How to Weed Mexican Heather

Overview

Weeds compete with desired plantings for soil space, water and both natural and applied nutrients. Mexican heather, known botanically as Cuphea hyssopifolia, is like many flowering annuals, sensitive to this competitive action by invading weed species. Regular hand weeding can help keep the weed activity from stressing your Mexican heather plants and maintain a tidy looking planting bed.

Step 1

Water the weed laden soil around your Mexican heather plants a few hours to a full day before you will conduct a weeding session. The water will loosen the soil making it easier to pull out the weeds with the roots intact.

Step 2

Grasp each weed plant in its entirety at the base of the plant against the surface of the soil. Pull up and out of the soil to remove as much of the weed as possible intact and discard. Repeat as needed to remove all of the established weeds.

Step 3

Dig out weed roots that do not come up with pulling by inserting a weeding fork under the weed root ball and levering the roots up and out of the soil.

Step 4

Lay down a 2- to 3-inch blanket of organic mulch such as shredded bark or compost around the base of your Mexican heather to prevent new weeds from establishing themselves.