Anonymous wrote:Used motor oil

Good god no what in the hell??!!

Aside from being illegal and careless why would anyone contaminate their own property like that?

Used motor oil

Green mulch. I love Fragaria virginiana.

Paper grocery bags work. If it is a small area, you can do cardboard. Get a flat of some cheap annuals and fill up the area.

Cardboard works great for killing what is underneath it but weeds will still grow in the mulch on top. There’s no easy way to maintain an expanse of mulch.

The lowest maintenance option imo is dense shrubs. You’ll still have some vines and little guys to deal with but not bad.

You can also do dense plantings of pretty aggressive native plants. For example in full sun: goldenrod, mountain mint, brown eyed Susans, monarda.

While I've been slowly trying to plant more densely to have less space for weeds as one PP suggested, I have some areas where the weeds still can really take over if left unchecked or I need to keep relatively weed free for other reasons. I have used newspaper but once the Express went out of circulation (I used to save those!) I started buying rolls of this paper- it's thicker and works well.

https://www.amazon.com/Weed-Guard-Paper-36-inches-50-feet/dp/B00D9F3B68

Thanks everyone - my home had a master gardener before I bought it. It is the most amazing garden but I can't weed all day like she did, there are expanses of mulch with random, amazing plants/flowers the entire perimeter of my backyard and a good deal in front. Would have loved to keep it up.

I tried the newspaper once but was in the fall and now the weeds pushed right through. I'll see if my lawn person will use cardboard, I think he feels it's a bit unwieldy.

Will avoid the landscape fabric, really appreciate that tip.

Pull the weeds. If you NEED a barrier, get on a recycling/freecycle/buy nothing group and ask for other peoples' boxes, etc. But, really, just densely plant (or allow to grow in) the plants. You'll hardly need to weed at all, eventually. But, you will still need to weed. You will always have weeds.

There’s really no reason you need expanses of bare mulch.

Cardboard. But mostly, plants. If you plant densely, especially plants that are tough/aggressive, you don’t have as many weeds.

Don’t do landscape fabric unless it’s just for one growing season and you’re going to pull it up in the fall. Plants will go through it and the sun will degrade it and it will become a nightmare.

preen

Seriously, ask on NextDoor for newspaper and cardboard boxes. Effective and environmentally friendly.

Anonymous wrote:Is this for weed control in a lawn, or in garden beds around larger plants?

Are you open to pre-emergent granules? I get not wanting to spray, but we use Preen on the beds and have had great results. Or are you looking for a completely non-chemical solution?

Thanks! This would be for garden beds around larger plants. I have a pup and love the bees, but any solution that will not harm them, I'd be open to. I'll google Preen.

Is this for weed control in a lawn, or in garden beds around larger plants?

Are you open to pre-emergent granules? I get not wanting to spray, but we use Preen on the beds and have had great results. Or are you looking for a completely non-chemical solution?

My lawn person requested newspaper to place under soil after he pulls weeds, but I don't think I can get enough unless I ask Nextdoor. Landscape Fabric gets mixed reviews. What would you suggest I use to prevent weeds from returning (as long as possible)? I am not using spray.

Thank you!