How to kill grass and weeds in flower beds naturally – Top 6 Methods

Grass and weeds can be killed off naturally in flower beds by smothering them with cardboard and mulch, cutting lawn edges with a sharp spade, and using a hand weeding tool. Prevent grass and weeds from growing in flower beds with solid edging, mulch and ground covers. Kill weed seeds completely using a black plastic tarp.

Top 6 Natural ways to kill grass and weeds in flower beds

1. Use a hand weeding tool to remove deep rooted perennial weeds
2. Smother weeds and grass with cardboard and mulch
3. Cover with a black plastic tarp
4. Cut lawn edges using a sharp spade
5. Use a hoe to dig out annual weeds
6. Plant ground covers to smother weeds

A weed is just a plant that grows in your garden beds that you don’t want growing there. Some weeds will be non-invasive and grow as a single plant but others like couch grass and dandelion can spread quickly if you don’t remove the whole root.

Deal with weeds and grass in flower beds naturally

It is best to remove weeds and grass them when they are small because as they get bigger, they can disturb plant roots when you pull them out.  Here are my favorite ways to deal with weed and grass invading your flower beds naturally.

1. Use a weeding tool
2. Turn annual weeds into mulch
3. Pull weeds out by hand
4. Use a spade to stop grass

Use a weeding tool

Some weeds like dandelion can have long, deep tap roots which if broken off can grow back. Use a small lifting fork to dig down and remove the whole weed without disturbing other plant roots.

Below is a weeding tool from Amazon that will do the job easily

Turn annual weeds into mulch

Many of the weeds that grow in our flower beds are annual weeds so will grow in the spring or fall. These small, soft weeds can be carefully dug out using a hoe or small spade. Dig down slightly to remove them from their roots.

If the weeds don’t have seed heads they can be left on top of your garden bed as mulch or add them to your compost bin or bag to break down.

Pull weeds out by hand

Wear some garden gloves and pull out any weeds you see by hand. If you have mulched your flower beds with 2-3 inches of bark mulch or mixed tree mulch, the weeds will be easier to pull out.

Use heavy duty garden gloves like these from Amazon if you are dealing with spiny weeds.

Mulch works well to stop weed growth but sometimes weeds will sneak through, particularly in areas where the mulch is a bit thin. Pulling the weeds out including the roots will be an easy job if they have had to work harder to grow through the mulch.

Use a spade to stop grass

Use a sharp spade to cut any grass runners that are moving from your lawn to your garden beds. Place your spade at the edge of your lawn and press down wearing boots to cut the lawn runners. Remove these and place them in your green bin.

Why weeds and grass are a problem in flower beds

Weeds and grass are a problem in your flower beds because they will take nutrients from your flowers, take up extra water and can shade your plants stopping them from growing well.

Remove weeds before they go to seed

Weed seeds can stay in the soil for many years and keep popping up even when the original weed has been removed. Bindii and three corner jacks are spiny weeds whose seeds can sit in the ground for many years.

If you remove them before they grow their hard spiny seed, there is a lower chance that they will grow back the next year.

Avoid putting grass runners in your compost or worm farm as they can regrow from the stems and might take over.

If you have a lawn that has runners like couch or buffalo these can quickly spread into your flower beds without you realizing. My buffalo grass likes to send runners through any small gaps in my edging pavers.

Prevent grass and weeds from growing in flower beds

Prevent grass and weeds from growing in your flower beds using these 3 methods.

1. Garden edging
2. Mulch
3. Groundcovers

Garden Edging

Stop grass from growing into your flower beds by using a good, solid edging material. Bricks, metal edging or edging pavers make perfect barriers to grass. Make sure that any gaps in bricks or pavers are filled as the grass can always find a way to grow through any gaps.

Mulch

Mulch is the best way to stop grass and weeds from growing in your flower beds. I like to cover all of my flower beds with bark or mixed tree mulch as it is long lasting, improves the soil and blocks light to weed seeds.

Other great mulches you can use in your flower beds to prevent weeds are sugar cane, straw, aged cow manure or aged compost. Soil will naturally contain weed seeds so cover any bare soil with mulch to prevent the seeds from getting light and sprouting.

Groundcovers

Planting groundcover plants is a great way to smother grass and weeds out of your flower beds. Choose edible ground covers like oregano and thyme to give your flower bed extra fragrance and function. You can also choose flowering ground covers like Showy Evening Primrose to add even more flowers to your garden.

Click on the image below to check out Showy Evening Primrose seeds from Amazon.

Groundcovers work by covering the soil and shading weed seeds stopping them from getting light and growing through your garden bed. Grass can still grow through groundcovers, especially if you have a fast growing buffalo variety like mine.

Keep an eye on your groundcovers and pull out any grass runners as they grow.

How to remove large areas of weeds and grass organically

To remove weeds organically and turn an area of your garden into a garden bed you can cover the area with a tarp, cardboard mulch. This will need to stay in place for up to 3 months to completely kill all of the weeds.

Placing a tarp over the weeds will starve them of light and water. As the tarp heats up it will also burn the weeds and kill them off.

Once the weeds have been killed off they will be easy to pull out. If you have weeds with runners like couch grass, it is important to dig them up and pull them out first. These are hardy weeds which will often survive as they can spread by deep runners.  

You will need to top the soil up with more organic matter and compost to replace any soil bacteria that might have been killed off in the process.

KEY TIP: Avoid using this process around the root zones of trees or shrubs. Placing a tarp down under your plants can also prevent them from getting enough water and the extra heat might damage their roots.

How to kill grass and weeds naturally – Summary

If you are growing organically at home then removing weeds and grass from your flower beds without herbicides is important. Removing weeds by hand is the best organic way to deal with them but prevention will mean that you cut back your weeding work load.

Mulch is your friend when it comes to preventing weeds so cover any garden soil with my favorite mixed tree mulch.