Putting a paver brick edging around my front beds and one bed in the back is a major project for me this summer so IÂm dealing with some of the same questions that you are. IÂve always liked the look of brick edging but have avoided doing it previously because of fear of grass growing though the gaps  plus itÂs easier to change the shape of a bed if when the beds are just trench edged. My front beds are (I hope!) finally pretty much in a shape I figure I can live with for a while. That plus physical signs that it is time to think about reducing garden chores has made this the summer of the edge. To eliminate the grass worry, IÂm using the Curve-rite aluminum edging (the more flexible one  there was two different types at the supplier) between the grass and the bricks. The bricks are set on a couple of inches of screenings, compacted with a rubber mallet. IÂm also using the screenings to fill the gaps between the bricks  although I suspect I need to be using concrete sand or something like that. I will probably have to add sand as the screenings settle. The edging and the bricks are set ½" or so above the grass roots. Hopefully that is high enough to be a barrier to the grass but low enough so the lawnmower can easily run over it without the blade hitting it. My bricks werenÂt free unfortunately :-) But itÂs the aluminum strips that are the pricy part. Here they are $20 CDN for an 8 strip with 5 support spikes. The paver bricks for an equivalent 8 are only a few dollars. So far it looks good and I like the look better than the trench edge. It is certainly easier for the lawnmower  and you donÂt have to be as careful walking because thereÂs no risk of falling into the trench! IÂm going to backfill behind the bricks with pine bark mulch in one area but just slope the soil in the bed to the back of the bricks in most areas. I plant very densely with a Âno bare ground philosophy so I donÂt have a problem with erosion . I generally donÂt mulch my garden beds. The plants are my mulch! Some of my filler plants (particularly feverfew) get cut down during the summer and are left on the ground to compost in place. In most places, the plants will overhang the brick edging to soften it and deflect some of the force of heavier rains. Since I leave the previous year's growth standing until new growth starts in spring, that should, I think, help reduce erosion issues in the bare seasons. We'll see next year I guess!

It's all for a vegetable garden. The beds should stick up 2-4 inches above whatever mulch I use if I use 4 inches of it (more if I use less). The depth of the beds will be more as I intend to dig down directly under the beds to give more depth for better soil I'm going to haul in. I plan to leave some room at the top of the beds to add compost as time goes by. Some of the beds will be 10x4ft with 4ft spacing between them. These will probably be the least of my worries and I'll mulch with newsprint inside the beds with drip irrigation on top to keep it wet (and by so doing, keep it from blowing away). I'm reasonably confident of that part of my plan. Mulching between these beds will be important mostly to avoid the tall weeds, and to avoid anything that likes to spread weed seeds to the rest of the garden. Elsewhere (which is the majority of the garden), my bed setup will be the same in terms of height/depth but widthxlength will be 2x2. The purpose of these will be for larger plants like watermelon, muskmelon, pumpkin, squash, etc. While the pumpkin and squash MIGHT be able to hold their own against the weeds, the watermelon and muskmelon (which will be the bulk of the plants) won't. I proved that this year when I didn't weed some of them in time and the plants didn't put on near the growth they should have due to being shaded. The ones that were weeded in a more timely fashion did fine. Due to the size and quantity (around 125 or so) of these plants, it's really not practical to try building a bed large enough to hold them. The purpose of the bed in their case is to provide for the main stalk/root system. The leaves and fruit will have to be outside the bed on the ground where I need some sort of a mulch system to keep the weeds under control. When these things start growing, mowing obviously won't be an option because I'd destroy my plants. I've got about 9,000 square feet of space here I need to mulch in some fashion, so cheap is important. I can live with spending a bit of money up front if it means I've solved the problem (or the majority of it) for several years. Spreading anything over that much space is a fair amount of work too (and often the work involved is more daunting than the expense - particularly if I end up doing something like rock). Landscape Fabric I tried some experiments with landscape fabric this year and didn't like the results. At a minimum, I'd have to replace it every year if I put it on top, and in that quantity, it's rather expensive for a yearly cost. Newspaper I can afford (I buy the end rolls from the newspaper company), but isn't suitable outside the beds mostly due to wind. Black Plastic I'd consider black plastic, but I don't think it will hold up to foot traffic - assuming it can survive the wind. Astroturf Any sort of outdoor carpeting/astroturf appears to be to expensive. Old Carpet Old used carpeting might be a real option if I can find a ready supply for free/cheap though I have concerns about the chemicals and possible smell. I suspect smell (if there is any) would only be an issue when it's wet during the spring. I can't really see it smelling when it's dry which should be the bulk of the year. Stone The more I read the more I'm afraid it won't do much at all for my weed issue after a few years and then I'll just be stuck battling weeds with a ton of rock involved. Organic Mulch I have doubts about being able to make the expense/longevity make sense here. It might be able to work, but so far the numbers aren't looking right. If it was either cheaper, or if it lasted longer, I could justify it. Cardboard I've got doubts about being able to locate this quantity of cardboard, and far more doubts about being able to make it hold up to the wind. I realize I could pin it, but if the cardboard pieces aren't very big to begin with, I think half the mulch will be pins instead of cardboard. Even with the pins, I'm not sure it could manage the wind. The wind gets really rough here sometimes. Aggressive non-mow groundcover Haven't found anything I think would do the job, I could reasonably source and afford, and I could have in place and ready to take over by next spring - I'm looking for a solution that will be working by next spring. Not one I'm going to have to spend a few years getting up to speed. whatever I do, I don't really mind spreading some more of X every year, or rolling out new cover, etc. but it has to be affordable at those replacement rates. I'm trying to stay below $3K for the beds, soil, and mulch. For $3K, I want a minimum of a 5 year solution, preferably more like a 10. If I spend less, I can live with having to spend more on maintenance each year. I forsee getting some good life out of the soil (if properly maintained which I will) and the beds (if decently built which is the plan). My concern point and issue is the mulch.

You can water before or after - shouldn't make a difference. Place it right next to the base/stem of the plants. This will inhibit bugs like cucumber beetles from laying eggs under your plants. The grass will become very matted as it ages - almost like a loose fabric that you can pick up in pieces. Definitely let it dry out first before applying a thick layer or only put on a thin layer of fresh cut. I put on a thick layer of wet cuttings and had a mold problem.

If your going to use a herbiced I would spot spray only. (read the label carefully) Proper management practices that encourage a dense, thriving turf are the best method of weed control. Healthy turf shades the soil so sunlight can't reach weed seeds ready to germinate. A thick turf also minimizes the physical space available for weeds to become established. There are several management practices that will promote a healthy, dense grass. If turf is over-or under-watered, over-or under-fertilized, or mowed too low or too infrequently, the turf is weakened and cannot compete with weeds. Damaged areas resulting from using unsharpened mowers increase time needed for turf recovery, allowing for weed invasion. It is very important to understand that weeds don't create a void, they fill a void. Mulch Mow High 4+" with a sharp, balanced blade Water deeply and infrequently with 3/4-1" water. (no more than once a week in summer) What variety of grass do you have? When was the last time you fertilized?