Stop pesky grasses in beds?

[Wendy Dickerson]

It seems to be a weed.So use weed killing fertilizers

 

[canesisters]

I don't know how much space you've got to cover with the weed spray, but when I used to use it I used the little gallon sprayer with the wand and to protect the plants I wanted to keep I would drop a big plastic kitchen funnel down over the wand so that it covered the plant I was trying to kill and contained the spray to that single spot.


(gracious! that was a very long sentence!)

 

[flowerbug]

for grassy areas neighboring gardens, best response was a very good edge to keep any roots from spreading into the garden and also a tall enough edge to keep lawnmower spray from ending up in the garden. this took care of 95% of problem, always some weeds, but those are dealt with by a good mulch and keeping an eye on things.

if you've already been invaded, dig it out and/or smother it. sprays may work, but i don't like them and i like other approaches better (if a garden is really bad i'll take it back to ground level and smother it for a few seasons - i won't likely have to touch it much again for a few years other than a few spot weeds around the edge or some that find a gap to get through))... that's like 30 minutes work per season.

 

[ducks4you]

You will need to dig up and pull out the weeds and grasses. Grasses are pretty easy, but you would surprised how far you may have to dig the weeds out. BUY PREEN!! After you prep the bed, plant only vegetables that are 3" or taller and apply PREEN around them and all over the bed to kill any grass seeds that are left from sprouting.
This is really the only way to keep them grass free.
ALSO, if you mulch with grass, be SURE that the grass that you cut has not gone to seed or you will start the war all over again.

 

[so lucky]

@ducks4you, I wonder if Preen will kill off the little bulblets as they sprout. It is a good idea, for the seeds that nutshedge put out, but apparently this particular weed spreads by bulblets, runners and seeds. What fun!
We have used the powder you mix with water and spray. It wasn't a miracle product, but did seem to stunt the growth a bit. It's kind of expensive, though.

 

[flowerbug]

there are so many different kinds of grasses, each with their own growth habits and seeding cycles. in some gardens now we have this grass which has seeds on it very early. within a few weeks from now it will already have seeds. it also grows very dense tufts so if i'm going to keep it from spreading i have to get it early and often. the sprouts love to hide in the thyme until they get big enough to notice.

it makes for some very fine/close work (why i have ground pillows i can lay right on them and get my eyes right there at their level ). where being nearsighted (in one eye) is a gift. i use a knife to find them and get them out of there... no sprays. i grow food in these gardens. plus i like my bugs and other diversity.

i have other grasses which make the above grass look like a wimp. it's used along the banks of the large drainage ditch out back. the roots are almost a quarter inch across and grow through the clay down several feet. it is used to prevent erosion on the banks and will easily grow 5ft tall. in order to keep it from spreading i have to put down a very deep barrier and also cut the seed tops off before they can drop fresh seeds around. it's invasive for sure, but you can mow it and it can be crowded out by other things like honeysuckle bushes. the only problem with that is if we crowd it out like that then we get erosion from the shifting drainage ditch flows. so best to keep that whole thing as that grass... lesson learned... chop it once in a while and otherwise let it be...

 

[seedcorn]

Grass along ditch is probably winter rye. Used in Ag to break up compaction. You have identified its problem-killing or control of it.

The other sounds like sedge grass which is beyond nasty and very easy to spread.

 

[catjac1975]

I have massive daylily beds that have become impossible to keep weed free. I have tried grass getter twice despite my dislike of all toxins. It does knock the grass back for quite a while. In no way does it eliminate it, it fact I think it comes back more hardy than ever. The weeds you show are easy to get rid of. Get them out before they go to seed. Also-they are annuals and will die in the cold. Many people think that a garden is put out mulched and then stays that way. Gardens need continual care. One thing your can try is Preem to keep the weeds down. It merely helps. You must start with a weed free garden and then it will prevent most weeds for quite some time. Wedding is a life long exercise routine.

 

[seedcorn]

Tell me about this “starting with a weed free” garden.

 

[catjac1975]

Tell me about this “starting with a weed free” garden.

After you work like hell to get it that way. Weed, till where you can, fertilize, lime, mulch, Preen. Next year do it all again. I had been using cardboard and newspapers under the mulch which makes it last much longer. I have a terrible grass that eventually comes back. No amount of preen will help that. Grass getter absolutely non help. Gardening is work.