Glenda Taylor | Updated 1:15 PM, July 19, 2021

Ask any group of gardeners to list their least favorite tasks, and you will surely hear the chorus of "Weeding!" Rampant weeds steal water and valuable nutrients from the soil that beneficial plants can absorb, and their not-so-lovable heads detract from the design of lawns and gardens.

It may be impossible to maintain a completely weed-free garden and landscape, but by solving the problem in time and taking steps to reduce the growth of weeds in the future, gardeners can reduce the time required for weeding. In the future, learn how to deal with weeds and find out which tools and products make the task easier.

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In seeking to keep the landscape free of weeds, it is easy to make some excessive mistakes. Before attempting to remove weeds, read on to learn the correct way to conquer green invaders and reduce their future growth. A big harvest of vegetables, beautiful flowers, and more relaxing time will be the result of happiness.

If weeds are overgrown with tomatoes, it will be difficult to get rid of them. When weeds are small, their roots are weaker, making it easier to pull them out. Promise to take a quick tour of your garden every other day; you can pull out any young weeds that appear in just a few minutes.

A gardener who is weeding manually may want to reach out and grab a handful and then pull it hard. Unfortunately, this usually causes the weed to break in half, leaving the bottom half and roots still underground. Instead, take the time to grab each weed individually by its root, and then pull it slowly and steadily to remove the root from the soil.

The trick is to figure out how to pull out weeds without pulling the back muscles. Bending over while standing can strain your back, making it feel as if you are lifting a heavy object. Try kneeling, sitting on the ground, or even bring a small portable stool to the scene to pull the grass more comfortably.

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Many gardeners find that some good weeding tools can speed up their work. Choose well-made tools with sturdy handles and comfortable holding, and the head or blades are made of tough forged steel. In addition, choose the weeding tool that suits your weed control method, whether kneeling or standing.

Need a break from the heavy weeding work? It is physically easier to control these unwanted crops with foliar herbicides (the toxic substances absorbed by the leaves of plants) than to pull weeds or weeds. Before you take this path, be sure to consider the pros and cons of these herbicides.

If the weeds don’t grow in the first place, you don’t have to kill or uproot the weeds, so consider pre-emergence treatment to prevent weed seeds from germinating. Spray the soil with a granular pre-emergent herbicide, such as Preen's Organic Vegetable Garden Weed Preventer (available on Amazon), and then spray water. The particles will dissolve and penetrate into the soil, forming a barrier around the weed seeds. A single application will last up to 12 weeks, after which the product can be re-applied.

Please note that once the pre-germination appears in the soil, the beneficial seeds will not germinate. For best results, wait until beneficial plants (such as tomatoes and cucumbers) grow to 4 to 8 inches tall before using pre-emergence products (as indicated on the packaging)-it will not kill plants that are already growing.

Another way to prevent weed seeds from germinating is to not disturb them. Digging, turning the soil, and tearing up existing plants and weeds usually trigger the germination of dormant weed seeds. This is a problem 22 because gardeners must disturb the soil to remove weeds, but when they do, they may cause more weed seeds to germinate. Weeds must be removed, but try to disturb the soil as little as possible when removing them.

Some stubborn weeds, such as Canada thistle, can not only pierce deep roots that are extremely difficult to extract, but also have thorny stems and leaves that can pierce anything smaller than thick leather gloves​​. When dealing with these difficult customers, use a sharp pair of scissors, such as the Gonicc 8-inch premium pruning shears (available on Amazon). Hand shears are suitable for small and medium-sized weeds, while long-handled trimmers, such as Fiskars 28" Bypass Loppers (available on Amazon), are helpful for trimming larger weeds, such as Canadian thistle. The roots will stay in the soil, but in large In most cases, if you remove the entire growing part of a plant, it will no longer get the sunlight it needs to survive and it will die.

To deal with large weeds that do not respond to other methods, consider burning them. Weed burners, such as the Flame King Propane Weed Burner (available on Amazon), connect to standard propane tanks and deliver flames directly to the weeds, scorching and killing them. Weed burners work well for intruders who grow under fences or invade near raised garden beds. Make sure the weeds are green, not brown and dry. You want to scorch them, not make a fire. Before using a flashlight for weed control, please consult your local government, as some communities may restrict or prohibit the use of flashlights.

Hot water can also kill weeds. Carefully pour a pot of freshly boiled water directly on the weeds, or use a steam weeder, such as DynaSteam Weeder (available on Amazon), to simplify the process and reduce the risk of hot water dripping onto your feet.

Related: 7 weird and effective weeding methods

The use of plastic can also generate weeding heat. After harvesting in autumn, cover the planting bed with dark landscape plastic (fix it on rocks or bricks) and keep it in winter. The sun's impact on the plastic heats the temperature of the soil below to destroy weed seeds.

Every fall and every spring, home gardeners are found turning their garden soil to help break down heavy clay, distribute organic matter, and transport oxygen to the soil. However, farming in this way will also bring dormant weed seeds to the surface, where they will germinate quickly. An alternative method of ploughing the ground several times a year is a no-till garden. No weeding tools are required.

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Farming is still necessary, but only once-when the garden starts to loosen soil in early spring. Afterwards, cover the garden with four to six inches of organic mulch (dry leaves, grass clippings, or hardwood chips). Mulch helps keep the soil moist and prevents weed seeds from germinating by preventing light from reaching the soil surface. When you need to sow or transplant seedlings, just push the mulch to that place-the ground below will soften and be ready to receive new plants.

For vegetable gardens, this may mean creating long V-shaped rows in the mulch, with bare soil visible only inside the "V". Plant the crops in narrow rows and after harvest, remove the used plants and cover the area with mulch again. Once a no-till garden is established, add one or two inches of mulch each year (the old mulch will biodegrade and settle) and follow the instructions to push the soil to the side each time you plant.

Gardeners can reduce the number of weeds in perennial flower beds and flower beds by using landscape fabrics. There are large rolls for spreading among shrubs, roses, trees and bushes, and landscape fabrics form a barrier to prevent weeds from growing, making them inaccessible to the sun. Although there are various types of landscape fabrics to choose from, most of them are made of woven materials such as polypropylene and have holes that allow water to penetrate.

Landscape fabrics are intended to be used with surface coverings, such as wood chips, rubber blocks or pine needles that hold the covering in place. Although this fabric reduces the growth of weeds without the use of chemical herbicides, the disadvantage is that it prevents garden-friendly earthworms from aerating the soil because they cannot reach the surface.

Pull up the weeds immediately after watering or showering the plants; when the soil is wet, the whole weeds are more likely to emerge from the roots. Putting the pulled weeds into the compost bin is completely fine, where the natural hot temperature will destroy any seeds.

If the soil is healthy, soft and fertile, it will be easier to pull out weeds. Well-drained soil is light and does not compact, so it is physically easier to pull weeds from the roots, while dense, compressed soils, such as clay-heavy soils, will lock the roots in place and make it difficult to pull out. Anything but the smallest weed.

Over time, adding organic matter, such as compost and dried leaves, will help lighten and loosen garden soil. Try to add an inch or two to the surface of the planting bed each spring, then use a shovel to level it. The addition of organic matter not only makes weeding easier, but also provides a healthier growth environment for ideal plants.

Reducing weeds in vegetable gardens, flower beds, and even lawns has always been a concern for gardeners and gardeners, but fortunately, there are many products and weeding tools that can help. For those who are just starting to fight weeds, there are several problems that can be expected.

The most environmentally friendly option is to add the pulled weeds to a compost pile or trash bin, where the internal temperature will reach at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit to kill the weed seeds. The completed compost can then be recycled back to the garden to add nutrients to the soil.

Weeds will always be with us, but they can be reduced to manageable numbers by following good gardening techniques. This includes pulling weeds when they are small, using barriers (such as landscape fabrics), using pre-emergence herbicides in the soil around beneficial plants, or practicing no-till gardening.

The best way to remove weeds is to pull out weeds as soon as they sprout. It may take 5-10 minutes every day or every other day to uproot small weeds, but it is much simpler to remove them when they are very young.

A standard gardening hoe, such as ERGIESHOVEL (available from Amazon) is the best all-around weeding tool because it can be used to remove small weeds without bending over or kneeling on the ground.

Perennial daisies are spread by rhizomes (underground stems), and although they are prized in flower beds, they can be annoying when they appear on the lawn. The plants can be dug out individually to ensure that all the rhizomes are obtained. Alternatively, non-selective chemical herbicides can be applied directly to the leaves of daisies to kill the plants.

Fighting weeds is an ongoing problem for growers around the world, and in many cases, a multi-pronged approach to get rid of them is the best practice. By pulling up the weeds when they are small, not only are they easier to remove, but they also have no chance to flower and set seeds, which significantly increases the weed problem. Careful removal of weeds can also reduce the need for chemical herbicides that are harmful to the environment.

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