How to weed spreading evergreens?
Q. My spreading evergreens used as a ground cover have grass and weeds. It is impossible to pull most of them. How can I get rid of the grass and weeds? —Jerry Baker
A. Eliminating weeds in the garden is a job that never ends, but getting them under control is the first step.
The safest option is to hand-pull the weeds; it may require a lot of elbow grease, but working in small sections will make it feel less overwhelming. The other option is to have the weeds properly identified and use a selective herbicide that is labeled for the weeds you are dealing with.
Spraying with a non-selective herbicide such as Roundup (glyphosate) will injure your evergreens. You can use a paintbrush or purchase the gel option to avoid the herbicide coming into contact with your ground cover. Be prepared to make more than one application.
To prevent weeds from coming back, pre-emergents are helpful. Corn gluten meal is an organic option. These products don’t differentiate between weed seeds and seeds that were intentionally planted, but if you don’t plan on growing anything from seed in this space, it is a great option.
