How to Clear a Weed-Infested Flowerbed: Effective Strategies

No gardener wants to hear this, but the only way to permanently reclaim a flowerbed overrun with tough weeds like bindweed and Bermuda grass is to remove the desirable plants, eradicate the weeds completely, and then replant. When I first planted a large border garden, I didn't realize the soil harbored aggressive perennial weeds. Eventually, every plant had to be transplanted elsewhere while I spent an entire season digging and applying herbicide to the infested bed.

While some experts warn that digging can spread weed seeds, I've found that repeatedly cutting off weed tops with a hoe starves the roots and weakens the plants over time. This approach can take a full growing season. Another effective method is smothering: lay sheets of black plastic over the soil to block light, air, and water. Leave it in place for one growing season, then remove all dead weed debris. Spot-treat any survivors with glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup). In fall, incorporate compost into the bed and consider covering it with permeable landscape fabric until spring to prevent new weeds from blowing in. To stop creeping grasses like ryegrass from reinvading, install metal edging that extends several inches below the soil surface.