It Doesn’t Matter How Green Your Grass if it Grows in Your Flower Beds

Lush green grass in your yard is glorious and the envy of your neighbors; however, when grass grows in your flowerbeds, it’s a nightmare. Grass is one of the most stubborn weeds to invade your flower beds. Grass growing in flower beds looks messy, and it competes with your other plants for the soil’s water and nutrients. Grass weeds, especially couch grass (also known as twitch grass), have stems that form a network under the soil and can knot themselves around the roots of other plants. Underground root networks are why you need to treat grass weeds.
There are some strategies for preventing and eliminating grassy weeds that will also ensure you do not kill your flowers.

There are many ways to prevent grass from growing in the first place. So before you grab the weed killer, try these strategies first.

  1. Using rocks, bricks, or metal landscape edging creates a barrier between your lawn and flower beds.
  2. Within the flowerbed itself, place a thick layer of mulch to smother existing grass weeds or plant ground cover plants that shade the soil, acting as a natural mulch.
  3. You can also opt for installing a landscaping fabric, known as a sun barrier (cardboard works too). Without using chemicals, it kills weeds by blocking out the sunlight weeds need to grow. This is an eco-friendly way to eliminate the grass and stop it from spreading.

How to kill the grass weed without harming your flourishing blossoms?

  1. Pulling the grass by hand, which takes time, is a tried-and-true tactic. If you consistently weed, it will gradually become controllable and eventually be eliminated. It does not work best for all grass weeds, but for annual and meadow grass, it works well. Using a hand fork is most effective. Take time to dig under the grass to coax the grass out rather than yanking from the top and not getting the entire root. The grass will return if there are any root fragments left behind.
  2. Weedkillers as a last resort. If you use chemical solutions, select a broad-spectrum herbicide, and apply it using a sprayer to target the grass directly. When using herbicides, look for the following ingredients that kill the grass but not your flowers or shrubs: clethodim, sethoxydim, and fluazifop-p.

You will probably have to incorporate several methods to keep all grass from your flower beds adequately. A combination of barriers, mulch, pre-emergent herbicides, and tools will reap the best results. If you prefer to have a professional help with grass week, call Artistic Tree & Landscape Creations at 412-303-4443 or complete our contact form.