Weedkiller, green tomatoes & soaker hoses

Q: Without using weedkiller spray, how can I clean up a weedy bed where I want to plant bulbs this fall? So far I have been digging and that is hard work. For the winter, can I cover the bed with a mulch of straw or cardboard or would that kill the bulbs?

A: I think it's just as effective and a lot easier to use a weedeater, or even garden scissors in small spots, to cut weeds to the ground once a week. No matter how persistent a weed, it is not immortal (even though sometimes it may seem that way). Without green tops, weed roots have to die. They may die slowly but die they will.

You will wan...