There's been a lot of talk about pre-emergents for your turf, but what about your flower beds?
Weed prevention in landscape beds is just as important as in your lawn, but the approach is different. Before you grab that sprayer and treat your beds the same way you treat your grass, there are three basic things you need to know.
1. Use Granular Pre-Emergent Only—Not Liquid
This is the opposite of what we typically recommend for turf, but it's true for flower beds: only use a granular pre-emergent, not a liquid.
You do not want liquid pre-emergent sprayed all over the plants in your landscape. That could cause damage, especially to new growth emerging this spring. Your ornamentals, shrubs, and perennials are vulnerable, and coating them with liquid herbicide is asking for trouble.
Granular pre-emergent solves this problem. The granules won't sit on the foliage of your plants—they'll roll off the leaves and make their way down to the soil below where they belong. That's where they create the barrier that prevents weed seeds from germinating.
For homeowners in Midlothian, Prosper, and throughout North Texas, this simple switch from liquid to granular makes all the difference in protecting your landscape while still preventing weeds.
2. Avoid Areas with Seasonal Color
Do not spread pre-emergent in any areas where seasonal color is planted, or in areas where you plan to plant seasonal color. If you do, your seasonal color will die.
There's no need to expound on that—it's just a simple fact. Pre-emergent prevents seeds from germinating successfully, and that includes the seeds or young transplants of your annuals and seasonal flowers. The same barrier that stops weeds will stop your petunias, marigolds, and pansies too.
If you have beds designated for seasonal color in Waxahachie, Midlothian, or Prosper, skip those areas entirely when applying pre-emergent. You'll need to manage weeds manually in those specific spots.
3. Set Proper Expectations
There is no way for a pre-emergent to be 100% effective in flower beds. Unlike turf where you can achieve near-complete weed prevention, landscape beds are more challenging.
Pre-emergent will greatly reduce the number of weeds that come up over the course of the year. It will make your manual maintenance easier and faster because you'll be dealing with far fewer weeds. But you will still have to do some manual maintenance throughout the year—there's no way around it.
Mulch gets disturbed. New weed seeds blow in. Some weeds break through. That's the reality of flower bed maintenance. Pre-emergent makes the job manageable, but it doesn't eliminate it entirely.
Worth Doing Despite Limitations
While flower bed pre-emergent isn't a cure-all for weeds, it's a very quick and easy application. There's really no reason not to do it. You will notice a difference if you apply it—your beds will be cleaner, and you'll spend less time pulling weeds throughout the season.
Watch the video below to learn more about applying pre-emergent to your flower beds.
For professional lawn and landscape care in Midlothian and Prosper, contact Vista Lawn and Pest.
