Wasting time on weeds

[Acute Cut]

Ok, first of all i HAVE read all the "search" threads on this topic. My question was not answered adequatly there. So i will ask it here.

I have a commercial account that has a decent sized bed across the whole front of the store. Grass is directly next to it. The beds are full of ground cover that has yet to expand. there are about 50 shrubs of different sorts as well in there. Every week i spend atleast an hour pulling damned weeds. And, when i am done i do not believe that it is very "professional looking".

What can i use to stop the weeds from coming up. One of my competitors has absolutly PERFECT beds. I have yet to find even ONE weed. I looked too. I worked last year with a "friendly" competitor. I gave them some sprinkler and fert business. they did an existing weed spray and a pre-emergent. I was not happy with the results so i asked them to reapply.

Needless to say i have spent every week pulling weeds for an hour or so. What can i use? I do NOT have a chem license. One guy from another company said to use round-up and Casseron 4G. I know casseron well and am guessing the 4G is some potent stuff. Before i apply, i want to ask you the experts for your professional and experienced opinions. Thanks all.

[yardsmith]

Had same problem with local TGI Fridays. Weeds every week. Finally sold the owner on weedblock with next mulch installation. Works well (not perfect), but now the mulch above the fabric is a little thick & I'm getting weeds ABOVE the weedblock. Oh well........

[Rufur]

what kinds of weeds are they I have a few properties that are nightmares seems mostly the ones next to empty lots-open fields etc

[TGCummings]

Weeds can be a serious problem in all landscape beds. Is there any mulch covering the bare soil? One of the first lessons in my Harcourt Learning study guides was to emphasize never leaving bare soil in landscape beds, or this problem will happen, and continue. When light is touching earth, weeds germinate. Try to sell the client on laying a nonorganic (black plastic) weed barrier covered with bark chips or ground bark. Or, if controlling weeds is a part of your contract consider doing this out of your pocket if the price is not too steep. If you're already being paid a flat fee to control the weeds, you might as well make your job easier, and therefore more profitable. ;)

Good luck!

-TGC

[TGCummings]

Oh yes, one more thing:

If the landscape beds are directly adjacent to the lawns, you might want to install some sort of header, or edging, to seperate the weed beds from the lawn roots. Flexible plastic makes a good, inexpensive header, but be sure to install it at least four inches underground (some recommend eight!), and about 2-3 inches above the soil. Makes for a nice aesthetic effect as well.

Good luck!

-TGC

[Stinger]

Spot spray with roundup or if you need a over the top application consult your local chemical/pesticide supplier. They can provied you with a product that wont harm the type of plants in the bed. But you need to be absolutely sure what plants you have first when consulting these guys. Do you have a lisence to apply herbicides commercially?

[Runner]

Acute Cut, You say that your beds have ground cover that is still establishing? Does this mean tha you have no type of barrier down? If so, you're in good shape. It's late now, and the weeds will be slowing down here real quick like, but in the Spring, buy a product known as Preen. It's a dry granular that kills all the existing SEEDS in the soil. It works great, and will not affect any of your existing plants, including your ground cover because they spread by root and repropigation. I apply it in the spring when everything comes out of dormancy, then some more about once a month or so. It doesn't take very much. You may still get an occasional weed here or there, but this cuts down in the weeds CONSIDERABALLY. This stuff is available everywhere.

[Lawn Cruiser]

You need to put on a preemergent like Preen once the ground cover captures the canopy weeds will no longer be a problem.

[Mr.Ziffel]

Acute Cut, It's my impression from what I have read in the Landscape forum that the LS guys do NOT like the weed barrier under bark because if you put bark over it thick enough to cover the plastic the weeds just grow in the bark and if you leave it too thin you're raking up your plastic.

I just sent in my application for the 3 day pesticide training course in Bellingham in March. The cost of the training and study materials was $153. Taking the test is extra, depending on the license you need. Find them on the web at
http://pep.wsu.edu

I have used Preen in mulch beds and it works well. The cheapest place I found it around here was Costco--they also have large rolls of weed block which is stronger than the black plastic.

[awm]

An informative reply. Where can i get
study guide you refered to. thanks

[bob]

I use a product called Snapshot. It's the commercial version of Preen. You must be certified to put any chemicals down on any lawn other than your on. It's not that hard, plus it looks good on your resume'.

[Runner]

aw, Contact your local cooperative extension agency (through your county) and they'll have all that info for you.

[powerreel]

Hey you're not trying to go after Shepardspurse? Ya know, shotweed? It's coming up major in Seattle, and disturbed soil enhances it's growth. Try Round up with Finale mixed in after this rainy weekend.

[Nathan]

I don't want to sound like a jerk, but you shouldn't be applying anything. As far as I know all states are governed by their state department of ag. and most say that you must be licensed to apply anything other than fertilizer on a property that is not owned by you. There is a reason for this, most people that have not been educated enough to pass the test usually are not safely applying pesticides. Go get the info, take any courses you need pertaining to your area and take the test, you will be happy you did. Plus it is one more thing to differentiate yourself from all the other unprofessional guys out there.

[Charles]

I use to get wasted on weed along time ago.
sorry its friday and comedy time

[powerreel]

http://thehawkseye.com/pcyan/pcyan.html

[Runner]

Ah, yes.... The land of the magic mushrooms! Kind of reminds me of Rick Wakeman's Journey To The Center of The Earth.

[GroundKprs]

Acute Cut, need to be more descriptive when discussing "weeds". Are these annual or perennial summer weeds, annual or perennial winter weeds, or are they perhaps perennial nasty weeds from a trashy nursery? Have seen a lot of dirty nursery stock in last 15 years that comes with wild morning glory, ragweed, quackgrass, and canadian thistle. You will never successfully pull these obnoxious weeds, will generally need a chemical assist.

If you have annual weed problems, or even perennials like dandelion, you can control them by a preemergent application at the proper time for the target weed. Preen is a homeowner product, AI is trifluralin, and controls one or two dozen weeds, mostly grassy types; Snapshot, or Professional Preen, are good professional products with AI of trifluralin and oryzalin - over 100 common weeds controlled, grassy and broadleaf.

Mother nature is constantly reseeding, on top of mulches, weed barriers, bare dirt, sidewalk cracks, everywhere. In my work area, summer annual weeds are the biggest problem in beds. Summer annuals go to seed late summer or fall, to have new seed to sprout next spring. The best control is a one inch - or more if needed - renewal of shredded bark mulch. That is, the type of mulch that will pack together, and not float around. By doing this in early spring, you are smothering last years crop of seeds - They need to grow up 1" to get light after germinating, and annual weeds do not have that much energy stored in the seed. It is laborious to do this properly in a new ground cover, but it will improve appearance, and save a lot of work the rest of the summer.

If you can ID the weeds you are bothered by, we could give you more specific steps to control. Weed barriers seem nice in the beginning, but a royal pain if you are doing the maintenance 5 years down the road.

[KirbysLawn]

Just in case new guys have not seen this: http://www.weedalert.com

Ray

[Acute Cut]

Great help guys. I will make it a point this next week to pull out the digital camera and get some pics. I will also take a picture of a competitions bed so that you can see what i am aiming for.

Thank You

[Skookum]

Going into winter is a great time to get your pesticide certification started. You might be able to get it done before next spring! DO IT! It's not hard stuff!

Depending on your groundcover and the weeds, like most have already stated will determine what to use. I have extensive beds of Euonymus at six resturaunts. They were covered with weeds when I started them about 4 years ago. It took a combination of spot sprays with Roundup and digging them up to get them under control. Now I use Snapshot to keep them that way.

It cost more by buying retail, but I had better luck with the Preen for groundcovers one year than I have had with the Snapshot for the last two, but not enough to switch to Preen.

I have also used Ornimec on the grass weeds. It worked pretty good about 50%. Rounup was better and it never hurt the Euonymus at all.

[T.C.O.B.]

Where we are the weeds stop germinating around November and begin about February. We take this time to thorougly clean the beds by hand and then apply pre-emergent and mulch the beds. Some pre-emergents need to be watered in, and you should try to stay out the beds for about 2 weeks after application. Then apply quarterly. Good Luck!

[TGCummings]

The study guides I referred to came from the Harcourt Learning Direct class, Professional Landscaper. Harcourt can be found at http://www.harcourt-learning.com if you're interested in the course. It's a bit pricey, but a decent home-study course if you'd like to get all the Green Industry basics down in a self-paced program, as opposed to random acts of reading & research (which I do as well!).

If not, I also found most of this information in a California University Extension study guide called Pests of Landscape Trees & Shrubs. A very informative source on all manners of dealing with pests (vertebrates, invertebrates, diseases, weeds, etc.). As Runner mentioned, contact your local cooperative extension for info on these. The best thing about these study guides are they are written for your state, and are therefore locally specific.

Good luck!

-TGC