How do I clean out flowerbed overgrown with grass and weeds?

Pat Phillips
by Pat Phillips
  7 answers
  • Lori Law Lori Law on May 04, 2017

    Start over with a shovel, taking the first layer of dirt and plant material and putting it onto a tarp for disposal. To replant, cover with newspaper, add good topsoil, mounding it a bit for drainage, and add ground cloth . Plant hardy perenials, shrubs potted plants, that up to you. Mulch or river gravel make great finishes.

  • Bobbie Bobbie on May 04, 2017

    I would put down black plastic over all the weed/grassy areas and leave for one growing season. Take care not to cover any flowering plants. Next spring you can remove the plastic and remove all the dead weeds/grass. I would put the black plastic back on and cover with pea gravel or mulch.

  • Parle Parle on May 04, 2017

    I flood my flowerbed then when good and soggy, I pull out what i can then I do like the other commentors and lay down black plastic and let the sun bake the heck out of it! Once it's all dead and I'm ready to replant, I get rid of the plastic and lay down either weed barrier or window screen material and start fresh.

  • Frances Frances on May 05, 2017

    I'm with Bobbie! That's the only way! It really works!

  • Landsharkinnc Landsharkinnc on May 06, 2017

    depends on how big a hurry you are in -- manual labor, or cover with heavy black plastic ( you can use heavy duty trash bags and anchor with landscape cloth pins, or brick/stone around the edges. Leave at least one growing season and hope the heat and no light will have killed off any remaining seeds or root stock.

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Nov 28, 2022

    If you don't know what you are doing. Join a Garden group and learn. You never know, you could make a few friends who will come and help you.

  • Mogie Mogie on Dec 08, 2022

    Dig it out and start over. When you do use something as a weed barrier. Like old pet food bags or even old carpeting. This will keep weeds from growing up but you all have to deal with the ones that sprout out from the top of the soil also.