# Landscape beds weeds



## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

Have about 200 ft of landscape beds just around the house and most of it is rhododendron at least in the front and side 150" or so.

Beds are pretty full with weeds broadleaf stuff mostly which seem to be affected well by 24d (tried a section near a burning bush)

Pre


5 days later.



It was also easy to pull them with a hoe so plan was to do that and then spray with a nice dose of prodiamine and isoxaben.

Does anybody have any experience if I can get away without mulching (it was costing about 4500 bucks for the whole property which forms include these giant burning bushes but is out of budget)

Will post actual pictures of the area tomorrow.


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## Delmarva Keith (May 12, 2018)

I'd suggest using directed spray of gly instead of 2-4d. Gly has no soil activity and won't hurt the shrubs as long as you don't spray it actually on them.

Never not mulched beds but for years I've sprayed bare areas of walkways with wide (couple inches) dirt areas between paver stones with dithiopyr and it has been working to stop the weeds. I don't see why it wouldn't work on an entire bed if you got good coverage and watered it in properly.


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

Delmarva Keith said:


> I'd suggest using directed spray of gly instead of 2-4d. Gly has no soil activity and won't hurt the shrubs as long as you don't spray it actually on them.
> 
> Never not mulched beds but for years I've sprayed bare areas of walkways with wide (couple inches) dirt areas between paver stones with dithiopyr and it has been working to stop the weeds. I don't see why it wouldn't work on an entire bed if you got good coverage and watered it in properly.


Thanks for the reply. I dodnt read about 2-4d having soil.activity so knowing that is great. I actually have RM33 which has gly+imaz so that should work for a short while and then a proper dose of prodamine 

Any reason why you picked dithiopyr vs prodamine?

Bed pictures


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## Delmarva Keith (May 12, 2018)

uts said:


> Delmarva Keith said:
> 
> 
> > I'd suggest using directed spray of gly instead of 2-4d. Gly has no soil activity and won't hurt the shrubs as long as you don't spray it actually on them.
> ...


If the "gly + imaz" includes imazapic or imazapyr it will likely kill your shrubs and sterilize the soil for about a season. I wouldn't use that. In my opinion it should be illegal for residential use (you can pretty easily kill all of your neighbor's trees with a small amount of runoff from, say, rain) but that's just my opinion.

I use dithiopyr because I use it in the Spring so usually have some already mixed and ready to go. Any pre-emergent that won't hurt the shrubs is fine too.


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

^^ I didnt realize.it was that potent/dangerous.

I initially got it for my patio which was covered in weeds and it hasn't killed any of the grass around it. Also for the cracks in my driveway which i was going to repair. So i guess that is an option that will not happen.

Guess i am getting a bottle of glyphosate now or hand weed .. hmmm ..

This forum has made a dent in my bank account. Lol


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## Delmarva Keith (May 12, 2018)

uts said:


> ^^ I didnt realize.it was that potent/dangerous.
> 
> I initially got it for my patio which was covered in weeds and it hasn't killed any of the grass around it. Also for the cracks in my driveway which i was going to repair. So i guess that is an option that will not happen.
> 
> ...


For driveway cracks, gly mixed with a pre pretty much works as well as imazapyr or imazapic Far less dangerous to use. I've seen trees next to a driveway killed with imaz 

Save the imaz for under parking lots, etc. Not practical (IMHO) for residential.


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## marshtj (Apr 9, 2018)

Ornamec to kill and dimension granular to prevent.


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

Delmarva Keith said:


> For driveway cracks, gly mixed with a pre pretty much works as well as imazapyr or imazapic Far less dangerous to use. I've seen trees next to a driveway killed with imaz
> 
> Save the imaz for under parking lots, etc. Not practical (IMHO) for residential.


I will definitely be more careful around trees and developed shrubs but I haven't seen anything bad happen yet (fingers crossed)

Off topic but what can be sprayed around exposed tree roots?


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## Delmarva Keith (May 12, 2018)

uts said:


> Delmarva Keith said:
> 
> 
> > For driveway cracks, gly mixed with a pre pretty much works as well as imazapyr or imazapic Far less dangerous to use. I've seen trees next to a driveway killed with imaz
> ...


For a guarantee of safety, there's nothing that can be sprayed on exposed tree roots.


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

Delmarva Keith said:


> uts said:
> 
> 
> > Delmarva Keith said:
> ...


Lots of hand weeding it is then. It is safe to cover them back with topsoil and or mulch right? Even those that have been exposed for years?


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## JDgreen18 (Jun 14, 2018)

Once you get the beds cleaned up its easy to maintain by simply pulling weeds as they pop up. I would weedwack them down then use a flat shovel to dig them out. After that I use preen on all my beds before I remultch every year. It works pretty good.


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

JDgreen18 said:


> Once you get the beds cleaned up its easy to maintain by simply pulling weeds as they pop up. I would weedwack them down then use a flat shovel to dig them out. After that I use preen on all my beds before I remultch every year. It works pretty good.


That's what the initial though process was. Just have a lot of beds and was looking for not spending 50 bucks twice a year just on the beds

More so was looking if I could get by without mulching.

Will look at some large bag options maybe.


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## Delmarva Keith (May 12, 2018)

uts said:


> JDgreen18 said:
> 
> 
> > Once you get the beds cleaned up its easy to maintain by simply pulling weeds as they pop up. I would weedwack them down then use a flat shovel to dig them out. After that I use preen on all my beds before I remultch every year. It works pretty good.
> ...


It just occurred to me that we all forgot mulch does more than just suppress weeds. Also helps hold water and reduce evaporation off the soil. Weeds or not, cover the ground in your beds with something. Mulch is cheap and readily available. No doubt there is a nursery near you that will deliver as much as you want in bulk at a reasonable price. I'm starting to prefer the "usual suspect" ground cover plants for beds but mulch is a cheap, quick ground cover.


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

^^ completely agree with you. I also have a few places that deliver bulk but my point was getting away without mulching this year. For two reason, one it's the end of the season and I wanted to spend the money on both my lawns pre and post emergent and some equipment.


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## Greenie (Aug 4, 2019)

My suggestion would be to use Avenger to kill the weeds (organic, nonselective - so don't spray the rhod.)

I'd also plant either ground over under the Rhodes (vinca minor) or the plant some smaller evergreen shrubs in front of the rhod (for visual interest with depth/height + blocking the legs of the rhod) and then groundcover.


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## Greenie (Aug 4, 2019)

And also, $4,500 for mulch &#128558;! I thought I paid a lot and mine was $1,500.


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

Greenie said:


> And also, $4,500 for mulch 😮! I thought I paid a lot and mine was $1,500.


Sprayer some 2,4d at some places and some hot at other places. And most of the area has cleaned out well.

My plan is to do some of these things in stages. I think I will get(rent) a bed redefiner and make a good edge and on labor day sale get like 20-30 bags and just do the rhod beds and see how that goes.

The rest of the beds back and center have a lot of sqft and the back has a lot of growth so spring will be a good time

The landscaping agency taht assessed it said that they needed probably 40-50 yards @75/yd installed but did not include a hand cut edge which was all additional.


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