Five ways to get rid of weeds with Alan Titchmarsh
- BBC Gardeners' World Magazine
Published: Friday, 25 August 2023 at 11:00 am
Find out how to get rid of garden weeds using a variety of techniques, from hoeing to digging, with expert advice from Alan Titchmarsh
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Many of the worst garden weeds can quickly take over your garden during the growing season. Weeds start growing earlier in the year than many garden plants, in early spring – so be sure to get on top of them early before they get out of hand.
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Then each week, check your garden for weeds and take action to control them. If you ignore them, they'll spread or set seed, causing bigger problems later on. Some weeds, such as bryony, must be dealt with whilst young. Perennial weeds can also be a particular problem, as they will regrow year after year.
There are lots of different ways to deal with weeds, from hoeing to pulling them up. It's best to weed on a dry day, when the soil is moist – this will make them easier to dig up, then clear away.
Here are five ways to eradicate garden weeds.
Dig them up
Use a garden hand trowel to remove spreading weeds like couch grass. If digging up perennials such as bindweed or nettles, dig deep using a garden fork and be sure to pull up the whole root, as tiny pieces left will become new weeds.
Digging up couch grass with its entire roots
In this short video, Alan Titchmarsh shows how to weed by hand, to remove perennial weeds such as thistles and annual weeds such as speedwell:
Hoe them off
Hoe over bare areas of soil weekly to sever weed roots and create a dry surface that helps prevent weed seeds from germinating. Choose a dry day, so that weeds on the surface dehydrate, wither and die. Find out more about using a hoe.
Hoeing out weed seedlings between plants
Pull them out
Pull out annual weeds such as groundsel or chickweed with the roots, before they have a chance to set seed. Hand weed after rain has softened the soil, allowing you to pull out complete root systems. Weeds such as herb Robert do not root deeply and are easy to remove by hand.
Pulling up groundsel by hand
Scrape them out
Scrape out weeds, such as dandelions or meadowgrass, between gaps in paving using a weeding tool or an old knife. Tease them out, roots and all. If you choose to use chemicals, you could also apply a residual path weedkiller afterwards, to prevent further weed growth.
A dandelion growing between paving slabs
Spray them
If you have a bad perennial weed infestation and don't mind using chemicals, you could use a systemic weedkiller. Spray or dab onto dry leaves, when rain is not forecast, in midsummer. If tackling bindweed, train up a bamboo cane first to isolate from the other plants. Always read the label.
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Japanese knotweed can be a very serious problem and can be difficult to eradicate. Professional help may be necessary.
Spraying weedkiller on bindweed trained up a bamboo cane
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