I killed the grass in my garden this spring, tilled the area, and tried planting wildflower seeds. While some wildflowers did sprout, grass has come back thick, almost as if it never left. I'm planning to plant bulbs this fall and add perennials next spring, but I really want to find a way to keep the grass from returning. I'm thinking about respraying the area and tilling again this fall, followed by the smothering method using cardboard and mulch. Will this approach work, or could it mess with the bulbs? I'm hoping to avoid any super long waiting periods before I can plant since I want to get my bulbs in the ground soon!
1 Answer
Grass can be a pain since it just loves to grow back, especially if you live near a lawn. Here are some ways to keep it at bay:
1. **Seed Aggressively**: Try to fill in any gaps with wildflowers or other plants to avoid empty spaces where grass can pop up. It’s better to overseed than not enough!
2. **Mulch Heavily**: Applying a thick layer of mulch (around 2-3 inches) can really help suppress grass. You might want to wait until your wildflower seedlings are a bit taller before adding the mulch, though. For me, mulching heavily in the fall really cuts down on spring weeds.
3. **Weeding Routine**: If you can set aside just a little time once a week to pull any weeds, it makes a big difference. Regularly catching them before they grow too big prevents a mess later on!
4. **Consider Pre-emergents**: If you’re not worried about existing flowers, using a pre-emergent herbicide in the spring can help stop new grass from even sprouting, but be cautious with this as it may affect any perennials you've planted.
Overall, with these strategies combined (minus the pre-emergent), my garden is pretty much weed-free!
Thanks for the tips! Quick question: If I plant the bulbs this fall and then try the cardboard and mulch method, will that stop the bulbs from growing? Just want to make sure they get enough light and space!