Is Your Grass Growing Through Your Mulch?

It’s common for a homeowner to experience some irritating grass growing in their mulched areas. So what is going wrong?

You may have been convinced that by spreading dirt and mulch over an area would kill the grass beneath. If this was your approach, you have likely noticed grass still popping up. To avoid this, you have a few different options.

One option is to go with a chemical approach. You could try spraying the area with a herbicide to kill the grass. If you do this, you will have to completely shield your other plants and shrubs from any drift of the spray. Most herbicides will kill all plants, so this option can be very risky.

Another approach would be to lay newspaper or plastic over the grass before spreading mulch over it. This option may take a lot of extra effort because your mulch has likely already been applied. You’ll need to rake it up and clear the area and then replace it. The newspaper will eventually break down naturally, but once that happens the grass can still return.

If you choose plastic, no air or sunlight will be let through, killing weeds and unwanted grass. The downside of this is that you need water and air to get through for your other plants and any trees.

Some believe that fabric is the best option for separating lawn and mulch. Landscaping fabric allows for more breathing room and still allows water to penetrate the soil. However, if weeds and grass are your issues, fabric probably isn’t the answer. Weeds, roots, and grass will grow through the fabric and even tangle themselves in it requiring even more time and effort.

At KC Landscape Curbinge, our experience tells us that the best option for your landscape is curbing. By putting down 6x4 curbing, your lawn and grass will not disrupt your landscape and mulch beds. Curbing is also the best-looking option by providing natural borders to your landscape design.

For more information or questions about our custom curbing and landscape design, contact KC Landscape Curbing today!