Weeds are nearly inevitable in flowerbeds. Luckily there are multiple ways to prevent and control the problem so that your flowers can grow without competition. The first line of defense is to ensure the area is completely clean of weeds before you even start creating your beds. Depending on what plants are growing in the area, one to three applications of a Hi-Yield Killzall (a glysophate product) two weeks apart will kill everything. Wait at least a week after the last application before planting. If you don’t want to use chemicals, you’ll have to hand-dig everything and expect bermudagrass and bindweed to return. After the area is clear of weeds, one of the best ways to suppress them is with a weed barrier and mulch, rocks, or wood chips, around 3 inches deep. Sometimes it’s easier to skip the weed barrier if you’ll be putting in lots of annuals or small plants. Up to 4 inches of mulch can be used, but be sure to keep it from mounding against the base of your plants. Another preventative is to keep weeds out of beds is using preemergent herbicides such as Hi-Yield’s Turf & Ornamental Weed & Grass Stopper. This product does not harm larger plants; it only stops weed seeds from germinating. It will repress them for several months and can be reapplied.

Hand-pulling the weeds may be your only option for existing beds with weeds if the weeds are entwined with your shrubs and flowers. If the weeds can be spread apart from the desirable plants, Hi-Yield Killzall can still be used if you’re careful not to spray any plant you want to save. A piece of cardboard held between plants and weeds is usually effective in preventing overspray and keeping your plants from being harmed. If you specifically have grass growing in a landscape bed and no ornamental grasses in that bed, you can use Fertilome’s Over-the-Top Grass Killer. However, be sure to read the label as it can damage some desirable plants. Tree sprouts and vines in a flower bed can be treated with a stump killer to keep them from resprouting as long as you’re careful only to paint the fresh stump and not spill it on any plant you want to save.