Hello,
I have owned this home for four years and have done MANY projects since buying including reclaiming the backyard from the weeds (the house sat empty for over a year prior). Anyway, in the front yard, previously I have just pulled weeds as much as I can around these shrubs I have but this year the shrubs have grown to a point where they need to be trimmed or something and the weeds are crazy. The shrubs are placed in a narrow "L" shaped strip between boulders lining the front yard with irrigation throughout. I want to have shrubs that are under control and NO WEEDS surrounding them. My problem is that I am unsure if it is okay to trim the shrubs at this point (they are currently flowering) and I am worried that they will just die. We get a lot of snow in the winter and the centers of the shrubs are beat down from heavy snow. The other thing is, I have no idea what kind of shrub they are. Can anyone give me advice?
[img]https://www.mrrussellonline.com/shrubs/IMG_7502.jpg[/img]
[img]https://www.mrrussellonline.com/shrubs/IMG_7503.jpg[/img]
[img]https://www.mrrussellonline.com/shrubs/IMG_7506.jpg[/img]
[img]https://www.mrrussellonline.com/shrubs/IMG_7507.jpg[/img]
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bullthistle
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1152
- Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 10:26 am
- Location: North Carolina
I have been away from CO for a number of years so the plant name escapes me, but your Columbine look good. Wait until the plant is dormant to prune back, winter time, and to keep the weeds at bay have you thought about using a weed barrier either with mulch or rock covering, brown might work, I also forgot the types as well, Cripple Creek? It's true weeds can grow on top of the weed barrier but they are alot easier to remove and as for them growing through, that's a myth, if you do it right. The reason why you have so many weeds now is because of the irrigtion system. Do not use any weed killer though because it could leach into the plant roots as I learned with a 60-70' pine.