Bea, I think I've tried most of those methods...except the vodka/alcohol method.

The problem I run into is weeds and grass growing inside bushes, and bedding plants. They can't be sprayed with anything without hurting the plants they are growing inside of.

I have a low growing Juniper bush around the base of my lamp post with is covered with tall grass. It is so hard to remove because Juniper is rough on the skin and I can't get down through the bush to reach the base of the grass to pull out. The tall grass has taken over the bush and I don't know how to deal with it. This poor shrub is in the front of my house and drives me crazy each time I go outside.

Today its been raining and I'll try hand pulling tomorrow hoping the soil is soft and I can get the roots, but I haven't been successful. This same grass (not sure what it is) comes up among my bulbs and the roots are like runners and will pull up the bulbs when I try to get it out. Horrible.

I don't want to use herbicides as it will kill the good plants and I just don't want to use toxic chemicals. .

Anyway, maybe I'll drink a shot of vodka and go out and try to get that tough grass out again!

Jane

Jane I sympathize with you. I too have that issuewith some shrubs. But my biggest bane is that round leaf weed that spreads underground through its roots…I don't know its name but it’s horrible. I have even dug up a whole bed trying to remove all its roots but a few weeks layer there it is again!

If the large weed is dollar weed then you have to make sure to get all of the pieces since it can regrow from tiny sections. I finally ordered a deep edging stuff to hopefully reduce some of the crazy grass and running weeds.