Two Steps For Controlling Weeds In a Flower Garden

Q: Could you recommend a safe herbicide to control grasses and weeds in established flower beds?

A: Controlling weeds in a flower garden involves two steps: preventing weed seeds from coming up and killing weeds that have emerged. Both steps have particular shortcomings. Preventing seeds from coming up may damage the roots of nearby plants, and may also affect the seed of self-sowing flowers. The number of chemicals that are labeled for flowers is limited. The most common homeowner products are Preen and Preen Extended Control. The main active ingredient, triflurilan, has limits on where it can be applied. Wheat germ meal is sometimes recommended as an organic weed preventer, but it’s not very effective. Chemically controlling the ones that have sprouted can harm the upper parts of nearby plants because microdroplets from spray are impossible to control fully. Landscape fabric is hard to install, and it must be maintained by clearing and restoring all the mulch on it yearly. Otherwise, weed seeds that blow in will germinate in decomposing mulch. All this said, I think the best control for weeds in flower beds is hand-pulling and mulching. There is no way to avoid these chores.