric, and eventually through newspaper. Dig, dig, dig.

The bermuda particularly likes to sneak in under my creeping phlox. Then I have to resolve to spritzing the edges of my garden with a little bit of chemical specifically designed only for grasses. However, then I still have to contend with the dead grass. I still use a thick mulch for most of my garden which keeps me from having to water too often in a very hot climate.

Yup, it's Bermudagrass. I'll never win that war ...

Bermuda grass. 👺Yuck !!!
Two choices. Did and dig till you get all stolens, white thick roots out.
Or, spray bottle with round up. Full strength, mixed 3 oz to gallon water. Shield desirable plants with cardboard. It takes several spraying. Don't use around edibles.
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Nah ... it's growing in my rose beds. I don't mess with the roots of my roses ... When you live in a climate with high summer temps, they need all the roots they can get ...

If I get to it early enough, it doesn't really get that thick and cause a serious problem. I was just curious about using newspaper as a control.

Here Bermuda grass can grow right up through large shrub roses and out the top - amazing stuff! I wish it would stay in the pastures where it belongs.