The Best Way To Remove Long-Rooted Weeds In The Garden Is Also The Cheapest

Warm weather is usually associated with being a prime season for yard work, but with the presence of annual weeds in both summer and winter — as well as biennial and perennial weeds — staying on top of unwanted growth may end up being a year-round endeavor. Although weeds are simply plants that pop up where we don't want them, there are consequences to letting them grow unhindered. They're ugly and make our gardens look unruly, but more importantly, the plants we've intended to grow end up competing with weeds for space, nutrients, sunlight, and water. 

Gardeners are looking for the easiest way to deweed their garden beds, whether by using an arsenal of hand tools or spraying herbicides. However, the best to eliminate long-rooted weeds is also the cheapest — all you need are your hands. Weeds with deep taproots, like Canada thistle, dandelions, and Japanese knotweed, need to be completely removed both above and below the soil for them to be eradicated. It's not enough to pluck off their leaves. Using your hands gives you control of how and where you're gripping the weed, allowing you to precisely extract the entire structure. A tool may break apart the root system and leave some intact underground. 

Among the various types of weeding, this technique works particularly well in small spaces. You can home in on the weed rather than potentially harming neighboring plants. Hand-pulling also works well for areas covered with mulch. You can easily brush aside the mulch, remove the weed, and then replace the mulch with your hand. Doing this by hand keeps the area tidier than if you were using a larger tool.

The best conditions for weeding is when the soil is slightly moist — a day or two after heavy rain or after you've watered the garden. At the same time, weeding requires constant vigilance. Technically, it can be done anytime and as frequently as possible. You don't want weeds to flower or go to seed, or else you'll have your hands full in the near future. For example, when you're getting the mail and notice a few weed seedlings popping up, take a few minutes to remove them. 

Weeding by hand is quick and easy, too. Grip the plant at its base, ideally digging your fingers a few inches into the soil to grasp the roots, and pull carefully. Some perennials with exceptionally deep root systems may need to be removed multiple times, but doing so can weaken and kill the plant over time. 

While home remedy weed killers and store-bought herbicides can affect weeds, we still recommend hand-pulling for deep-rooted weeds. Contact herbicides only kill what is touches, meaning only the exposed surface of the plant. It also may need to be applied multiple times. Systemic herbicides may be more effective in this instance, since the plant absorbs the liquid and moves it down through the entire weed. However, this process is slower than contact herbicides (and hand-pulling). And on a practical level, refraining from using chemical herbicides is better for our own health and the environment.