This could be the year for good wildflowers (Phoenix, Flagstaff: landscaping, buying)

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by MN-Born-n-Raised

In my experience, weeds in the midwest are several hundred times more prevalent than in Arizona. For instance, scrape back an open field in your former state of Iowa. Within a few months, it will be completely filled with weeds that are literally knee high. Now stare are at a clear open field in the Phoenix area. There are little to no weeds. In that open field of Phoenix, you might have some low density Russian thistle which die and turn into tumbleweeds. Generally speaking, the native density of weeds per square foot is not remotely comparable. The rich organic midwest soil in conjunction with the plentiful rainfall is the reason why Phoenix area has FAR less of a weed problem.

Saying that, it you have dense green grass in Phoenix or in Iowa, that will help choke out the weeds. Still in the midwest, you especially need to apply pre emergent plus there is a never ending battle with crab grass. I was told that a thick layer of rocks help choke out Phoenix area weeds. Maybe that would help-out your weed issue. Wit-wit would be the person to ask if thick rocks help.

All I know is I NEVER used weed killer there and I can't buy it fast enough here.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by wit-nit

To a certain degree rocks can help control weeds. Yards with about 2 inches of rock on bare soil will help keep most weeds about 50% of the time under control. Pre emergent and round-up still would be needed to keep weeds totally under control all year around.
Rocks layed about 1 &1/2 to 2 inches deep over a breathable weed mat will help control about 90% of the weeds. Spot weed control is usually all that's needed.
The popular finely decomposed granite will generally aid in breeding weeds.
Nothing is 100%. Due diligence is the key.

Good advice as always.

I already saw some weeds sprouting. After this conversation/thread, I decided to head out to Lowe's to get some pre emergent on Friday. Lowe's only sells Preen. 900 measily square foot coverage for a whopping $15. I went to Home Depot and got a bag of it for $19.95 which covers 4,000 square feet. I bought a couple of bags. I'll water it in and hopefully it isn't too late to beat the germination.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

All I know is I NEVER used weed killer there and I can't buy it fast enough here.

Apply pre-emergent per wit-wit's advice 2x a year and you will be in good shape. My neighborhood use to be a rose farm so the soil is ideal for growth including weeds. Wit-wit phrased it best: due diligence. When we 1st moved in in 2011, our foreclosure bought backyard was a jungle. We killed it all, and put down pre-emergent.

This was the 1st year I was going to punt on putting down pre-emergent because seemingly, none of my neighbors use it. I do have a landscaping company that spot treats weeds about 5 times a year; tops. Your current approach isn't working. For me, weeds in AZ are pretty much a thing of the past. I don't buy any weed killer because I prevent the germination of seeds (and my service spot treats). I can see what and when they spray as it has a yellow tinge. They barely even spray.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by MN-Born-n-Raised

Apply pre-emergent per wit-wit's advice 2x a year and you will be in good shape. My neighborhood use to be a rose farm so the soil is ideal for growth including weeds. Wit-wit phrased it best: due diligence. When we 1st moved in in 2011, our foreclosure bought backyard was a jungle. We killed it all, and put down pre-emergent.

This was the 1st year I was going to punt on putting down pre-emergent because seemingly, none of my neighbors use it. I do have a landscaping company that spot treats weeds about 5 times a year; tops. Your current approach isn't working. For me, weeds in AZ are pretty much a thing of the past. I don't buy any weed killer because I prevent the germination of seeds (and my service spot treats). I can see what and when they spray as it has a yellow tinge. They barely even spray.

Obviously.

I don't have the time, equipment, or resources, unfortunately to spread anything to prevent them. I have to just keep going with what I can do; mow them until the lawn finally all dies and eventually to desert landscaping. Until then, it's just a MAJOR annoyance. Who knew that yard work would be MORE work in the desert

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

Obviously.

I don't have the time, equipment, or resources, unfortunately to spread anything to prevent them. I have to just keep going with what I can do; mow them until the lawn finally all dies and eventually to desert landscaping. Until then, it's just a MAJOR annoyance. Who knew that yard work would be MORE work in the desert

I've got bad news for you. As someone who has replaced 15000 sq feet of bermuda with rock, the lawn is never going to die from neglect. Bermuda is tough and it will get just enough water to constantly pop up here and there. You should spray it with Roundup in the late spring. Even then, you have to spot treat it now and then over the summer. The cost is not that bad. A bottle of glyphosate (the generic stuff) from Walmart and a $20 sprayer. You can get one that goes on the hose for covering a large area.

[ScottsdaleMark]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

Obviously.

I don't have the time, equipment, or resources, unfortunately to spread anything to prevent them. I have to just keep going with what I can do; mow them until the lawn finally all dies and eventually to desert landscaping. Until then, it's just a MAJOR annoyance. Who knew that yard work would be MORE work in the desert

One issue is soil quality. Given that many lawns that used to be grass are now rock...that is some fertile soil down there under that rock. And unless your rock is inches deep -- AKA impossible to walk on easily -- the weeds love it because they can still grow through it, but their roots are comfortable and protected. I honestly think they may like a shallow rock lawn more than open ground.

I learned that you really need to kill them and remove them before they go to seed. If you mow them or pull them or spray them after they've matured enough to generate seeds or otherwise be ready to spread themselves, it's too late, and any pulling/mowing you do is just spreading them them around, spreading seeds that can haunt you for potentially years to come.

For me, I will say that it wasn't so much a year-round battle as a winter through April all-out war. Once the hot, dry weather started, it was usually not much effort or time to keep things under control until the next winter.

You gotta get those little guys EARLY or no amount of rooting around in the rock lawn with your weeding tools will save you. And if you delay by even one week, thinking, oh I'll do it next weekend, then your workload the next weekend can become exponentially worse. I struggled with finding the time to do it consistently enough and as a result it ended up being so much more of a headache for me than it could have been. Ten minutes not spent spraying this weekend is an hour spent rooting around with the weeding tool next weekend.

I finally just went to a landscaping service and it continues to be some of the best money I have ever spent not to have to deal with landscaping myself anymore. I am so much more serene now because I can just relax and know that the problem is always under control and never out of hand. They do so much better of a job than I ever did because they're professionals and I'm always impressed how thoroughly they keep things under control and basically weed-free year-round.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

I don't have the time, equipment, or resources, unfortunately to spread anything to prevent them.

The "equipment" is $12 https://www.amazon.com/Scotts-Easy-H.../dp/B000BQY7XO . If you are chasing weeds annually though grass killer, you are spending more time and $$'s than 1st killing everything and then applying a bag of this https://www.amazon.com/Green-Light-A.../dp/B00OBX52WI it's cheaper by $7 at Home Depot.

Originally Posted by ElleTea

Who knew that yard work would be MORE work in the desert

I knew. When you uninformed and do things the wrong way, it does become a ton of work.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by MN-Born-n-Raised

The "equipment" is $12 https://www.amazon.com/Scotts-Easy-H.../dp/B000BQY7XO . If you are chasing weeds annually though grass killer, you are spending more time and $$'s than 1st killing everything and then applying a bag of this https://www.amazon.com/Green-Light-A.../dp/B00OBX52WI it's cheaper by $7 at Home Depot.


I knew. When you uninformed and do things the wrong way, it does become a ton of work.

As I said, I don't have the time, resources, or equipment and I am not interested in buying anything of the sort (my yard is pretty big so that wouldn't be enough anyway). I have never bought grass killer, so my only "expense" so far has been some topical weed killer and an hour here and there of mowing. (I was exaggerating for effect at how much weed killer I have purchased, I probably could have bought more but I gave up) I'll just keep on mowing when it gets too wild and otherwise ignore it as I have been, and hope for extended heat and drought to kill anything that can be killed.

You enjoy your landscaping duties! Hopefully the wildflowers are amazing this year!

[RosieSD]

If one wanted to visit Arizona to see and take photos of desert wildflowers this year, where would you guys recommend, and what month would probably have the best chance of a good show?

Here in Southern California, the wildflowers in Anza Borrego typically peak in early March, but I've "been there, done that" for the last 20 years, so I would love to explore Arizona this year if it seems like it will be a good year.

Thanks for any recommendations; I'm willing to drive anywhere.

[stevek64]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

As I said, I don't have the time, resources, or equipment and I am not interested in buying anything of the sort (my yard is pretty big so that wouldn't be enough anyway). I have never bought grass killer, so my only "expense" so far has been some topical weed killer and an hour here and there of mowing. (I was exaggerating for effect at how much weed killer I have purchased, I probably could have bought more but I gave up) I'll just keep on mowing when it gets too wild and otherwise ignore it as I have been, and hope for extended heat and drought to kill anything that can be killed.

You enjoy your landscaping duties! Hopefully the wildflowers are amazing this year!

Except you'll ignore your "ignore" on the forums and continue to post how bad the weeds are here on the forums of course.