Before you plant, it is necessary to clear the flower beds out, but how to clear an overgrown flower bed?
Maintaining the flower bed will ensure maximum productivity and improve the aesthetic of the area.
With that being said, we have come up with this post.
Scroll down to find out everything you need to know in doing this gardening project.
Gardening Tools Needed
Other than your hands, you will need multiple gardening tools to get the job done.
It includes the following:
- Leaf blower
- Lawnmower
- Rake
- Clearing tools like billhook saw
- Tree pruner or hedge trimmer
- Fruit picker
- Trimming sheers
- Gardening gloves
- Weeder
- Edger
But you need not necessarily use all those tools in your project, but having them can be helpful.
8 Steps To Clear An Overgrown Flower Bed
Now, let us get into the process that you have to take.
Below are the steps on how to clear an overgrown flower bed:
Step #1. Surveying the flower bed
Inspect the area to find out what particular plants you’ll work against.
This step will allow you to decide on the tools you’ll use.
Remember that other tools might damage your flowers easily, so choose accordingly.
Also, check the existing micro-organisms and assess if they are useful or not.
Destroy their habitat if they are not useful.
Doing this will also help you in identifying the plants that you have to remove or keep.
Step #2. Weeding
For this, you will need a trowel, shovel, garden hose, and garden fork.
Pluck all the weeds out set them aside. Then, clear the area.
In case the weeds are deeply rooted, use vinegar or boiled water to make the process easier.
It would be best to remove the weeds than using or spraying herbicides.
That is because the chemicals can destroy the flowers and other plants.
It would help if you did not leave the weeds or any other unwanted plants scattered.
The area must be cultivated deeply, to be sure.
Step #3. Taking out old perennials and dead plants
As you clear the overgrown flowerbed, remove the dying and dead plants.
After you dig them, make sure to dispose of them properly.
Please do not add them to the composter or utilize them as mulch, especially when you do not know why they died.
That is because there is a possibility that they will spread disease.
As such, you need to dispose of them quickly.
But you might prefer to replant them into another location.
To do this, you can divide and pot the plants. The same goes for the perennials.
Step #4. Sterilize your pruning tools
Diseases can easily spread from a plant to another.
That is why you need to sterilize regularly.
When you are pruning a particular plant, do not utilize the tool for another plant. Sterile it first.
If the bushes or shrubs overgrow, prune them to a more convenient level.
That is because they might hinder other plants from getting enough sunlight.
In other words, it is necessary to take out the nearby competitions so that your plants and flowers can perfectly bloom.
Step #5. Preparing the ground
Now, you have to rake the soil in preparation for composting.
Remove any impurities such as the rocks, for example.
Then, add compost and use a shovel in turning the soil.
You must then add organic matter such as leaf mold, manure, or compost.
Step #6. Disposing of the wastes
Make sure that all the wastes will be disposed of properly after you clear them out.
This step is important in preventing diseases that can affect the plants.
If ever you intend to start another flower bed, you have to clean the surface so that the plants will grow healthy.
You must also clear out any rubbish from your compound to make it look more appealing.
If there is an infestation, you have to get help from a professional to solve the issue as soon as possible.
Step #7. Redesign the flower bed
Perhaps, you clear out your overgrown flower bed for redesigning it.
Configure it again to attain the best possible layout.
Remember that the flower must have a width of 6 feet or more.
Also, consider turning the straight edges to curved ones to make them more appealing.
But more importantly, to make mowing easier.
Step #8. Adding a new soil
For more productivity, purchase soil that is ideal for the garden.
This can help in improving the flower bed.
As you plant, you need to follow a format. Align tall and short plant varieties.
You can also mulch as it helps retain the moisture of the soil and prevent the growth of weeds.
Furthermore, test the alkalinity and acidity level of the soil.
It’s A Wrap!
How to clear an overgrown flower bed?
Again, everything must be dugout. Be careful in picking the weed out, though.
You must place the weed you removed in a trash bin.
It would help if you did not put it into the composter as it can interfere with the growth of the plants you planted.
It might even lead to redoing everything, so be careful.