FREE BUDGET
WORKSHEET!
Try this simple trick for how to keep weeds out of flower beds – not only is it SO easy, but it's inexpensive too. Find out how here!
Are you getting Spring fever and ready to mulching your flower beds? Here's an easy trick for how to keep weeds out of flower beds and it likely won't cost you a penny.
Before mulching, go ahead and remove weeds that are in your flowerbed by weeding by hand. Then you'll want to lay down leftover newspaper over any open space areas where you want to keep your flower beds weed free.
Thanks to all of you who had great suggestions with alternatives to chemicals to get rid of weeds.  Try out this way to kill off weeds using vinegar – I've tried it before and it hasn't worked for me, but I'm all for trying again. I'll see if I can find any other homemade weed killer recipes, and update you all on how they go!
Cover the layer of newspaper with a layer of mulch.
Because this was a new bed for us we didn't have any existing bushes to plant around, but if you do have bushes already there just adjust the newspaper around your plants.
It will naturally keep weeds out, and is biodegradable too. The organic matter helps to amend your soil if your soil conditions aren't great as well, which is an added (free!) bonus in addition to preventing weeds. You don't have to do an extremely thick layer either – one single sheet should be fine.
We've used this weed barrier landscape fabric before and it works incredibly well (and doesn't have to be replaced for years), but newspaper will do basically the same thing – you'll just need to add more newspaper to your bed each time you mulch to keep the weeds at bay.
With a little newspaper you'll have free weed protection for your flower beds, and hopefully skip weeding during the summer months.
If you have any other tips on how to keep weeds out of flower beds, I'd love to hear your suggestions!
If you only have a rock bed-no flowers, lay roofing paper down before rocks or mulch. Works great.
Thanks for the great tip! 🙂
Blow torch the weeds prior to doing the newspaper or cardboard then mulch. My hubby loves his blow torch for the weeds that are in our gravel driveway and walkways too . A few seconds over the tops of the weeds is all it takes and it kills down to the root.
Thanks so much for the tip! 🙂
Yes I do the same thing . I have the Greenwood torch from Harbor Freight for larger jobs and the flex hose finger sized torch from ACE Hardware for getting between bricks on borders , around concrete patio , driveway cracks etc. My size 13 shoe puts out any flare-ups but a flower pot watering can probably better .
I have weeds and grass in the lines between the sections of concrete in my driveway, every year. I’m getting a torch! Thanks for the tip!
Happy to help! 🙂
Years ago we had heard of putting newspaper down to keep the weeds out and decided to try it.
Well we got home one day and our son had 2 labs and they had decided it would be fun to dig in the flowerbeds and pull those newspapers out. Needless to say what a mess. . I can laugh about it now but not so much then.
Oh bless you! Yes, you can’t help but laugh at it!
We had a lab and every time we planted shrubs she would help by pulling them out and running with them in mouth around and around the house. We learned years later that neighbors would put money on how long it would take for her to unplant the first shrub. Our sweet Cody!
I have a black golden doodle who went through a digging phase that lasted until he was about a year old. I didn’t yell at him, just stopped what I was doing and played with him in another area of the yard for a bit. But, the next day, he’d be digging again! Then, he just stopped doing it! I wish I knew why, so I could tell friends who do have digging dogs, how to stop them from getting into garden beds and digging holes in the lawn! BTW, I have used the newspaper weed barrier method for years, too. After the first year, I cover the ground with a generous helping of mulch. If weeds are covered and can’t get sunlight, they’ll die.
So glad to hear your furbaby stopped digging! It can be a struggle getting them to stop. 🙂
I’ve tried all these tricks and still get grass and weeds in my flower garden. Only real way to stop it is roundup !
Yep, I know what you mean! Roundup and constant work!
Please be careful. Roundup does cause cancer.
We appreciate your concern!
I have used cardboard but As I read this I’m wondering if I should spray it with vinegar, salt, and dawn mixture on it. I still get weeds. Any ideas?
I know a lot of folks don’t love Roundup (which I get 100%!) but if it’s far from your home and you’re not worried about it, it really does work better than anything else I know. One other option that’s natural is boiling water – that might help! Here are a few more ideas over here 🙂 https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/9-natural-ways-to-kill-weeds-45747
I laid down cardboard and dampened it and covered it with mulch from my yard and topsoil before planting my vegetable garden this year. I was absolutely amazed that not 1 weed came up and my vegetables are growing great and very productive.
Oh Penny Pincher you make me sad, you always seem so progressive about safety and frugality–Roundup is first of all expensive, plus a dangerous chemical and you must have heard all the cancer claims not to mention the toll it takes all the way through the food chain and life cycle. I don’t want to even think of how it impacts our precious Honeybees or all creatures great and small. I use the 30% or 46% vinegar with orange oil and salt. Are a few breakthrough weeds worth such a cost to health and safety and lastly your wallet?
Thank you for sharing the tip – I’ll be honest, my hubby learned to garden from his dad, and his dad used roundup (we don’t use a ton of it, but we have used it!) We’ve tried the vinegar once before and it didn’t work at all for us (we were in a different area though and had stubborn weeds!), but I’ll try it and see how it goes again here. Thank you for sharing!
Instead of newspaper, we use plain brown cardboard boxes, like those from IKEA, without any print.
https://www.permaculturenews.org/2016/03/14/is-newspaper-safe-for-your-garden/
Me too! Cardboard it is!
At this time when RoundUp has been linked to health problems, it pains me that anyone still uses RoundUp.
https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12940-020-00574-1
https://usrtk.org/pesticides/roundup-study-finds-potential-human-health-problems/
I used 50% agriculture vinegar, orange oil, and Dawn. Sprayed during heat of the day and got great results. The Dawn kept the vinegar on the plants as they are slick and will slough off most all moisture.
Thanks for the tip Houks2! 🙂
What are your percentages for your vinegar, dawn and orange oil? I want to try this. 🙂
Don’t use the roundup!!! My dad was a farmer and agriculture business owner where he used and sold roundup. He developed non Hodgkin’s lymphoma when I was 14. He was diagnosed in April and went through every treatment available back then (1985) and it not easy on him at all. He would get up during the night and fall before he got back to his bed. My mom would holler for me to help get him up and back in bed. He was miserable. He died in Nov that year. 6 months was all he had. I went to give him his meds one morning and he sat up on side of the bed and next thing I knew he had fallen on me and pushed me against the wall. I hollered for help and my brother and uncle came in and got him up. They hollered for me to get out and before I could move I heard a weird sound and I looked at my dad and he was gone. In 1985 the university of KY was doing research on the roundup and they asked to use my dad’s body for testing. We never got any payout and never will. But the money means nothing to a teenage girl who’s dad would not see her date or graduate high school or college or walk her down the isle, or give her advice about adult life, or see her be a good mom to her boys who went to college and work in the farming business. He would have been proud but this year he will have been gone 38 years. I will never use roundup. I beg you if you just can’t live without it to please wear a mask. I am telling you it was a hard fast road to go down and to lose everything at the blink of a eye.
I’m so sorry to hear about your dad many years ago. I’m with you. No round up.
Never use vinegar, salt or even round up close to your planting or in flower beds. All will eventually kill your plants.
Hi, Joyce, I’m not sure about vinegar or salt, but Round Up is meant to stay within the plant on which you spray it only… it doesn’t seep into the soil. I’ve never had any problems with RoundUp killing wanted plants unless I spray it on them by accident.
The ingredient in Roundup Glyosphate is banned in all European countries and around the world. Obviously manufacturers here in the US care more about profits than your health. Sorry for you and hope you never have to deal with the effects.
I’ve heard that salt will change the chemical makeup in the soil and with continued use nothing will grow in that soil. Since vinegar has such an acidic makeup I’d be afraid to use it too. I tried boiling water. It worked fast but the weeds were back in few weeks. Never tried blow torch but sounds like it’s worth a try. I used roundup for awhile before all the cancer info came out and it doesnt last as long as it claims. I would need to reapply several times during the summer. When I was young I did it all by hand and actually enjoyed getting my hands in the dirt. Once you had the weeds cleared out you could keep it that way by spending a little time once a week. I’m 72 now with bad hips and knees and I’d give anything to be able to do it again.
anyone know how to get rid of burr clover, foxtails and so forth that have been seeding for a few years? Only way I know is to strip off the top few inches of soil and have it hauled off, adding peat moss and steer manure to start new topsoil. Yard of the house we bought is a disaster, if there is a better way to stop sprouting seeds every time I plant veggies and flowers, I would be open to suggestions.
How about using your shredded mail instead of newpaper?
Wet the newspaper before hand easier to lay and you can tear it in to place mine lasted for several years with very little weeds, even easier put it out before it rains.
Help, Help. Have a huge iris bed. Weeds are terrible. I weed that big thing 2 or 3 times a year. Takes me a week to do it. Cannot use newspaper. Mulch only works short time. Any suggestions?
Ortho Grass Be Gone can be sprayed on iris and the grass will die slowly. Patience
People… DO NOT. I repeat DO NOT use salt if you ever want anything to grow. It will kill everything for a long time.
I’ve used newspaper for many years. It works very well. I use two or three layers though.
Awsum ideas… My granddaughters just got their new house well their parents did and we are goin to do a lil garden.. They are 3 and 1 so this will b fun
Tip- wet down the newspaper before you put the mulch on- it keeps the newspaper from blowing away in the wind, and keeps it in place as you spread the mulch.
I’ve done thick layers of newspaper with good result but it has to be redone every year. We have a big yard so that’s easier said than done. I have now switched to cardboard. I remove tape & stickers & only use plain cardboard, break it down. Double layer did not work very well as it was too bulky. It last a lot longer than paper. I think like 3 years & the weeds that do come in are on top of the cardboard so come out super easy.
Love the idea of cardboard Sabrina – and great way to reuse it! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Cardboard is more effective than newspapers IMO.
BEAUTIFUL home and landscaping!
I tried this before and found that termites like newspaper. Is there something I should have done differently?
Oh no De! I don’t *think* it would be because of the newspaper? Termites are attracted to wood – not the paper. Would love to hear any other feedback!
Actually Termites love paper, cardboard, wood, etc. They love it especially if it is damp and in dark places. An exterminator told me, dampness+Darkness+Cellulose=Termite Heaven. The reason is, they are attracted by the cellulose and it is in most wood, paper, and cardboard. Untreated boxes would likely be best. As for using it outside in the garden, I personally have never had an issue with them.
I’ve had the same problem. Termites were also found where my newspapers were put down. I use the weed barrier fabric. The things that do get through are very easy to put up. Paper is made from wood. I don’t know if that’s why they were there. If you are in an area that doesn’t have termite issues I wouldn’t worry.
WE uaed the Fabic barrier for years and wont use it anymore and the weed still sprout on top roots go through the fabric and then you cant get them out or dig them out with out pulling up the fabric ,HAve found a procut by Preen that works realitive well THere is one for the veg garden and one for FLowere gardens Weeds are great ly reduced ,
try adding salt to the vinegar and make sure it will get at least 3-4 days sun , i always lay a thick layer ofcardboard and paper down before the dirt as well
I never would have thought to lay down newspaper to my garden free from weeds. Next time I’ll have to try that before I lay down mulch. I also like the idea of using vinegar as a weed killer, as I prefer a more natural solution. Did that work out for you when you tried it again?
here is a great site with good info…. http://www.thisgardenisillegal.com/2006/05/7-deadly-homemade-weed-killers.html
I use the blsck planting paper but I think I will use newspaper next year.
Thrifty Couple has a recipe for killing weeds that I’m planning on trying soon. They too, do not like to use Round-Up. Their recipe uses vinegar but with some added oomph! in the form of a few other ingredients. I hope it works.
Let me know if it does Debbie – I’ll try to hunt it down!
I use a gallon of vinegar, 1 cup TABLE salt and a tablespoon of Dawn dish soap. Put it in my yard sprue and it works great. Works better if done just after the dew dries on hot days … but I did it in the afternoon on a cool/cloudy day and it still worked. Good luck!
Can you use this mixture to kill weeds around wanted plants? And will it kill poke weed?
I’ve tried a solution of white vinegar, rock salt, and Dawn. The Dawn makes sure the solution sticks to the weed leaves. It works, but it won’t prevent new weeds. I’ve tried Preen, in early spring, and have found that despite repeated applications, Preen is useless and I’m not wasting money on it anymore.
Thanks for letting us know! 🙂
Horticultural vinegar is also available (stronger than regular vinegar).
Great tip Yvon – thank you for sharing!
Yes! This really works! We have used both newspaper and cardboard and I love that I don’t have to deal with yard fabric. We have also used painter’s paper from the hardware store! Recently, we built cinder block raised garden beds and used painter’s paper in the bottom of the beds and cardboard under the pea gravel. http://www.howdothejonesdoit.com/how-to-build-a-cinder-block-raised-garden-bed/
My dad does this in his garden, and it has yielded great results. He sometimes puts the grass clippings from his lawnmower on top of the paper to help hold it down as well — works well in his vegetable garden (but perhaps is not the look you’re going for in a flower bed!). 🙂
I also use grass clippings as mulch in my gardens. I works very well, and as it breaks down, it really improves the soil. My mother transformed red clay into beautiful black dirt in a year or so using this method. You can put the grass clippings right up next to your plants, and it helps hold in moisture so you water less. I actually don’t have much space in the my flower gardens for weeds to grow, since my plants tend to overrun each other, but I use this for any empty space or for when I dig something out. You just replenish the clippings as they break down.
Cardboard also works well and breaks down. The only problem is once you put soil over the paper layer covering the grass, you create a new area for weed seeds to grow. Mulch is your best way to prevent weeds from growing. I use leaves shredded up as they feed the soil and hold down on weed growth.
Agreed! What is the point of using biodegradable newspaper if you are using Round Up? I encourage you to do just a little research on that product- it is really toxic! I consider myself to be pretty “mainstream” and even I am horrified by how bad it is. The newspaper is a great idea- just please don’t use Round Up!
Thank you, Jean. Round Up is doing great harm to animal life, including you and me. Animals, including birds, are dying from eating a food supply poisoned by Round Up. Many layers of newspaper, not just two or three, will do a much better & longer lasting job of blocking weeds. You are also recycling in a way that replenishes soil as the paper degrades.
Instead of using the poison Round up, you can lay clear plastic on the areas on a hot sunny day, it will burn anything under the plastic, and will stop the growth. You can then spray with vinegar and boiling water on the area, and lay a thin layer of salt this will keep anything from growing…then lay your paper down. Its all natural, won’t harm any soil like the round up will. I have been doing it this way for over 30 years, my grandparents for many years before that.. <3
I just updated the post with the vinegar suggestion! That hasn’t worked for us so we have used Roundup on large sections (we weed most everything by hand in all of our beds, but if we have a large section of grass to kill off like we did in this bed we have used Roundup.) Thanks for the suggestions – I’m going to see if I can come up with any homemade weed killers that really do work, and I’ll let you know how it goes!
Actually, all you need to do is lay cardboard or thicker layers of newspaper right over the grass or weeds and they will die from lack of air and light – no need for any other application. If there are tap-rooted perennial weeds like dandelions, they will need to be pulled first (or douse them with the vinegar/salt), since they will come back eventually. But even they are weakened by the lack of light and air. Try it – we’ve done this for 20 years and it really is all you need. 🙂
The cardboard might attract termites in the south ?
I live in Florida. I use cardboard in my flower beds. Never had a problem with termites.
the trick is to use 3 layers of newspaper… not one as the photo shows. I’ve been doing this for yrs… it works better than the black stuff you lay down… and if you want to plant your own plants why would you use a poison plant killer? I put it around my pond and then covered with river rocks and it’s been 3 yrs. still only get an occasional pop up of grass or weeds… honestly I think sometimes it grows in the dust that has fallen between the rocks. LOL
You have to use the vinegar on a hot sunny day. The heat is the key.
what do you do for morning glory?