My flower beds are covered with this weed, my question is; I am using wood chip mulch, will it kill this kind of weed through the winter or do I need to pull out all weeds before mulching? I would love to learn some other solution other than having to pull so many weeds.I have over 25 flower beds. Thank you, flowerlady ?? weed ( photo / image / picture from flower1lady2000's Garden )
I don't think the mulch will kill the weeds... but it will help prevent them from coming back. I'd say you need to pull the weeds out. Then lay some type of weed barrier (store-bought or newspaper works pretty well) and then mulch. This should get your weeds under control.
Is this Lamium amplexicaule (Henbit, Henbit Deadnettle) the plant you have? Your photo looks like it. If it is Henbit, pulling is pretty much the only choice at this time of the year. It will die next spring as the weather warms up, it's only a cool weather plant. You need to use a pre-emergent on the beds in late summer, very early fall (check the directions on the product) before the weather cools down in order to prevent it coming up. Personally I like it, during the cooler weather it has pretty purple flowers on it and gives color to the garden. I don't fret much about it, I pull it up when it is where I am working in the spring but it will be dead before the garden wakes up anyway so I don't expend much energy on it.
If it's any consolation, our honeybees like henbit! It's easy to pull since it generally make a large mat-like plant with one stem. I'd pull, put down a thick (6-7 sheets)layer of newspaper or two sheets of carboard, and then mulch over. That's the best weed suppressant ever, and cheap, too. Twenty-five flower beds? Now I understand how you came by your posting name! :-D
Thank you, if I cover my beds with newspaper or cardboard will it prevent my spring bulbs from coming up? They start coming up here in Alabama before the cold weather is gone.
