‘Will kill them off!' Five ‘fast’ ways to banish garden weeds - including cardboard hack
Weeds and unwanted plants in the garden can be a nuisance, especially if they keep growing back once removed. Experts have shared five ways to easily remove weeds, including a cardboard trick.
How to remove weeds and moss from lawns
Whether buying a new home or you’ve let your existing garden become overgrown, there are plenty of different ways to get rid of weeds, according to Checkatrade. The experts said: “In this guide, we look at how to clear a garden full of weeds, and the options for dealing with the problem so that your garden stays looking as you want it to.”
Use hand tools
The Checkatrade experts explained: “One of the simplest ways to clear a garden full of weeds is by hand - though you’ll need to be ready for some hard work if you’re weeding an entire garden.
“Depending on the size of the weeds, you can either start by pulling them out by hand if they’re small enough.
“If you have some whopping great weeds on your hands, then you’ll want to start by using loppers and shears to cut them down to a manageable size.
“Once you’ve cut back all the weeds, grab your spade and turn over the soil. You might even want to consider double digging, where you dig out the top layer of soil and then dig a new trench at twice the depth that you fill with fresh soil.”
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According to the experts, this approach involves a lot of work and this should be in mind before setting out to clear weeds by hand.
Mulching
One of the best ways to clear garden weeds is through mulching, which can also provide gardeners with a foundation for a flourishing garden.
The experts said: “You’ll need to start by trimming down any large weeds and then leave the off-cuts on the ground.
“You then cover the whole area in cardboard and pile on leaves as high as you can, leaving it to rot. The cardboard layer creates a lack of light for the weeds underneath, which will kill them off.”
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The rotting leaves, cardboard and dead weeds will then create a rich source of nutrients to use on plants all around the garden.
Weed killer
The Checkatrade experts continued: “If you’re not planning to use your garden for planting anything new for a few years and you simply want to clear the whole area of weeds, weed killers could be an option.
“Using weed killers is a fast and effective but hardcore way of ridding yourself of weeds. They’re also very toxic, so shouldn’t be used in gardens where children or pets will be playing.”
To use this approach, simply spray weed killer on the weeds and leave them to die. Gardeners should then respray a month or so later to make sure they have been killed.
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The experts added: “But remember, the presence of weed killer in the soil afterwards will mean you won’t be able to grow any plants for a long while afterwards.
“If you’re worried about handling toxic substances yourself, hire a professional gardener to do the work for you.”
Clear plastic
According to the experts, clear plastic can be used to kill garden weeds as it increases the temperature of the soil underneath, which can kill weed seeds and roots.
They said: “That said, the result won’t be as good as using black plastic. Clear plastic will still allow light to reach the weeds, whereas black plastic will both increase the soil temperature and block out the light - a double whammy for killing weeds.”
Newspaper can also be used to help block sunlight reaching the weeds.
Weed burners/torches
Some gardeners find that weed burners offer them a great way to clear garden weeds without using weed killers. A weed burner uses a hot flame to burn the weeds, fuelled by a small gas tank.
The experts said: “Due to the nature of a weed burner, this approach comes with a risk of causing a fire in the garden and must therefore be carried out with caution.
“If in doubt, seek help from a professional gardener or weed burner specialist before carrying out the work yourself.”