Eliminate Weed Plants from Your Garden

Weeds are just plants growing where unwanted. Philosophy: if you like it, it's a flower; if not, it's a weed. Still, wage war on weeds in vegetable and perennial beds—early elimination pays off. Weeding can be therapeutic.

For organic vegetables, never use chemical weed killers. Get tips for growing organic vegetables.

In perennial beds, pre-emergent herbicides prevent weed seed germination—but stop all seeds, so never use where you're sowing flowers.

Weeds 101

Two types:

1. Prolific seed producers—easy to pull/hoe but keep returning.
2. Persistent underground parts (roots, rhizomes) that resprout—harder to kill.

Dandelion combines both: extract entire root (even small pieces regenerate). 2-inch mulch prevents germination and eases removal.

Learn how to identify different types of weeds.

Weeding Tips

• Best time: after rain or irrigation when soil is soft—easier to pull entire root.
• Tackle a small area daily, rotating through garden—less overwhelming.
• Remove weeds entirely from garden; some regrow or go to seed if left. Keep out of compost unless pile reaches high heat (most home piles don't).
• Boiling water kills vegetation in cracks (teakettle works). Everything it touches dies.
• Plant cover crops (green manure) to outcompete weeds: wheat, barley, oats, rye, sorghum, sudangrass. Some release weed-suppressing chemicals. Plant anytime, till under before planting veggies/flowers.

Weed Elimination with Mulch

Organic mulch conserves moisture, adds organic matter, and blocks light to suppress germination. Apply 2–3 inches of chopped leaves, compost, untreated grass clippings, pine straw, cocoa hulls, or shredded hardwood/cypress bark. Keep mulch off plant stems to prevent fungal entry.

Barriers: newspaper under mulch (prevents blowing). Black/clear plastic solarizes soil—leave 4–6 weeks in sun to kill vegetation/seeds. Don't use plastic permanently—soil needs air.

Learn more about mulch!

Weeding Tools

Hands are often best, but for more power:

• Cutting/scraping tools: Angled triangular blades for cracks/crevices.
• Fishtail/taproot weeders: V-tip pries taproots (dandelions).
• Digging knives (hori-horis): Versatile—dig holes, divide perennials, remove taproots, scrape seedlings.
• Oscillating hoes: Stirrup blades on long handles—push-pull to sever young weeds between rows.

Get our tool-sharpening tips.

Common Weed Plants to Eliminate

Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon): Perennial grass with deep roots, spreads by seeds and stems. Smother with landscape fabric/black plastic for months. Bury vinyl edging 6+ inches or use raised beds to block invasion.

Common chickweed (Stellaria media): Winter annual, damp shade, heart-shaped leaves. Creeping stems root at nodes. Hand cultivation + 2-inch mulch best.

Crabgrass (Digitaria spp.): Annual, hot/dry weather, 2–5 inch blades. Mulch, water sparingly, weed frequently. Corn gluten pre-emergent in spring (stops all annual seeds).

Lamb's quarters (Chenopodium album): 1–4 feet, toothed leaves. Hand-pull/hoe. Mulch prevents germination. Corn gluten pre-emergent.

Nutsedge (Cyperus spp.): Yellow/purple nutsedge. Poorly drained rich soil. Triangular stems, grass-like leaves. Reproduces by seeds, underground stems, nut-like tubers. Dig up and dispose of soil to remove tubers.

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea): Hot/dry annual, succulent wedge leaves, yellow flowers in full sun. Seeds viable for years. Reddish stems form mats. Oscillating hoe effective. Uprooted plants reroot if left. Mulch prevents germination.

Quackgrass (Agropyron repens): Northern perennial grassy weed, fibrous roots up to 5 feet/season. Bluish-green leaves, wheat-like spikes. Seeds survive 4 years. Rhizomes spread. Dig small clumps; may need glyphosate herbicide.

How to Weed Your Garden

How to Weed Your Garden