- Weeds are notoriously difficult to get rid of, and often require repeat attempts before having a complete success.
- Remove weeds when the soil is damp, not soggy, using a twist-and-pull method.
- Mulch can prevent weeds with the added benefit of keeping your soil moist—so give mulcing a try!
Pulling weeds is a routine part of maintaining beautiful gardens. It's a rare thing to stay weed-free all the time, but you can create gardens that need just a bit of maintenance weeding every spring.
Once flower, herb, and vegetable beds fill in, annoying weeds struggle to compete, and the job gets a lot easier. Here are six tips to help you get ahead of pesky weeds and ideas to keep them from coming back.
| Weeding Tools and Their Uses | |
|---|---|
| Spade | Deep or tight roots and crabgrass |
| Trowel | Weedy clumps |
| Hand rake | Small annual weeds |
| Dandelion digger | Dandelions and weeds with tap roots |
| Hoe | Vegetable gardens |
| Cultivator | vegetable gardens and yards |
Maintain Weeding Tools
Keep your weeding tools sharp and clean. Dull tools make it hard to cut through soil and roots, and rusty, dirty tools introduce problems like bacteria and molds. Sharpen tools before the growing season and clean off excess soil and detritus after use. Store hand tools in a bucket of sand to keep edges sharp.
Want more gardening tips? Sign up for our free gardening newsletter for our best growing tips, troubleshooting hacks, and more!
Choose the Right Gloves
The best gloves for weeding have built-in water resistance and aren't too thick. Choose the size with a snug fit. Good gloves allow you to feel if you've removed the entire plant, including roots. Save heavy leather for yard maintenance and weed with sturdy but less bulky gloves.
Remove Before They Set Seed
In spring, common annual weeds grow, flower, and set seed early for rapid spreading. Repeat efforts may be necessary to remove them completely.
Perennial weeds won't set seed until later—but don't wait. Some spread through underground rhizomes, so pull or dig them out as soon as they appear to avoid offshoots.
Plan to Pull After Rain or Early Morning
Unwanted vegetation comes out of damp soil a lot easier, so after a little rain or mornings before dew dries are ideal times for weeding.
If heavy rain occurs, wait a day or two to avoid compacting soggy soil. Monitor soil moisture with a meter or just stick your index finger in a 1/2 inch or so to check.
Try to Pull The Whole Plant With Roots
A big challenge is removing the entire weed with all its roots. Plenty of common weeds have a matting growth pattern, spreading from a center rosette and setting down new roots or spreading just under the surface. Roots are shallow but numerous—so it's important to pull the plant in its entirety.
Perennial weeds often have tap roots extending deep into the soil. Removing the entire root without breaking it off requires the right type of digging tool. Parts left in the soil regenerate new plants.
Always Twist and Pull
Shallow-rooted weeds are fairly easy to pull by hand. Try not to let them go to seed, but they need to be big enough to grip. Place your thumb at the base and wrap your fingers around the plant, then twist and pull slightly to one side. Pulling straight up causes stems to break, leaving roots behind. Pinch and pull smaller weeds.
Dandelion diggers work the same way, except you'll be digging deeper to get under the taproot, then twisting the tool to remove the entire plant.
Small unwanted plants that colonize, like immature, common violets, are easily removed by using a spade to get under the entire patch. Or use a handheld fork to break up the patch, then sift to remove weedy parts.
Ways to Get Rid of Weeds Besides Pulling
- Use a propane torch on sidewalks and driveways. Repeat treatments may be necessary to kill the roots of perennial weeds.
- Herbicides work on patios, walkways, and other concrete surfaces without damaging ornamental plants. They also work on weedy shrubs like Japanese honeysuckle. Use the stream nozzle setting to spot treat and avoid damaging nearby plants and grasses.
- Clean up larger, weedy areas by suffocating pesky plants with black plastic. This method, called solarization, takes longer but is nearly labor-free and cost-effective.
- A small gasoline or electric cultivator is practical for removing weeds from in-ground vegetable gardens and patchy lawns.
- Hoeing may seem like a dated method, but a good, sharp hoe is one of the most effective weeding tools for vegetable, herb, and some flower gardens.
How to Prevent Weeds From Coming Back
- Healthy yards and gardens resist disease, insects, and weedy growth.
- Consider planting ornamental ground covers in flower beds and shady, bare spots.
- Mulch reduces weedy growth and helps retain soil moisture. Shredded bark, leaves, cardboard, newspaper, and other natural products like pine straw and compost all break down over time. Some commercial mulches contain weed suppression ingredients.
- Landscape fabric discourages weeds when used in appropriate areas. Gravel-lined beds with foundation plantings benefit from this method of prevention. Tree rings are designed to suppress weeds around trees and shrubs.
- Tough, persistent perennial weeds may require applying an herbicide. Check labels for weeds you want to eradicate. Treat in the evening when pollinators aren't active and follow label directions.
How do weeds spread?
Weed seeds are carried and dropped by wildlife and dispersed through the wind. They also spread by underground rhizomes or stolons that contact the soil and root. Letting weeds flower and go to seed greatly increases the chance for opportunistic weeds to show up again next year.
FAQ
What is the best way to pull weeds?
Pull by hand by pinching or gripping at the base, then twist and pull. Use the right tool for weeds with dense or tap roots.
Will weeds grow back if pulled out?
If roots are removed and seeds have not dispersed, weeds won't grow back unless a new seed is dropped by a bird, bee or other insect. Mulch after weeding for best results.
Is it better to spray weeds or pull them out?
Plenty of weeds resist pulling or break off, leaving roots behind. Try digging or spot treating with the appropriate herbicide. It's always best to keep chemical formulas as a last resort.
