RALEIGH, N.C.–It is almost time to transition color beds for summer. As you think about your options for this season try to recall what those beds were like last year. Were some beds weedier than others? Was nutsedge more of a problem in one bed? Was bermudagrass encroaching in another? The time to think about solutions to these problems is before you plant. Bermudagrass can be controlled with selective grass herbicides in most planting beds, except where you have planted ornamental grasses.
Nutsedge can be suppressed with preemergence herbicides but you must be very cautious; only a few bedding plant species can be treated with these herbicides. Choosing bedding plant species with this in mind can make bed maintenance easier and less costly. How do you find this information? A summary of PRE and POST herbicides labeled for use in herbaceous plantings is available at https://weeds.ces.ncsu.edu/weeds-herbicides/. Also check out Weed Management in Color Beds.
Read more at: https://weeds.ces.ncsu.edu/2018/04/prevent-weeds-in-spring-color-beds/
—Dr. Joe Neal, NC State University