I've underplanted a beautiful, mature Rose of Sharon with a bed of iris and Knockout roses. Problem is a zillion seedlings sprout every spring, either offspring from the Rose of Sharon itself or from the neighboring trees. I used several inches of wood mulch last year but they still take root or push up through. It's very time-consuming to pull them all out, as they're too close to the iris and rose bushes to spray. Any advice?

Hi,

Unfortunately there is no substitue for good old fashion weeding in this case. I don't think I would use any type of herbicide as there is not particular thing that would do the job of preventing or eliminating and it may cause damage to the desireable plants in the area.