Weeds coming thru mulch?

We had something similar happen in our yard. We raked the rocks to the side, used weed killer on the weeds, covered with new weed fabric and them moved the rocks back.

These are likely very shallow weeds that have grown from seeds that have blown onto your mulch. They're usually pretty easy to pull. There's not really an 100% no maintainance solution

I use weed killer myself ~ that is the best way to control weeds they can grow through most anything it seems.. I spray the weeds then add mulch and that does the trick for me

If you don’t have any plants in the area, you can spray with a weed killer. Either one you make or purchase will work. The issue is not with your prep but that seeds are blown in the wind. That’s how you get those pesky weeds popping back up.

Hello. It is a common and frustrating situation- we order near 200 bags of mulch and weed and mushrooms always do you pop through. The decomposing mulch... organic material does host seed germination which are blown around from weeds in our lawn and our soil.

Sometimes just stirring up the mulch bed with a hand rake is enough to turn over disturb roots and kill the weeds. Tedious handpicking is also possible.

There’s possible danger using chemicals that may influence trees ( roots) and other plants around it.

I use straight vinegar in a spray bottle, but be strategic, because it will kill everything it touches. But it does work!

The cardboard boxes work great - but only for about one season. You need to get some weed barrier fabric that will last more than one season: https://amzn.to/2S3HFUj

Preen applied as directed will suppress weed growth for at least 3 months. It's also available in a more cencentrated form, to last 6 months. Application is easy. When done, water it in. It does not affect plants but may affect seed germination. It's available at Costco for a great deal less than you'll pay at home stores and garden centers. The trick to avoiding mushroom growth in mulch is to regularly fluff it with a small rake.

Okay here is a red neck way to do this. We had some old carpeting and put that down and covered with pea gravel. To date we have zero weeds and we did this over 15 years ago.

The carpet doesn't break down as fast as card board and lets water pass thru so there is no pooling.

If you do have weeds pop up spray them with a combo of Dawn, salt and vinegar in the morning on a warm sunny day.

You just need to cover the area again, either with removing what is there or easier, just layering more carboard on top. Then wood chips or some other nice looking mulch.

YOu could try round up and then putting down more mulch

No chemicals used at my house. Dangerous for young children, pets and wildlife.

https://usrtk.org/monsanto-roundup-trial-tracker-index/

White vinegar is all I use. It's water soluble and safe for use around wildlife. A quick spritz is all you need. But be careful, vinegar can kill almost anything it touches. I have quite a few areas that are gravel, rock or mulch and takes just a few minutes ever so often to keep things neat and tidy.

All the chemicals get into our groundwater and causes permanent damage in the long run.

Hi Brenda - The struggle is real, isn't it?!? This is the most effective all-natural weed killer DIY that we use. It's even been featured on Hometalk and pinned thousands of times! Hope this helps! Hugs, Holly

https://pinkfortitude.com/weed-killer/

PS - We have a FREE eBook with recipes for all of my homemade and all-natural cleaners. You can download it here --> https://pinkfortitude.com/thank#GreenClean

White vinegar is the safest way to get rid of them, but takes some elbow grease (work).

Weeds are inevitable and impossible to ever get rid of. They’re now growing in the mulch atop your cardboard. You can pull them but ultimately you’ll never be weed-free unfortunately. Weed killers are bad for everyone, please avoid them.

Your cardboard blocking last year was a great idea, however, the cardboard eventually disentegrates and if there's soil there's always the possibility of weeds. The best way I've found for a longer term solution is to apply white viengar/salt solution to the area (if you don't want anything to grow), then cover with black plastic or hardware cloth. The weeds won't grow if there's no sun!

Hello Brenda,

Hand pull the weeds as they probably only have shallow roots or use a chemical. You will never get rid of weeds entirely as the seeds are n the air and settle and grow easier than plants you want to grow!

You can use weed and feed or hand pull

Hello. It’s aggravating to spend $$$ on mulch and have weeds. Sadly it seems expected!

Hand pulling or using an appropriate weeding tool are the primary means of mechanical weed control in lawns. This is a viable option at the beginning of an infestation and on young weeds. Hand pulling when the mulch is moist makes the task easier. Weeds with tap roots like dandelions or have a basal rosette (leaves clustered close to the ground) like plantain are easier to pull than weeds such as Bermudagrass (wiregrass) or creeping Charlie (ground ivy) that spread with stolons or creeping stems that root along the ground.

Preen might be used but it does not seem to be an economical choice for mulch beds.

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