Removing Parts of a Prairie Garden

What product would be easiest & environmentally safe to remove parts of a prairie garden?

Strategically timed mowing and fire have traditionally been used to control weeds in a prairie. You can also spot treat weeds or unwanted plants with Burnout (made primarily of clove oil, vinegar, citrus and sulfate), Bioganic (made from plant oils), Sharpshooter (salts of fatty acids) or other more environmentally friendly products. These chemicals burn the tops off the growing plants they contact. So protect near by desirable plants and plan on making several applications to kill both top growth and roots of unwanted perennial plants. You can mow and mulch sections you want to kill. Edge the area, cut the plants extremely short, and cover with several layers of newspaper and mulch. The covered plants will eventually die and decompose. Or edge the area and cover with clear plastic for 6 weeks during the growing season to cook the existing plants and many of the seeds in the top few inches of the soil.