mulching

[DinaJean]

Planted some moonflowers around the utility pole in the yard, but did not put down any weed guard. Now I have little grass growing in there. Can I instead of redigging the bed and the flowers, just lay newspaper on top of the mulch and grass weeds and then mulch over that?

Thanks in advance for any help! :)

[Newt]

Hi Dina,

You don't say what type of grass, but most grow by runners under the soil.* It will probably be best to gently loosen the soil and pull out the grass.* This is best done when the soil is moist, so a day or two after watering or a rain is best.* Then you can remove the mulch that's there by either pushing it aside or putting it on a sheet (plastic would be be good), put down 6 layers of moistened newspaper (so the wind won't blow it away as you work), replace or replinish the mulch.* Having a sharp edge to the bed that is tended to once or twice a year can also be helpful so the grass doesn't creep into the beds.* Take a look here for edging ideas, especially the 'dropped-lawn edge.
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_design_p...398447,00.html

Newt

[DinaJean]

Thanks. It looks like grass, but may be a weed that was in the soil from the plants. It has two blades per and very shallow roots.

It just rained yesterday, so I will start pulling out the weeds/grass now. Do you have any suggestions as to how many inches of mulch?

Thanks again. By the way, great link on borders!

*

Dina :)

*

[Newt]

Dina, you are very welcome!* Glad you liked that link.* I usually put down 2" to 3" of mulch in flower beds.

Newt

[Allison1888]

I can attest to the importance of mulch. I've only finished about one third of the garden and those are the only spots without weeds -- well, a few get through, but the unmulched areas are a mess. That's this weekend's project!