Weeds are unwelcome guests in any beautiful landscape bed. In the inland northwest, with its unique blend of dry summers and occasional heavy rainfall, controlling these pesky plants requires a multi-pronged approach.
Here are some tips to help you reclaim your beds and enjoy a weed-free garden:
Prepare the Beds for Success
Mulching: A thick layer of organic mulch (like wood chips or bark) helps suppress weed growth by blocking sunlight. This is also helpful for our climate's dry summers, since mulch helps retain moisture in the soil.
Proper Plant Selection: Choose plants that are well-suited to your climate and soil conditions. Filling the beds with thriving flowers and shrubs means there is less room for weeds to take over. Be careful when planting annuals or wildflower seeds, however, since pre-emergent (more on that below) in those areas will prevent their growth as well as the weeds'.
Prevention Treatment:
Pre-Emergent: A high-quality pre-emergent is the best way to keep your landscape beds free of weeds. Throughout our experience applying a local, high-quality product, we've seen it normally reduce 90%-95% of weeds from germinating in the first place. This makes it the most effective hands-free method for weed control.
Application Conditions: For best results, apply the treatment in cool weather after the ground thaws (early spring) and give your landscape a thorough watering within a few weeks of applying the treatment. If for some reason you miss this timing, you can still apply the pre-emergent later in the season, as some if better than none and it is still likely to work well.
Manual Weed Removal:
Early Intervention: Regularly inspect your beds and remove weeds as soon as they appear. Hand-pulling is most effective when weeds are young and their roots are shallow. If you end up removing or moving a significant amount of dirt as you hand-weed, re-apply the pre-emergent in those areas for best results.
Spot Treat: If necessary, use a weed killer to single out larger weeds as they appear. The pre-emergent, however, should make this process fairly quick.
By implementing these tips and staying vigilant, you can effectively control weeds in your Spokane landscape beds and enjoy a more beautiful, low-maintenance outdoor space.
The Labor-Free Weed Control Alternative:
Unfortunately, there is no way to keep your landscape completely weed-free without someone doing a bit of labor. However, Renew exists to provide you the opportunity to enjoy a resort-level landscape without ever lifting a finger!
You can learn more about how we might be able to simplify your to-do list by giving us a call: 509-279-5508 or heading here.
*This article was written in part with the assistance of Google's Gemini AI system.