Weeding is one of those gardening jobs that you hate, but alas, it must be done. You’ll hate it even more if you’ve been doing it bent down with a cheap trowel, frantically pulling before your back gives out. However, you’ll be relieved to hear there are tools specifically designed to make this miserable takes much less loathsome. With the right tool, you can make weeding faster, more bearable, and in some cases (I’m looking at you pyromaniacs) genuinely enjoyable.

Whether you’re dealing with those annoying dandelions that are cute but take over your entire lawn, weeds that creep through the cracks of your patio, or a summer bed that got away from you while you were on vacation, there’s a tool on this list to help you get the job done.

We’ve rounded up the best you can order online right now, from the satisfyingly old-fashioned to the honestly quite unhinged (in the best way, of course). If you want a broader overview, check out our guide to the best weeding tools before you add anything to your cart.

If your knees and back protest with exhaustion ever time you so much as think about weeding, this is the tool for you. Despite being invented in 1913, it’s still one of the most effective weed removers on the market.

Grampa's Weeder uses a four-claw lever design to grip weeds by the root (which is exactly what you want). You just place it over the weed, step on the footpad, lean on the handle, and out it comes, root and all. No bending, no kneeling, and certainly no chemicals. It works best on softer soil (especially after rain), and it's particularly satisfying on dandelions. Over 100 years later, it still gets rave reviews, which really makes you think of the old adage, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Sometimes you need a bit more precision, especially if you’re working in flower beds and don’t want to destroy your other plants. This Fiskars hand weeder has a cast-aluminum angled head, which gives you real leverage in tough soil, while the ergonomic SoftGrip handle is designed to reduce wrist and hand fatigue. This is great because it means you can actually keep going without your hand cramping up twenty minutes in. It’s rust-resistant, built to last, and has a hang hole for storage so you'll never lose it in the shed again (as long as it’s organized).

The Hori Hori is the Swiss Army knife of garden tools, and this seriously leans into that identity. It has 10 different functions all packed into a single stainless steel blade: flat edge, serrated edge, depth ruler, shovel, bottle opener, and multiple wrench sizes. For weeding specifically, the dual-edge blade lets you slice through roots cleanly, and the full-tang handle (injected directly into the blade) means it won't bend or break even in that super tough soil. It comes with a thick leather sheath you can clip to your belt, which is either very practical or very cool depending on your gardening personality. Probably both?

The weeds that grow between pavers and driveway cracks sure do win the award for most annoying, especially since no normal tool can reach them. But let me introduce you to the Japanese-made crack weeder from Nisaku. The corrugated stainless steel blade is specifically shaped to fit into tight crevices and get out weeds at the root. The craziest part is that it’s not some giant tool; it's small enough to fit in your pocket. Made by master blade craftsmen using authentic Tomita steel (the same manufacturer that's been making garden tools since 1960). It's one of those tools you didn't know you needed until you've used it once, and then you wonder how you ever lived without it.

Yes, this is technically setting weeds on fire, which is super cool if you like that sort of thing. And yes, it works brilliantly. The Flame King propane torch puts out 340,000 BTU, which, in less scientific terms, is enough to heat weeds to the point of cell destruction, killing them without chemicals and without any pulling. It's especially effective on driveways, gravel paths, and patio gaps, and the ten-foot hose means you're not dragging a propane tank around your whole garden.

A few important caveats though: use it in the early morning or evening when conditions are calm, keep water nearby, and don't use it during dry spells or anywhere near dry mulch or grass. Used sensibly, it's one of the most satisfying weeding experiences available. Used carelessly, it's a different kind of problem entirely.

This Long-Handled Hoe Weeder is made in the USA with a powder-coated steel frame and 60-inch ash handle. On top of that, this is one of the best-reviewed stirrup hoes on the market. The blade oscillates 20 degrees in both directions so it cuts on the push and the pull, meaning you can quickly work on large weedy beds without needing to bend over once.

The CobraHead Long Handled Weeder is a cult-favorite single-tine weeder that many gardeners swear by. The curved forged steel blade acts like a steel fingernail, getting under weeds and popping them out root-first with crazy accurate precision, and the 54-inch hardwood handle means you stay upright the whole time (always a win for your back).

Each time I scroll through my social media feeds during peak growing season, I brace myself for seeing someone singing the praises of boiling water as the ultimate zero-cost weed killer. It sounds like a dream, I know: just boil the kettle, head over to your resident weeds, and scald those invaders into another dimension without a second thought or a single drop of chemicals. But honestly, I’ve always been too nervous to try it in my garden. The internet loves a quick-fix hack, but nature rarely plays by viral rules, and something about pouring boiling water blindly around my prized plants has always felt a bit reckless.

Driven by a mix of healthy skepticism and a desire to make my own weeding routine a little less of a daily chore, I decided to do some deep digging. And what I’ve discovered is fascinating. Boiling water on weeds isn’t quite as devastating as I initially feared – but it isn’t some almighty garden savior, either. Knowledge truly is power here, and I want to help you to feel really empowered the next time you’re staring down that dreaded tuft of chickweed or dandelion. The thing is, boiling water can be a brilliant weed control if used carefully, but it is not a mindless, catch-all solution.

You see, it turns out that a lot of well-meaning gardeners are using this method in the wrong way, inadvertently creating more problems at the soil level. So if you want to safeguard your garden while also avoiding the frustrating, repetitive cycle of never-ending weeding, think twice before reaching for the kettle. Here’s exactly what I found out about the science of scalding, and the high-risk backyard hot spots to avoid at all costs, plus the one place boiling water is genuinely brilliant.

Why Boiling Water is Risky

So why does boiling water kill weeds? To understand why this hack has caught on, let’s think about the sheer, brutal reality of what happens when scalding water hits a plant full force. At its core, boiling water acts as a non-selective contact herbicide. When you pour water heated to 212°F (100°C) onto a common weed, you aren't just giving it a bad day: you are melting the protective waxy cuticle on leaves and rupturing its cell walls.

Within hours, the weed loses its structural integrity and begins to wither. And yes, knowing you can kill weeds with boiling water does seem a satisfying end for these pernicious intruders, shocking soft-leaved annuals like chickweed, hairy bittercress, or young crabgrass before they ever get a chance to seed. However, this thermal shock can be a curse as much as a blessing. Water doesn’t discriminate between a dandelion and the delicate roots of your favorite perennials, or beneficial soil bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi. So if you dump a massive volume of boiling water on a patch of earth, you risk creating a dead zone.

One way around this is to be moderate, and to strike a balance between volume versus frequency. Drenching the same patch of earth with gallons of boiling water week after week is a recipe for sterile, ruined soil. Whereas a highly targeted, low-frequency strike is a safer way of tackling pockets of weeds. That said, for established perennials with deep, chunky taproots (like docks or bindweed), a single splash of boiled water on weeds will only kill the top growth, and before you catch your breath, the root fragments will sprout again. So why not just blitz those fiends with more hot water, you may wonder? Well, I’m glad you asked…

When Not to Use Boiling Water

While the immediate satisfaction of watching a weed wither under a stream of scalding water is undeniable, there is a right and a wrong time and place for the contents of your kettle. Because boiling water is completely non-selective, any usage requires a degree of situational awareness. Applying this DIY weed killer with gusto far and wide risks serious, irreversible collateral damage to the very plants and plant nutrients you are trying to protect and nurture. Extreme caution is advised, as well as a sensible approach, in order to avoid making a terrible weeding mistake. It’s all about knowing where and when you can use it – and perhaps more importantly, where you absolutely shouldn’t use it. Here are the 3 highly vulnerable backyard areas where you should never unleash the kettle…

1. Near Shallow Rooted Shrubs

When contemplating the dangers of thermal weeding, this discovery alone could make your hand freeze on the kettle handle. It boils down (sorry) to the fact that a plant's root system is its life support. For shallow-rooted ornamental shrubs like hydrangeas, azaleas, and rhododendrons, that life support is just a few inches beneath the soil surface. Pour a deluge of boiling water within 2 feet (60cm) of these shrubs, and you aren't just wrecking weeds. That boiling water percolates rapidly through the top layer of soil, cooking the delicate feeder roots of precious shrubs, leading to stunted growth, withered leaves,and even plant failure.

Tackling weeds around these sensitive shrubs requires more than one control method. For annual weeds like chickweed, which spread like a dense carpet, the key is timely, targeted surface intervention before they drop thousands of seeds into flowerbeds. For tough perennials like dandelions or plantains, which love to anchor right at the base of shrubs, you need safe tools that allow for clean extraction. For reliable precision that is simple to use, the CobraHead Original Weeder and Garden Hand Tool from Amazon is great for tricky spaces, lifting bittercress rosettes neatly with its fingernail claw without disturbing sensitive shrubs.

Weeding around prized ornamentals doesn't have to be a drag if you head out for a quick, mindful dusk session, when the soil is damp and yielding. For dandelions that loiter too close to these shrubs, I’d heartily recommend a bit of “weed therapy” with my favorite weeding tool: the screwdriver. If you haven’t got one to hand, the Performance Tool 10-inch Slotted Screwdriver from Walmart is very satisfying on tough taproots. Just pick one that is 10 inches (25cm) deep for the cleanest, most effective leverage.

2. On Landscape Fabric

Landscape fabric isn’t a given, but it is a feature of more yards these days. So if you have it installed under gravel pathways or mulch beds, adding boiling water is a critical mistake. Most standard landscape fabrics are woven or non-woven geotextiles crafted from synthetic polymers. Some budget options are sheets of perforated plastic. Exposing these synthetic materials to extreme heat causes them to break down rapidly. When you pour boiling water onto this fabric to target sneaky annual weeds like crabgrass or goosegrass, you risk warping, shrinking, or even melting it.

The long-term danger is a silent one. Melting these fabrics creates gaping holes that invite a fresh invasion of opportunistic perennial weeds like dandelion or thistle seeds to take root. But worse than that, it releases microplastics and chemical stabilizers directly into the upper layers of your soil, contaminating the earth. Even heavy-duty woven fabrics designed for longevity won’t hold up to repeated scalding without losing their structural integrity. Instead of a quick fix, you end up with brittle, compromised fabric and an environmental headache.

In these cases, just be observant about the location of the weeds. Sneaky annuals often germinate in the organic detritus on top of the fabric. Rather than trying to scald weeds, use surface-slicing tools that cleanly sever the weed at the soil line without tearing or heating the fabric. One speedy slicer that is perfect for mass-clearing mats of weeds in these areas is the True Temper Action Hoe with Hardwood Handle from Amazon, with its double-edged scuffle head, which slices at the fabric line without wrecking the barrier. In areas where you suspect seeds have popped up through tight seams in fabric, use a fast-acting contact spray like the Spruce Weed & Grass Killer Manual Spray Starter Kit from Walmart.

3. Along Raised Bed Edges

Raised beds offer perfectly drained soil and a haven for homegrown treats. But because they are watered frequently and retain moisture so well, their interior edges and damp corners are ripe spots for weedy rogues. If you spot a cluster of hairy bittercress, chickweed, or dandelions hugging the inner perimeter of your beds, your first instinct might be to reach for the kettle. Don't do it! The damp, sheltered microclimate along a raised bed's edge is home to some of our soil’s most beneficial friends: earthworms.

Earthworms are the unsung heroes of many a yard, constantly aerating the soil, improving drainage, and depositing nutrient-rich castings right where crops and flowers need them most. Flush the inside edges of a raised bed with piping hot water, and the extreme heat floods down into those damp perimeter channels, sady cooking worms and microorganisms clustered below the surface. Those few seconds of weed mania could set soil health back months, potentially wiping out a year of growing. Furthermore, if you use treated wood or specific liners, repeated exposure to boiling water can accelerate degradation of materials.

Tackling edge-dwelling weeds relies on precision methods and getting the timing right. To keep weeding simple and satisfying, target perimeter weeds at dusk when the soil is damp. By swapping the kettle for mechanical tools, you can easily lever out stubborn perennial taproots from tight corners while keeping worms safe. One of my favorite tools for surgical precision in awkward corners is the Hokuru Hori Hori Japanese Weeding Knife from Amazon, but you can also save your back with the vice-like grip of old faithful, Grampa’s Weeder Stand-Up Weed Puller Tool from Walmart. Extraction satisfaction guaranteed!

When You Can Use Boiling Water

At this point, your kettle is probably looking a little sorry for itself. But take heart, there is one place where boiling water is a brilliant weed killer. If you have weeds popping up through the cracks in concrete driveways, stone patios, or brick garden paths, feel free to unleash the bubbling beast: the risks of collateral damage are practically zero. There are no shallow shrub roots to cook and no landscape fabrics to melt, and the compacted area beneath paving stones isn’t a primary haven for friendly earthworms.

Pavement weeds are often young annuals or shallow-rooted grasses, so a targeted pour easily collapses their cells. For established, perennial weeds with thicker taproots, this may only smother the top layer of growth. But don’t forget your trusty screwdriver, which can help to lever out these taproots. To save on repeat kettle trips, use boiling water in tandem with another personal favorite. Once scalded weeds are swept away, some polymeric sand can shut down the pathway weed factory for good. Rhino Power Bond Plus Polymeric Super Sand from Walmart can easily be worked into joints and crevices to seal out weed seeds for up to 5 years.

Best Weeding Warriors

Winning the war against the weed factory means a multi-pronged approach for different parts of the yard, and different weeds. Established perennials like docks and dandelions need surgical interventions like that flathead screwdriver to prise out taproots cleanly. Annuals like hairy bittercress, crabgrass, and chickweed require a different strategy, aimed at seed prevention. If you find weeds wedged tightly against delicate ornamentals, there’s another method I love called exhaustion shearing. Use a pair of garden scissors to snip the weed at the soil line every 4-5 days. This starves the root, quietly killing it without impacting nearby beauties.

Another aspect of effective long-term weed control is preventing stubborn weed seeds from ever seeing the light of day. Planting dense, ground-covering ornamentals like hostas, lady’s mantle, or heuchera chokes out weed seedlings before they sprout. To double your defenses after a weeding session, immediately cover beds with 3 inches (8cm) of mulch, such as Back to the Roots Organic Premium Mulch from Amazon, ensuring any dormant weed seeds stay trapped in the dark. By combining these interventions with some sensible hoeing and hand-pulling, as well as a few targeted kettle trips, you can stay ahead of those pesky weeds. So keep these curated essentials on standby as summer gets underway.

Outsmarting weeds isn't about finding one magical quick-fix, but combining smart weed controls. While annuals require rapid surface prevention, tough perennials demand surgical root removal. So don’t ditch the kettle, but use it as part of a series of hand tools, thoughtful groundcovers, and protective mulches. That way, you can protect your plants, keep your joints and your earthworms happy, and permanently weaken the weed explosion. Just don’t forget to reward yourself with a hot drink once you’re done!

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June is when weeds seem to appear overnight. One minute your borders are neat and tidy, and the next they're crowded with unwanted guests, leaving you with the less-than-fun task of removing them all before your favorite plants get smothered.

Luckily for me, the professional gardener I turn to for advice has more than 20 years of experience – and also happens to be my husband, so you can rest assured he has excellent judgment. And according to him, the best way to remove weeds doesn't involve reaching for a bottle of weed killer at all.

I know, I know; a lot of people tend to turn to chemical weed killers, but they're rarely the best solution. After all, herbicides don't just harm beneficial insects, contaminate soil, and negatively affect the wider garden ecosystem; they can also damage nearby plants if applied incorrectly, particularly on windy days or in mixed borders.

With that in mind, then, what's the safest and most effective option?

The Best Way to Remove June Weeds

From dousing them in boiling water to dusting them with baby powder to (ahem) timing things perfectly, there are a lot of weeding hacks on social media. If you want a gardener's perspective on the matter, though, the best solution is also the oldest in the playbook: dig them out.

"For persistent weeds, digging is always my first choice," he says. "If you remove the entire root system, you're much less likely to see the weed return. It takes a little more effort upfront, but it's usually the most effective long-term solution."

Of course, perennial weeds such as docks, dandelions, and bindweed can quickly regrow from root fragments left behind in the soil. Carefully loosening the ground with a hand fork and removing as much of the root as possible gives you the best chance of preventing repeat growth (if you want that, mind you; one gardener's trash is another's treasure, and some people quite like sharing their garden with their birth month weed).

So, digging. Except, when summer growth is in full swing and weeds seem to be appearing faster than you can remove them, you should swap your go-to tool for a garden hoe.

"Hoeing is one of the quickest and most efficient ways to stay on top of weeds during summer," my tame gardener explains. "On a warm, dry day, slicing through young weeds just below the soil surface can clear large areas in minutes. The severed weeds are left on the surface where they dry out and die."

He adds that hoeing isn't just about speed. "If you're regularly hoeing little and often, you stop weeds from becoming established in the first place. That's far easier than dealing with large, deep-rooted weeds later in the season."

The key to all of this is timing, as hoeing works best when the soil is dry and weeds are still small. Regular light hoeing can prevent weeds from becoming established, reducing the need for more labor-intensive digging later in the season (which, basically, means a little work now will save you a massive job later).

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Unlike chemical weed killers, both digging and hoeing tackle weeds without harming the wider garden environment. They protect pollinators, preserve soil health, and eliminate the risk of accidentally damaging nearby plants (because remember: weed killers don't just affect the weeds you're targeting).

I guess the key takeaway is this: June may be peak weed season, but keeping them under control doesn't have to involve harsh chemicals (and shouldn't, if you want to do right by Mother Nature).

A combination of digging out stubborn weeds and regularly hoeing young growth can keep borders looking tidy while supporting a healthier garden ecosystem. And a few minutes spent tackling weeds each week? Well, that doesn't sound like much of a hardship if that's all it takes to stop them taking over for the rest of the summer.

Vinegar as a weed killer has exploded in popularity in recent years. The appeal is understandable: it’s inexpensive, it’s likely on hand, and it bypasses the complex debate surrounding synthetic herbicides. But the results when you use vinegar for weed killer can be mixed at best. Whether it works depends on which vinegar, which weed, how it’s applied, and what the plan is for that patch of soil afterward.

However, reaching for that bottle without understanding how it works can lead to a summer of regret. The problem is that most people reach for the wrong kind or use it in the wrong way, then wonder why the dandelions came back a week later. Using vinegar for weed control indiscriminately can leave soil compromised just when summer annuals need it most. And while vinegar is natural, it isn’t always gentle.

Many gardeners treat vinegar for weeds as a quick fix, only to be baffled when the chickweed reappears or, worse, when their hydrangeas begin to wilt. This article isn't about scaring you away from organic solutions, but guiding you towards a more effective weeding strategy. This starts with knowing what vinegar is doing when it hits the weeds and the soil – and what it isn't doing. Using vinegar for weed killer does come with risks, and it’s vital to know what they are so you don’t risk damaging your yard. Before you reach for that bottle of vinegar, here’s what you need to know.

Kitchen vs. Horticultural Vinegar

The vinegar in the kitchen cabinet is typically 5% acetic acid. That’s enough to brown and wilt foliage on contact. It works, to a point. But what it tends to do is scorch the top growth without reaching the root system, so the weed looks dead for a few days and then pushes back up from whatever is still viable underground. On shallow-rooted annual weeds caught early, a 5% solution can be enough. On anything with a real root structure, the effects of this weed killer are mostly cosmetic.

Horticultural vinegar runs at 20-30% acetic acid, which is 4-6 times stronger, and it behaves differently. It is often used as a cleaner and is effective on bird baths and anywhere with unsightly mineral buildup. Contact with this concentration causes serious tissue damage, and the burndown is significant on young weeds. It’s also more hazardous to handle. Skin and eye contact can cause chemical burns, so it warrants the same care as any concentrated chemical. Horticultural vinegar concentrate such as Harris 30% Vinegar Concentrated Extra Strength from Amazon comes with appropriate handling guidance, and requires protective gloves.

If you are in a USDA zone with high humidity and fast-growing spring weeds (like zones 7-9), the temptation to use the strong stuff is high. If you use horticultural vinegar, you must treat it with the same respect as any high-strength chemical, utilizing gloves and eye protection. It is a tool for specific, high-intensity moments, not a casual spray-and-go solution for your veggie patch. Buy a dedicated sprayer with a focus nozzle, such as the Chapin 1-Gallon Garden Sprayer from Lowe's, to avoid accidental drift onto your flowers when using high-strength vinegar for weeds.

1. The Contact Killer Trap

Vinegar is a contact herbicide, which means it damages the tissue it touches and nothing else. It doesn’t move through the plant the way systemic herbicides do, so it doesn’t usually reach the roots. For annual weeds like crabgrass, hairy bittercress, or young spurge, that’s fine: kill the top growth and the plant is done, especially if it’s caught before it sets seed. Annual weeds don’t have the root reserves to recover from complete defoliation. But vinegar only kills what it touches. It’s a localized chemical burn. So while it can slay annual weeds, it is less effective for perennials.

Fleshy, deep-rooted perennials like dandelions, Canada thistle and bindweed store significant energy in their root systems and can regrow from root fragments alone. Vinegar will knock the foliage back and the plant looks gone, but the root pushes up new growth within a week or two. Repeated applications can wear a perennial weed down over time, but it’s a slow process and not particularly reliable. For those weeds, a contact killer is basically pruning them, not eliminating them. You can scorch the leaves all you want, but the root remains safe and sound, ready to send up a revenge sprout the moment you turn your back.

If you rely solely on vinegar for weed killing these deep-rooted pests, you’ll find yourself in a cycle of constant re-application. Not only is this exhausting, it can become a hazard for soil health. A targeted systemic is more efficient for deep-rooted perennial weeds, and ultimately less damaging. Buy a systemic like Sceptracide 64-oz Concentrate Weed & Grass Killer from Lowe’s for more tenacious perennial weeds.

2. Invisible Dangers in the Soil

Acetic acid (like vinegar) lowers soil pH. A single application in a spot where weeds are growing isn’t likely to cause lasting damage. But repeated applications in the same area can push pH down far enough to disrupt the microbial activity that keeps soil healthy. The beneficial bacteria and fungi that break down organic matter and support plant roots are sensitive to soil pH shifts. A soil that’s been repeatedly dosed with acid isn’t a great environment for growing anything intentional afterward.

These beneficial microbes are responsible for breaking down organic matter and making nutrients available to your plants. When the pH drops too low, these microbes die off, and your soil becomes lazy. Using vinegar to clear a patio crack or a gravel path is low-stakes, because nothing’s supposed to grow there. But using it repeatedly in a flower bed or vegetable garden (or near desirable plants) is far riskier.

Vegetables might look stunted, or your flowers might lose their luster, simply because the soil chemistry has been thrown out of balance. Acid-loving plants like blueberries or azaleas can handle the shift, but your tomatoes and lavender will likely suffer. It’s wise to test the soil using a dedicated kit, like the Rapitest Soil Test Kit from Amazon, before planting anything in a spot that’s had repeated vinegar applications, to check if your vinegar use has pushed your soil into the danger zone.

3. The Salt and Dish Soap Problem

A lot of DIY vinegar weed killer recipes call for adding salt and dish soap to the mix. The soap acts as a surfactant, which means it helps the vinegar solution stick to waxy leaf surfaces instead of beading off, which does improve contact. However, many modern dish soaps are detergents that can harm the waxy cuticle of your desired plants if there is any over-spray.

The salt is the bigger issue, though. Sodium chloride doesn’t break down or flush out of soil the way most things do. It accumulates, and at sufficient concentration it can essentially sterilize the ground. This means that nothing grows, including the plants you want in that spot. This effect can persist for years, depending on how much was applied and how well the area drains. In a contained spot like a patio joint or a pathway edge, this might be acceptable. In or near a garden bed, it can be a devastating problem that is hard to reverse and correct.

If you must use a surfactant, skip the salt and use a dedicated horticultural soap or a very small amount of biodegradable, castile-based soap. You can buy Southern Ag Spreader Sticker from Amazon to ensure your (safe) treatments actually stay on the leaf. A few drops of plain dish soap per quart of horticultural vinegar can also do the job without the soil damage. Buy Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soap Unscented from Target for a safer biodegradable alternative to harsh dish detergents for your DIY mixes, but leave the salt in the kitchen.

Better Weeding Controls to Try

The verdict on vinegar is clear: it’s not a total solution, nor should it be used repeatedly in areas where you want things to grow. It’s fine for cleaning moss off a brick patio or scorching a few annual weeds in a driveway, but it shouldn't be your primary weapon in beds.

For effective weeding of existing problem plants, use a stirrup hoe or scuffle hoe. Unlike a traditional hoe that chops at the ground, a stirrup hoe slides just beneath the soil surface, severing weed roots while leaving the soil structure intact. This avoids waking up dormant seeds in the deeper soil layers. Buy the Walansee Action Stirrup Hoe from Walmart for effective weeding in large areas. Do your weeding shortly after it rains, and you’ll find that your need for vinegar drops significantly – and your garden health improves exponentially.

Smothering the soil is a more effective and long-lasting way to address the problems associated with weeds. By applying a 3-inch (8cm) layer of organic mulch (like cedar bark or pine needles) right now, you prevent light from reaching weed seeds, stopping the problem before it even begins. You can buy Woodsmith Natural Cedar Chip Mulch from Amazon to suppress weeds, and also keep the soil nourished.

Shop Weed Control Essentials

Vinegar might seem like a fast fix, but it can be anything but – so if you want more reliable results, it’s worth adding a few old faithfuls into the mix. These curated weeding tools and organic brands help you to tackle unwanted garden arrivals safely and effectively. They represent the best in ergonomics, durability, and soil-safety, so you can wipe out those intruders without compromising your yard's future.

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If you have a patio or path made of paving stones, you know how infuriating the endless battle against weeds is. Every little crack and crevice can harbor a seemingly unlimited amount of both broadleaf and grassy weeds.

Trying to get rid of weeds between pavers is a thankless job that often leaves you with sore fingers and not much actual progress. Using a crevice weeding tool, which can be found on Amazon, can help get rid of weeds, but they often come back with a vengeance.

Let’s dig in and address the best way to keep weeds from growing between pavers so you can keep your hardscaping weed-free for years to come.

Why Do Weeds Grow Between Pavers?

The first thing we need to discuss is why weeds are growing between your pavers. You worked hard to install a beautiful path, patio, or walkway between raised beds but then a few seasons later there are weeds covering every nook and cranny. This is caused by accumulation of dirt and weed seeds.

Over time, the cracks between your pavers collect dirt, dust, grass clippings and other organic matter. The weed seeds blow in from a neighbor’s yard or are deposited from bird droppings.

Weeds dig in deep and fast. Before you know it, they’re too established to pull by hand. No matter how hard you try, the root system is still lurking deep in between the pavers. Luckily, we can learn to battle weeds more effectively.

How to Prevent Weeds Between Pavers

First, unfortunately, we need to remove existing weeds. Use a crevice weeding tool, a weed torch (I love this Flame King torch from Lowe’s which is super fun to use!), or chemical herbicide to kill weeds. Once they are dead, scrape out the joints between pavers or stones with that crevice tool or even an old screwdriver you don’t mind getting a little damaged. Sweep the area clean to prepare for the ultimate weed solution: polymeric sand.

Polymeric sand, which can be purchased from the Home Depot or other hardware stores, is a joint compound that is easily worked into crevices between pavers and will bind to seal out weeds for up to 5 years. You brush it into the cleaned joints between stones with a push broom. When you wet the sand with your garden hose, it binds to itself and creates a clean look and an inhospitable environment for weeds to grow. It comes in many colors to compliment the look of your pavers or stones.

It doesn’t last forever, but you can say goodbye to intensive weeding between pavers for at least a few years. I’ll take it!

Tips for Using Polymeric Sand

• Always follow the directions on whichever brand of polymeric sand you purchase. Some require slightly different methods of compacting or wetting than others.
• Apply only when the path or patio is completely dry. The binders in the sand are activated by water so they won’t fill in the gaps properly and will begin to bind incorrectly if the work surface is damp.
• Use a sturdy push broom to work the sand into the crevices and then gently sweep away any excess before applying water. You can also use the lowest setting on a leaf blower to remove excess sand.
• Lightly sprinkle the polymeric sand with water to activate. Don’t use your hose on full blast or it will displace the sand. Use the shower setting on your hose wand attachment to gently apply water.
• Don’t use a power washer on your pavers or stones for at least a few weeks so the sand has time to bind and cure.
• Use paver restraint edging, available from Lowe’s, to keep the polymeric sand from running out the sides of your walkway and not setting properly.

With a little hard work this weekend, you can ensure you won’t have to weed your pavers or patio for years to come!

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Weeding is one of those tasks that feels productive, regardless of when it happens. Pull enough of them and the bed looks better – until next week, when the same plants are back or new weeds have taken their place. And the thing is, timing can be just as important as the type or extent of weeding you carry out in your yard. Choosing the right times matters both in terms of how completely they come out, and in determining how many (if any) come back, and how soon.

It’s often the case that gardeners approach weeding as a reactive chore – you see a green invader, and you pull it. But if you want to stop the exhausting cycle of "weed, repeat, despair," you need to stop thinking about what you are pulling and start thinking about when. Strategic weed control can save you labor later (and also simplify the process now). When it comes to smart weeding tips, three windows stand out: one tied to soil moisture, one to reproductive cycles, and one to light. Hit all three consistently, and the pressure will drop noticeably in one season.

The stakes are high. A single dandelion missed this week can result in thousands of seeds blowing across your lawn by June, haunting flower beds for years. Smart weeding isn't just about tidying up, it’s about proactive protection – and May is the ultimate make-or-break month for getting ahead of the game. So if you want a sneaky win over your garden's nemesis, master these key weeding windows. They will help to keep your yard pristine with half the effort.

Are You Weeding at the Wrong Time?

The hard truth is that weeding under a blazing afternoon sun in bone-dry soil is often worse than not weeding at all. You snap the roots, stress your back, and unwittingly wake up thousands more future weeds in the form of dormant seeds. To have a healthy, vibrant yard this summer, you need to transition from being a casual weeder to becoming thoughtful about how you time your weeding sessions. These three windows represent the perfect times where your efforts are magnified tenfold.

Whether you are in the humid southeast (USDA zone 8) or the cooler reaches of the Pacific northwest (zone 6), these rules are highly effective, irrespective of USDA hardiness zones. Missing these windows allows weeds to steal precious nutrients and moisture from your emerging summer annuals. However, the right knowledge and timing leads to better weeding of plants, enabling you to shut down the weed factory before it switches gear for the season.

1. The Post-Rain Extraction

Pulling weeds from dry, compacted soil is mostly an exercise in frustration. The top growth comes away and the root stays in the ground. This is especially true with taprooted weeds like dandelions, common thistle and dock, where the root can run 6-10 inches (15-25cm) deep and regenerate from whatever is left behind. Dry or clay soil grips roots hard enough that clean extraction is difficult without a dedicated tool and real effort. Snap that taproot even an inch down, and the weed’s back within a few weeks. Perennial weeds are the worst offenders: they bank energy deep in the root and regrow from whatever gets left behind.

Saturated soil (not muddy, but thoroughly wet after a good rain soaking) changes this. The water expands the pore spaces in the soil, reducing the grip on the root fibers. The soil loosens, the friction drops, and even the most stubborn taproots can slide out whole. The window is usually best 12-24 hours after a heavy soaking rain, once the standing water has drained, but the soil remains dark and damp, and before the surface dries out. You can add a liquid soil loosener and conditioner, such as Soft Soil Liquid Soil Aerator from Amazon to mimic the post-rain environment. If you miss the rain, you can deep-water a specific bed the evening before you plan to work. Let it soak overnight and work the bed first thing in the morning.

A long-handled weeding fork, like the Ames Forged Weeder with Hardwood Handle from Amazon, speeds things up considerably on deeper-rooted plants. It keeps the extraction clean without disturbing much of the surrounding soil. Never weed when the soil is mucky or leaves a slick on your boots, though, as this compresses the soil and destroys its structure. The post-rain extraction is particularly vital for biennials like bull thistle and perennial weeds like pokeberry, which rely on deep energy stores to survive the summer heat.

2. The Pre-Seed Deadline

A weed that’s flowering is about to become a hundred weeds, or even a thousand. Chickweed alone can push out around 800 seeds per plant. A single dandelion clock carries up to around 200, each one viable in soil for several years, and thistle can top 10,000 in a good season. The math turns ugly fast, which is why catching weeds at the flower stage is the most important deadline in your weeding calendar. Miss it by a few days, and the problem multiplies in ways that take seasons to undo.

The window is tight: roughly 48 hours once flower heads appear before seeds begin to set and become viable. Pull them now (root and all if possible, but even removing the flower heads before they close matters) and that reproductive cycle stops cold. If you can’t get the whole root out because the soil is too hard, you must at least behead the weed. However, be warned: many weeds, like purslane, can continue to ripen their seeds after you’ve pulled them if left on the ground.

So always bag the pulled weed material rather than composting it, and send it to the municipal green waste or the trash. Most backyard compost piles don’t run hot enough to kill viable seeds, around 140°F (60°C). Tossing flowering weeds in the compost just moves the problem around. Focus your energy this month on high-fliers such as pigweed and shepherd’s purse, to save yourself dozens of hours of work in the seasons to come. Finally, applying a weed preventer, like Preen Garden Weed Preventer from Amazon, helps prevent any seeds that did drop from germinating, acting as a secondary line of defense.

3. The Dusk Disturbance

It’s not great to think that clean garden beds are full of sleeping thousand seeds just waiting for a wake-up call. Turning soil exposes weed seeds, so dormant seeds near the surface get shifted toward the light and warmth they need to kick off. What catches most gardeners off guard is that germination in a lot of weed species needs only a flash of light. The seed doesn’t need sustained sun: just that brief signal. This phenomenon, called photo-dormancy, is well documented in common garden weeds including lamb’s quarters, purslane, and hairy bittercress, all of which germinate at far higher rates when soil disturbance happens in daylight. Even a millisecond of sunlight during your midday weeding session is enough to trigger germination.

Weeding at dusk, after dark or on heavily overcast days removes that trigger entirely. The seeds get moved around but never get that light signal, so far fewer of them germinate. Research has shown that nighttime soil disturbance can reduce weed emergence by over 75%. This is a pretty significant margin for something that costs nothing extra. The cumulative effect builds across the season, especially in beds that get worked regularly. If you work under the midday sun, you are essentially planting a new crop of weeds every time you pull an old one.

Aim for the golden hour, when the sun is below the horizon but visibility is still decent. A quality headlamp is particularly effective for large vegetable patches or newly mulched borders where you want to keep the seed bank buried deep in the dark. The LHKNL Ultra Light Rechargeable Waterproof Headlamp from Amazon is a great way to work effectively when light might not be all that great. Applying a 3-inch (8cm) layer of mulch, such as Back to the Roots Organic Premium Mulch from Walmart, immediately after your session ensures those seeds stay in total darkness.

May Weeding Essentials

While the three windows above are your primary tactics, May requires a holistic approach. This is the month to focus on smothering and mulching. As the soil warms up, any bare earth is an invitation for disaster. Beyond pulling, you should be looking at soil health. Healthy, dense soil filled with beneficial fungi and nutrients supports the plants you actually want, making it harder for opportunistic weeds to take hold.

Consider a feed and weed approach. Using organic corn gluten meal can act as a natural pre-emergent while providing a mild nitrogen boost to your lawn. You can buy Espoma Organic Weed Preventer (Corn Gluten Meal) from Amazon to stop weed seeds from rooting in your lawn while giving your grass a healthy May meal. Just remember, this is most effective when tailored to your local climate. If you’re in a drought-prone area, prioritize mulching over frequent soil disturbance to keep moisture locked in.

Shop Weed Control Essentials

Weeding doesn’t have to be a grind, nor should it hurt you. Having a curated go-bag of weeding tools makes it easier to jump into those 48-hour windows or head out for a quick dusk session. These curated essentials represent the best in ergonomics, durability, and effectiveness, to help you turn a daunting spring task into a garden win.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Weeds are, by definition, plants that grow where you don’t want them. Some are downright ugly, while others - like dandelions - are quite pretty but unwanted. So it’s no wonder that most gardeners try to rid their backyards of unwanted weeds.

Chemical weedkillers are no longer a gardener’s first choice, given their reputed effects on bees and other pollinators. And everybody’s trying to save money by doing things themselves, so DIY solutions top the list. But some DIY solutions work to kill weeds, while others do not. We’re here to clear up the issue for you - three weedkillers that work and provide safer alternatives to Roundup.

Three DIY Weedkillers that Work

With all the bad press around chemical weedkillers, many homeowners are looking for natural weed control solutions that use stuff you generally keep around the house. Most of these DIY solutions are budget-friendly, but not every reputed “weedkiller miracle” is effective.

We’ve made things simpler for you by sleuthing out the scientific stuff behind the weedkiller success. Here are three weedkillers you can make from household products that actually work.

But note: many of the strongest most effective weedkillers will kill “wanted” plants as well, so they should only be used on driveways, sidewalk cracks and areas of rock or gravel.

1. Vinegar, Salt and Dish Soap

Many DIY recipes for killing weeds contain vinegar, but vinegar alone doesn’t do the job. Vinegar contains acetic acid, a substance that kills weeds. But adding salt to the vinegar boosts the process by dehydrating the foliage and stops the plant from growing back.

If the substance is sprayed on the weeds, it can easily run right off, preventing the vinegar and salt from doing their worst. That’s why you need to add some dish soap - Dawn, for example - to the mix. It’s the stuff that makes the product stick to the leaves.

This DIY recipe is simple, budget-friendly, and perfect for killing weeds - but not everywhere. The mix is deadly for weeds - but also for other plants. So if you spray the weeds in the flower bed, every living plant will suffer the same fate. Reserve this for places where there are only weeds, no good plants. It works fast to clear weeds along the driveway, in the cracks in the sidewalk, between paver stones, and over any gravel areas.

Get the Mix

Mix the ingredients together in a spray bottle with a nozzle wide enough to release the salt. Here are the suggested dimensions.

• 3 cups distilled white vinegar
• 3/4 cup regular table salt
• 2 tsp dish soap

Spray the weeds thoroughly. Apply on a summer day, then repeat 6 weeks later.

2. Boiling Water

Those looking for a simple solution to weeds will love this one. Boil up a kettle full of water, then douse those weeds. It’s free, quick, simple, and natural. Note that it works best for annual weeds since the boiling water kills the foliage it touches, but deep roots are protected under the soil.

Piping hot water kills weeds - and any other plant nearby! So, once again, this is not the DIY weedkiller to take daffodils out of the lawn. Pouring boiling water on weeds works well for stone patio pathways, driveways and sidewalks.

Boiling water destroys plant cells on contact. Within hours you will see the weeds wilting and dying. Sometimes the simplest method is the most effective. Pouring boiling water directly onto weeds is especially useful for cracks in sidewalks or between patio stones.

3. Rubbing Alcohol Mix

Rubbing alcohol and isopropyl alcohol are not the same. Rubbing alcohol is a mixture of isopropyl alcohol and water, and you’ll want to add even more water before using this mix as a weed killer. But even a more diluted mixture is a powerful weed killer and will also kill your favorite plants if you spray them accidentally. The product dehydrates and kills plant tissues by breaking down the cell membranes, causing the plant to “leak out” its water and nutrients.

Ready-made weed killers like Spruce, available from Walmart, use a mixture of alcohol and other non-toxic ingredients to dehydrate weeds without harming bees, pets, or humans.

Get the Mix

Mix the ingredients together in a spray bottle with a nozzle wide enough to release the salt. Here are the suggested dimensions.

• 1 cup rubbing alcohol
• 2 cups water

However, you should exercise caution before using this on weeds in the garden. Rubbing alcohol can negatively impact the biome of the garden, harming the garden's ecosystem. Adding rubbing alcohol in the soil can kill the beneficial bacteria your garden soil needs to nurture plants. Over time, it can ruin the soil for any plant growth. That’s why this extremely effective rubbing alcohol mix should only be used on weeds poking up from the driveway or emerging from cracks in the sidewalk.

Shop DIY Weed Control Essentials

Those little yellow weeds in your front yard may not seem like a big problem right now, but each dandelion has the potential to sprout thousands of new plants. If you’re anything like me, you get exhausted just looking at all the weeds you need to pull. But if you leave them, the problem will only grow.

That’s why I was so excited to discover a new weeding tool – or at least new to me – that gets rid of dandelions fast and with barely any effort. In fact, it’s actually pretty fun to use! This tool makes quick work of a yard or garden full of dandelions and lets you clear your landscape of unwanted weeds without even bending over. Plus, it’s a safe and eco-friendly alternative to toxic herbicides.

There are lots of different versions of this tool available, but it’s commonly known as Grampa’s Weeder, which you can get on Amazon. Grampa’s specific tool has been around since 1913, which isn’t surprising considering how well it works, but any standup weeder like this works well. I’ll share exactly how to use it and why now is the perfect time to tackle the weeds in your yard with this handy dandelion removal tool.

Don't Let Dandelions Go to Seed

When my front yard filled up with dandelions a couple of weeks ago, I wasn’t too worried. I am trying to transition to a more sustainable lawn care plan that doesn’t include any toxic chemicals, like glyphosate or its counterparts. I even thought maybe this year I’d try No Mow May.

But after a few days of unseasonably warm weather, the dandelions and weeds had other ideas. They quickly started to grow out of control and develop fluffy seed heads. I knew I had to act before they could go to seed and spread the problem to other parts of my yard as well as all my neighbors’ yards.

Dandelions are perennial weeds, meaning they’ll return each spring stronger than the last year if you leave them uncontrolled. One of my fellow garden editors was telling me the other day about the how many new dandelions each plant has the capability to grow. The numbers she told me were scary high, so I did some research of my own – and what I discovered was even worse.

There is a pretty vast range of estimates from a variety of academic sources about how many new weeds each dandelion can produce. It all depends on how many flowers are left to go to seed and how many seeds are on each seed head.

The lowest estimate I found from the many university studies into this topic was that each dandelion plant can produce at least 1,500 new weeds. The highest estimate was 37,500! That’s staggering – especially considering many of us have dozens of dandelions in our yards.

My Favorite Tool for Removing Dandelions

Digging out dandelions by hand can be truly tiring. Kneeling and bending to reach all those pesky weeds can hurt your knees and back, even if you have a nice kneeling pad, like this one from Amazon. That’s why a standup weeder is the ideal solution.

When I first used this standup weeder from UpBloom on Amazon, I was shocked at how easy it was to use and how effective it was against the dandelions dotting my front yard. I have tried hand weeders, trowels, and no-till gardening methods to get rid of weeds in my garden in the past.

The no-till methods, particularly laying down cardboard and covering it with mulch, are the best ways to kill weeds in garden beds that I’ve tested. But you can’t really mulch over your whole lawn just to get rid of a few dandelions. That’s where a standup weeder comes in.

How to Use a Standup Weeder

All you do is place the four tines over the center of a dandelion, press down on the bar with your foot, and tilt the tool to pry the weed out of the ground. It requires almost no effort to use and you don’t have to bend or kneel at all, which makes this ergonomic gardening tool perfect for gardeners of all ages and abilities.

This type of weeder pulls out more of the taproot than any other kind I’ve tested, which is a must for tough perennial weeds like dandelions. I’ve also used it on crabgrass and sow thistle and it works well on them, too.

There are a couple downsides of the standup weeder, but they are small issues compared to the efficacy of this tool. The first one is that it can be a bit messy to remove the weed from the tines after pulling it out of the ground. I wish there was an easier and cleaner way to get around this, but it’s a small price to pay for not having to dig weeds down on your hands and knees.

I've seen similar tools, like this standup weed puller tool from Fiskars, that have the ability to eject the weed after pulling. I might have to try one of these next, but I'm still happy with the way my old-fashioned standup weeder works.

The other downside is that this weeder leaves holes in your yard where you remove the dandelions. But this isn’t really the weeder’s fault. In fact, it’s a testament to how much of the root it’s removing. And it just means that dandelions are less likely to return.

I looked at it as a sort of rugged form of lawn aeration. The spot in my yard where most of the dandelions were is very compacted, so I hope those small holes actually improve my lawn in that area. Plus, I’ll probably throw down a little leftover soil and a grass seed mix, like this one from Scotts, to fill in the bare patches.

All in all, I am genuinely wowed by the standup weeder and its ability to quickly clear my yard of dandelions. It’s definitely my new go-to tool whenever I find weeds in my yard or garden and I’m telling everyone I know!

Birth flowers might get all the attention, but there’s a wilder, more unexpected way to look at your personality: your birth month weed.

Often overlooked – or, y'know, pulled up without a second thought – these resilient plants have a lot to say about adaptability, persistence, and thriving against the odds, making them every bit as important for figuring out your connection to the natural world as your birth month bird.

Unlike carefully cultivated blooms, weeds don’t wait for perfect conditions. They show up where they’re not invited, push through cracks, and keep coming back no matter what. And just like people, those strengths can come with a flipside.

Say Hello to Your Birth Month Weed

From fiercely independent to a little bit stubborn, each birth month weed reflects both a strength – and a trait that might occasionally get you into trouble. A little like the cooler, punkier sister of the classic birth month flower, if you like.

So what does your birth month weed reveal about you? Let's dive on in...

January – Chickweed

Born in January? Your birth month weed is chickweed, which makes a lot of sense as, much like it, you’re adaptable and quietly resilient, and able to thrive in overlooked spaces. Now, you and your soul weed also have a knack for making the most of overlooked opportunities (think about it: it's edible and surprisingly nutritious, proving that usefulness doesn’t always come with flashiness).

The flip side? Because you’re so good at fitting in wherever you land, you can sometimes spread yourself too thin, saying yes to too much and struggling to set clear boundaries.

February – Mullein

You’re resilient, self-sufficient, and quietly striking. Like mullein, with its tall, architectural spikes of soft yellow flowers, you have a way of standing out without demanding attention, often thriving in tough or overlooked conditions.

That being said, that strong, independent nature can sometimes make you seem a little distant, and you may prefer going it alone rather than letting others in. Be aware.

March – Dandelion

March babies, you’re optimistic, determined, and impossible to keep down. In fact, much like the bold, bright dandelion, you have a remarkable ability to bounce back from setbacks and keep growing, no matter the circumstances. It’s also one of the earliest food sources for pollinators and entirely edible, showing that strength and generosity often go hand in hand.

The downside? You and your birth month weed's free-spirited nature can sometimes come across as a little scattered, and you may resist structure even when it would help you thrive.

April – Creeping Charlie (Ground Ivy)

Listen up, April-born gardeners; you’re persistent, determined, and incredibly hard to ignore. Like creeping Charlie, you and your birth month weed have a talent for establishing yourself wherever you go, spreading steadily and making your presence known. It’s also valued by pollinators for its early flowers, proving that even the most underestimated plants have their place.

The flip side? That same tenacity can make you a little stubborn, and once you’ve made up your mind, it can be difficult for others to sway you.

May – Clover

Born in May? Then you’re grounded, dependable, and bring a sense of calm wherever you go. Like clover, you enrich the environment around you – literally, in its case, by fixing nitrogen in the soil and supporting pollinators. You’re someone people rely on, creating stability and balance in your relationships and surroundings.

However, just like your birth month weed, your love of comfort and familiarity can sometimes hold you back, making you hesitant to take risks or step outside your comfort zone.

June – Plantain (Plantago)

If your birth month weed is a plantain, then you’re steady, practical, and quietly supportive. This humble but powerful plant is often found underfoot, but it's known for its soothing, medicinal properties, and acts as a reminder that strength doesn’t have to be loud to be effective.

The downside? You can end up putting everyone else’s needs ahead of your own, leaving little time or energy to focus on yourself. Try to be aware of that.

July – Purslane

Born in July? Packed with nutrients and surprisingly versatile, your birth month weed is purslane, an incredibly hardy plant that flourishes in heat and poor soil. Just like it, you know how to make the most of any situation., as you’re resourceful, resilient, and thrive where others struggle.

The flip side? Your self-reliant nature can sometimes make you guarded, and you may find it difficult to trust others or ask for support when you need it.

August – Lamb’s Quarters

You’re vibrant, generous, and full of quiet confidence. Like lamb’s quarters – often called wild spinach – you bring nourishment and value wherever you grow, even if not everyone recognises it at first. It’s highly nutritious and grows abundantly, showing that sometimes the most overlooked things are the most beneficial.

That being said, your tendency to give so much can leave you stretched thin, and you may struggle to prioritise your own needs.

September – Self-Heal (Prunella vulgaris)

The clue's in the name with this birth month weed. You’re intuitive, calming, and naturally restorative, just like self-heal, a low-growing plant with a long history in herbal medicine. As such, you have a quiet ability to support and uplift those around you.

This one is also loved by pollinators, adding gentle beauty and balance to the spaces it inhabits. The downside? You may focus so much on helping others that you neglect your own wellbeing, taking on more than you should.

October – Thistle

Despite this birth month weed's prickly reputation, the thistle is incredibly valuable to wildlife, especially pollinators, proving there’s softness beneath the surface. And, with its striking flowers and sharp defences, it's strong, protective, and fiercely independent – just like October babies everywhere.

While you know how to look after yourself and those close to you, though, those protective instincts can sometimes come across as guarded or unapproachable, making it harder for people to get close.

November – Wild Violet

November babies tend to be thoughtful, perceptive, and quietly creative, just like wild violets. These birth month weeds bring subtle color to unexpected places, highlighting the way people born under their influence tend to notice beauty that others might miss. These delicate flowers also support pollinators, showing that even small contributions can have a meaningful impact.

It's a humdinger of a soul weed, basically. Even if it means you may retreat inward when things feel overwhelming, finding it difficult to express your needs or speak up.

December – Shepherd’s Purse

Born in December? Like shepherd’s purse (a plant that thrives in disturbed soil and challenging conditions) you have a remarkable ability to adapt and carry on. With a long history of traditional use, it’s a reminder that strength often lies in persistence.

Still, while it indicates that you’re resilient, resourceful, and quietly enduring, your birth month weed can suggest that you can sometimes hold onto things longer than is helpful, even when it’s time to let go.

A Little Extra Reading:

Look, weeds might not have the best reputation, but many of them play an important role in supporting pollinators, improving soil, and even offering nutritional benefits. So before you pull them up, it might be worth taking a closer look.

Honestly? Your birth month weed could be doing more good than you think.

Most of the year, perennial weeds win on persistence. Right now, they don’t. Damp soil and full dormancy create a narrow window where these deep-rooted plants can be extracted completely—and that window is closing as the ground warms.

The timing on this is real. Perennial weeds with deep taproots—the ones that laugh at hoeing and come back harder every time you snap one off at the surface—are sitting in a rare state of vulnerability right now. The ground is still cold, the soil has been holding winter moisture, and the plants themselves haven’t yet broken dormancy. They haven’t started pulling energy upward. They haven’t activated the regrowth mechanisms that make them so stubborn from April onward. They’re just sitting there, roots loose in damp soil, waiting.

Not all types of weeds are worth this level of attention, but the deep-rooted perennials are a different category entirely. Annual weeds can be hoed, mulched over, or outcompeted. The perennials come back from root fragments, store energy specifically to recover from removal, and get considerably harder to deal with as the season progresses. Getting them out now, before the soil dries and tightens and before they break dormancy, is the most efficient weed control you’ll do all year.

The Window of Opportunity

Damp soil is doing most of the work here. There’s a particular consistency the ground reaches after a good soaking—not muddy, but thoroughly wet—where it stops gripping roots and starts releasing them. Pull a taproot on a dry July afternoon and it snaps halfway down, leaving the bottom half in the ground to resprout. Pull the same root now and it comes out whole. That distinction matters more than most people realize. The snap-and-regrow cycle is actually how most gardeners end up fighting the same dandelion season after season. Not because they’re doing it wrong, but because they’re doing it at the wrong time.

The dormancy factor compounds that advantage. These plants are currently drawing down rather than building up. Carbohydrate reserves in the root are at their seasonal low, which means less stored energy available to drive regrowth if you do leave a small fragment behind. A root fragment left in August is essentially a fully charged battery. The same fragment left now has considerably less to work with. The combination of loose soil and depleted roots makes this the best extraction window of the year, and it closes as soon as consistent warmth returns and growth resumes.

1. Dandelion

Dandelion is the obvious starting point, and it’s worth taking seriously. A mature taproot goes 12 inches (30 cm) down or more and branches as the plant ages—which is why a dandelion that’s been in the ground three years is a different extraction job than a first-year seedling. Right now the crown sits just at or just below the surface, the root hasn’t branched much from winter dieback, and damp soil means the whole thing lifts with the right tool. Leave even a centimeter of root with the crown attached and it regrows. Get it clean and that plant is finished.

2. Dock

Dock is the one that surprises people. It looks manageable from the surface but the root is thick, carrot-like, and tends to drive 18 inches (45 cm) or deeper with a subtle angle that makes it feel like it’s actively resisting you. In dry ground it snaps almost immediately, and any piece left behind becomes a new plant. In the damp conditions right now, though, it actually budges—slowly and with the right leverage, but completely.

3. Thistle

Thistles follow similar logic: the taproot isn't always as deep, but the crown is fragile and the plant has almost nothing in reserve to fight back from a clean pull. The one thing to watch for is the angle — thistle roots often grow at a lean rather than straight down, so work the tool around all sides before pulling or you'll snap it at the bend. Gloves are non-negotiable here too; the spines on even a dormant thistle rosette are fully operational. Your best bet is using thick leather gloves that cover your forearms like these thorn-proof gardening gloves from Amazon.

The Right Tools Makes All the Difference

A hoe is the wrong call here. It takes the top off and leaves the root completely intact—for a perennial, that’s not weeding, it’s pruning, and the plant tends to come back bushier than before. What actually works is a tool that gets down alongside the root, breaks the soil’s hold on it from multiple angles, and levers upward.

A long-handled weeding fork like this one from Amazon gets down in the soil for easy removal. Work methodically rather than fast. Push the tool in alongside the root, work it in a gentle circle to loosen the soil on all sides, then apply slow steady upward pressure rather than a sharp tug. Sharp tugs snap roots. Slow pressure extracts them.

A dedicated taproot tool, also called a dandelion popper, is built for exactly this. (Grampa's Weeder, available on Amazon, has been pulling weeds since 1913!) It utilizes four prongs that are inserted into the center of the weed. Push down on the footpad to go deep into the soil, remove your foot, and slowly lean the handle towards the footpad. It acts as a lever to remove the weed while also gripping it tightly under the ground.

Once the weed is out, drop it in a bucket rather than leaving it on the soil surface—even a dormant plant with its root attached can reestablish contact with the ground and keep growing if left lying on damp soil. A garden bucket like this one from Amazon keeps the haul contained and makes disposal straightforward.

Shop Weeding Essentials

Get weeding now, before the soil dries out and before these plants wake up, and you’ll spend significantly less time on them for the rest of the season.

Pre-emergent herbicide is one of the more effective tools in a gardener’s arsenal, but only when used correctly and at the right time. Apply it wrong and you’ve wasted money, disrupted your soil, and possibly set back plants you actually wanted to keep.

Pre-emergent herbicide doesn’t work the way most people assume it does. It won’t touch a weed that’s already up and growing. What it does is stop seeds from germinating before they get that far. The active ingredients settle into the upper soil layer and disrupt the germination process at the cellular level, so the seed never develops a viable root or shoot. Once you can see a weed, that window has passed. With pre-emergent, timing isn’t just important—it’s essentially the whole job.

Knowing when and where to use herbicides saves real money and a lot of wasted effort. Pre-emergent herbicides work well provided they're used in the right situation. It’s not a universal fix and, in the wrong context, it can actively cause problems. Whether it makes sense for your yard comes down to what you’re growing, what weeds you’re dealing with, and where things stand in the season.

How Pre-Emergent Weed Killer Works

Most pre-emergent products work by interfering with cell division in germinating seeds. The seed starts to wake up but can’t build the root or shoot structure it needs to get going. Water the product into the ground after application and it forms a barrier in the soil that holds for roughly six to twelve weeks, depending on the formulation and how much rain you get. Granular versions need that irrigation step to activate. Liquid formulations skip the wait and are often easier to apply uniformly across a large area.

What each product targets varies, so the label actually matters here. Some pre-emergent herbicides go after grassy weeds only; others are built for broadleaf weeds; some handle both. A product that knocks out crabgrass reliably may do nothing for henbit—and the reverse is equally true. Granular pre-emergent spreaders, like this broadcast spreader from Amazon, make coverage faster and more even. This is especially important on larger lawns where hand-casting leaves gaps in the barrier without you realizing it.

What to Use

• For dandelions and clover in grass, Scotts Weed and Feed, available on Amazon, does a good job by preventing weeds from growing and also helping thicken the grass to further crowd out weeds.
• To prevent weeds in garden beds around established flowers, shrubs, and trees, Preen Weed Preventer, also from Amazon, will reduce the time you spend weeding. This only works for established gardens as the chemical can prevent your desired seeds from germinating too.
• For crabgrass and grassy weeds in lawns, Scotts Grassy Weed Preventer, available from Amazon, will keep your lawn weed-free and looking lush.

Always be sure to follow the instructions and safety precautions on the label when using any chemical applications in your yard or garden.

When to Apply Pre-Emergent Herbicide

The window for pre-emergent weed control is tight, and it doesn’t flex much. For spring weeds like crabgrass, soil temperature is the trigger. Germination for most of these starts reliably around 50°F (10°C), and the product needs to already be in the ground before that happens. In most regions that means somewhere between late February and early April, but following the calendar blindly is less reliable than actually checking soil temp. A basic soil thermometer, available from Amazon, removes the guesswork.

A fall application covers a different category. Cool-season annual weeds like Poa annua and chickweed that germinate in autumn, overwinter, and come back strong in spring. That window opens in late summer to early fall, and the same soil temperature logic applies. Running two applications a year, one in spring and one in fall, gives the most consistent pre-emergent weed control year-round and closes the gaps a single treatment always leaves behind.

When You Should Not Use Pre-Emergent

Pre-emergent herbicide does not distinguish between weed seeds and desirable seeds. If you’re planning to seed a lawn, overseed bare patches, or direct-sow anything in a treated bed, pre-emergent will prevent germination across the board. The barrier doesn’t know what you want to grow. Seeding and pre-emergent are mutually exclusive—most products require waiting at least eight to twelve weeks after application before seeding, and some require longer. Applying pre-emergent right before a planned seeding is one of the more common and costly mistakes in lawn care.

Established transplants and mature plants are generally unaffected—the barrier works on seeds, not on developed root systems. But vegetable garden beds where you’re direct-sowing crops, annual flower beds started from seed, or any area you’re actively replanting from scratch should be kept off the treatment plan. Pre-emergent weed killer is most appropriately used in established lawns, ornamental beds with mature plants, and hardscape borders where no seeding is planned for the coming season.

Getting the Application Right

Even well-timed applications can underperform if the execution is off. Granular pre-emergent needs water within a day or two to activate—left dry on the surface, it just breaks down without ever forming a useful barrier. After application, leave the soil alone. Cultivating or raking afterward is a common mistake as it physically disrupts the chemical layer and opens gaps that weeds will find. This catches a lot of gardeners in spring who habit-rake ornamental beds without thinking about what they’re undoing.

Thin or uneven coverage is the other thing that undermines an otherwise solid application. Edges, border transitions, and spots where a spreader naturally delivers less product are where weeds push through first. A second deliberate pass along those areas is worth the extra five minutes.

Shop Weed Control Essentials

Pre-emergent is a well-proven tool with a strong track record. It just needs the right conditions, the right timing, and enough attention to the details to actually work as advertised.

Landscape fabric seems like a great idea. Roll out a sheet, throw some mulch on top, and forget about weeds! But then your plants start looking a little sad. And, wait, are those weeds? On top of my precious weed barrier? Yep. Landscape fabric isn’t all it is cracked up to be and it might actually harm your soil health and plants in the process.

Like many gardeners, I would do just about anything for better weed control. It’s a constant battle and I hate sitting outside when it’s 90 degrees and 90% humidity picking weeds out of my pollinator and vegetable gardens. Add in some mosquitoes and I’m done. The weeds can have it.

This is probably what the previous owner of my house felt when they put down landscape fabric in the front garden. I didn’t even know it was there until my second year in the house when I began expanding the garden, getting rid of the grass, and making a pollinator paradise. I was shocked to find it lurking under many layers of old mulch with aggressive weeds growing right through it.

Disadvantages of Landscape Fabric

Landscape fabric seems like it is too good to be true, and that’s because it is. It can cause more problems than it solves and ruin your soil health. Here are my takeaways from my experience with and research of landscape fabric.

1. Lack of Permeability

Landscape fabric is woven or spun from synthetic materials like polyester and polypropylene. It’s advertised as being permeable and letting water through, but it’s far less permeable than your soil needs. All the little holes in the fabric eventually get blocked by soil and mulch particles and make things even worse. Water and air can’t get to roots which reduces the health of plants and eventually kills the lovely microbes and microorganisms that make your soil a nutrient-rich living media. This lack of permeability can also trap water in soggy gardens and lead to fungus problems and rot.

2. Weeds Love It

This one seems counterintuitive. Landscape fabric’s purpose is to be a permanent weed barrier. Pop some mulch on top and let it do its job. It works initially by blocking weeds under the soil from coming up, but sneaky weed seeds blow around all year long, land on the mulch layer and begin to dig in. I found out the hard way that landscape fabric is much harder to weed than plain mulch. Those tough weed roots grow down through the fabric and become impossible to pull out cleanly. Leaving sections of roots behind allows those pesky weeds to continue growing and spreading.

3. Plant Deformation

Another unfortunate realization I had in my first years dealing with old landscape fabric was that it deformed some of my plants. Big, lovely hostas that were planted by the homeowner who installed the fabric, but the barrier severely restricted and bottlenecked their crowns. No doubt the hole that was cut in the fabric was large enough when the hostas were planted, but after a few years they became constricted by the impervious plastic fabric. In addition to physical damage to your plants, the reduced soil health can lead to nutrient deficiencies and plant death.

4. Plastic Pollution

Another really unfortunate aspect of landscape fabric is that it is made from plastics. Even if it feels like a soft textile, it is made from fibers of polypropylene or polyester. These fibers break down into to ugly scraps that poke through your mulch and also into microplastics. For this reason, you should never use it in edible gardens and you should reconsider using it in any other applications. This plastic material can also damage your garden by trapping the heat of the sun and hot summer days, thus cooking all the beneficial organisms in the soil. There is no need to add more plastic pollution to our ecosystem when there are perfectly fine weed barriers like mulch or recycled newspaper.

5. It "Kills" Your Soil

Landscape fabric weed barriers kill the wonderful microbes that are hard at work in your soil. These microbes create a healthy environment for your plants and their destruction can severely harm your garden’s delicate ecosystem. Piling compost, fertilizer, and mulch on top won’t help, either. The weed barrier doesn’t allow any soil amendments or mulch to break down into the native soil to recharge it. The only solution is to pull up landscape fabric and work hard every year to reintroduce organic matter back into the soil.

What to Use Instead

Now that we know there are major disadvantages to landscape fabric, what do we do instead? Luckily, there are alternatives to landscape fabric that can help you prevent weeds while also being kind to your garden and the environment.

• Use newspapers to keep weeds at bay. Take a few sheets of newspaper, lay it on your soil, give it a sprinkle of water to weigh it down, and pile fresh mulch on top. This no-till method will help kill weeds and it breaks down and feeds your soil through the year.
• Ram board is another eco-friendly alternative to landscape fabric. Ram board is a thick paper product often used in home renovations to protect floors. When you’re done with it, it can be reused in the garden. Use it in the same way as the newspapers to prevent weeds from coming up. You can find Ram board on Amazon. Just lay it down and apply a good layer of mulch to keep weeds at bay or kill off areas of grass.
• Even groundcover can be planted to prevent weeds! Plant dense evergreen groundcover to exclude weeds. Creeping juniper, creeping phlox, wild ginger, and foamflower.

Shop Weed Control Essentials

If you see a ground cover in your garden or natural areas near your home erupting in yellow flowers this spring, you might be looking at lesser celandine. This plant can look attractive in early spring, but don’t be fooled by its pretty blooms. This is an aggressive, harmful, and invasive species.

Lesser celandine is often confused for other native species, like the marsh marigold, which blooms around the same time and looks very similar. It also looks a lot like winter aconite, which is another non-native plant that is not nearly as detrimental as lesser celandine.

It’s important to avoid growing invasive plants in your garden, but it’s also sometimes necessary to remove them when they’ve already invaded. I’ll help you identify lesser celandine and tell you how to control it on your property. Plus, I’ll share my favorite native alternatives to add cheery yellow blooms to your spring garden.

What Is Lesser Celandine?

Lesser celandine is Ficaria verna, also sometimes known as Ranunculus ficaria. It is a spring ephemeral that emerges and blooms early in the spring before the trees have leafed out. Though the leaves and flowers of this plant disappear by mid- or late spring, the underground structures of the lesser celandine plant persist and cause problems year after year.

Lesser celandine is native to areas of Africa, Asia, and Europe. It was brought to North America in the 1800s as an ornamental specimen and has since become a weedy, aggressive invader in many regions.

Lesser celandine is particularly problematic throughout the eastern states, the Midwest, and the Pacific Northwest. It thrives in moist ground along streams and in floodplains, but can also grow in drier upland areas.

How to Identify Lesser Celandine

Lesser celandine is fairly easy to identify. It grows low to the ground, around 4 inches (10 cm) high. The leaves are glossy, green, and heart-shaped. The flowers emerge on stalks that grow above the leaves. They are bright yellow, open, and resemble buttercups. Each flower has 8 to 12 petals.

You might see single plants of lesser celandine, but it also tends to form large, sprawling mats. If you dig up the roots, you’ll see small, fleshy tubers, which help the plant spread. Another spreading mechanism you can identify is bulbils, which are small and bulb-like and grow between the leaves and the stems.

Despite its invasive status, lesser celandine is often sold as a low-maintenance ground cover. But there are many native options that are just as beautiful and easy to grow instead, which I’ll share with you below.

How to Control Lesser Celandine

If you find lesser celandine in a natural area that isn’t on your property, you can report it to the appropriate agency. For example, in the Midwest, report invasive plants to the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network. If you’re not sure where to report, contact your state’s natural resources department.

If you find lesser celandine on your property, you can either manage its spread or attempt to completely eradicate this invasive plant. The difficulty with complete eradication is that all parts of the plant, including all the underground structures, must be destroyed or removed to stop it from growing.

Digging up and destroying or disposing of plants can work if you only have a small amount of lesser celandine in your yard, but larger areas will be very difficult to clear. Dig up all the underground parts of the lesser celandine plant and burn them or throw them away in the garbage. Do not put them in your compost pile or with other yard waste.

An easier and often more effective method of control is to use an herbicide. Products that contain glyphosate – like Roundup, which you can get from Amazon or just about any big box store – are effective, but the window for application is limited. You can only use them in the time before the plant begins to flower in spring until about half of the plants are in bloom. This minimizes damage and herbicide drift to other plants.

It’s important to take great care when using herbicides, both for the health of your other plants and yourself. There are many serious drawbacks to glyphosate, so if you’re not sure what to use or how to use it safely, contact your local extension office for guidance. Or try a safer alternative to Roundup instead, like this organic weed killer from Amazon.

Native Alternatives

Lesser celandine can be very attractive in early spring when it carpets large areas with green foliage and yellow flowers, but it’s not worth the damage it can cause. Here are some ideas for native ground cover alternatives that thrive in similar growing conditions:

1. Marsh Marigold

Lesser celandine is a commonly mistaken lookalike for marsh marigold (Caltha palustris). So this native plant is a great alternative if you want yellow flowers and have a wet area to fill. Marsh marigold needs very moist soil or even standing water to thrive and prefers full sun. It is hardy in zones 2 through 7.

You can get marsh marigold plants from Nature Hills Nursery online.

2. Green & Gold

The green & gold plant (Chrysogonum virginianum) grows taller than lesser celandine, but is still suitable as a ground cover. It will reward you with the best color and blooms in partial shade, although it can also grow in full shade. The soil should drain well, but be rich in nutrients. It is hardy in zones 5 through 9.

3. Celandine Poppy

Growing around 12 inches (30 cm) tall, celandine poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum) doesn’t bloom until mid- or late spring. If you can wait, you’ll be rewarded with bright yellow poppy-like flowers. This flower grows best in moist, rich soil in areas of partial shade and in zones 4 through 9.

You can find celandine poppy plants for sale from NativeEcoScaping on Etsy.

4. Lobed Tickseed

Many species of tickseed are native, but Coreopsis auriculata is a particularly nice choice for replacing lesser celandine. It has similar yellow flowers and can be used as a ground cover. It will readily spread to form dense colonies. It grows best in partial shade or full sun and moist soil. It is hardy in zones 4 through 9.

Shop dwarf lobed tickseed 'Nana' plants from Daylily Nursery on Etsy.

5. Golden Groundsel

Golden groundsel (Packera aurea) spreads in thick mats and produces yellow daisy-like flowers. Like lesser celandine, it works as a ground cover in moist or even wet soils in shady areas. It is hardy in zones 3 through 8.

Get live golden ragwort plants from NativeEcoScaping on Etsy.

Don’t be fooled by the early spring beauty of lesser celandine. It’s a menace in many areas and will take over areas where native species should be. Clear out any that you find in your garden and replace them with a suitable alternative instead.

As a longtime gardener and garden writer, I’ve tried just about every type of eco-friendly alternative to landscape fabric in an attempt to kill off the weeds in my garden once and for all. But all my years of gardening have taught me there’s no easy answer to smothering weeds for good. However, I’ve discovered some really great tricks to help suppress weeds for most of the growing season.

My latest discovery has been that Ram Board is a solid and sustainable alternative to landscape fabric. I’ve been renovating my home for the past couple of years, so I have tons of this heavy-duty paper lying around.

I’ll walk you through what Ram Board is, where to find it, how to use it, and I'll share my other favorite weed blockers if you’re looking for an even lower cost option.

Why You Should Ditch the Landscape Fabric

As I said, I’ve tried out several different no-till methods for getting rid of weeds besides Ram Board. But the only one I’ve never tried is landscape fabric. That’s because, though I haven't used it myself, I’ve had the displeasure of trying to get rid of the landscape fabric left by a previous gardener. It was an awful process.

Landscape fabric is often sold as a long-term solution to weeds, but the problem is that it’s not a permanent fix. Eventually the weeds start growing on top of the landscape fabric, then they become entangled into the fabric itself. This makes them nearly impossible to eradicate – at least without also destroying the landscape fabric.

Landscape fabric also begins to degrade after a few years, but unlike the sustainable alternatives I'll share below, it doesn’t become part of the soil. Instead it breaks down into small fragments that litter your soil with non-biodegradable trash.

The beauty of organic weed barriers like Ram Board are that they biodegrade and actually benefit your soil structure as they also kill unwanted weeds.

What Is Ram Board?

Ram Board is a heavy-duty paper meant to protect floors and other surfaces during construction projects, painting, or moving. I used it in my house to protect my hardwood floors when I had new kitchen appliances installed. I’ve also used it to protect the tile floors in my bathroom while painting and renovating.

You can find basically the same product under a couple different names, like this X-Board on Amazon, or as heavy duty floor protection from Home Depot or you can buy the brand name Ram Board from Lowe’s.

But be aware that Ram Board is different from a regular, thin paper drop cloth. It’s very thick, almost like cardboard, and extremely durable. That means it’s tough enough to tamp down weeds in your garden all spring, summer, and fall.

How to Use Ram Board to Kill Weeds

Much like using plastic sheeting to kill weeds or killing grass naturally with the no-till method, you can use Ram Board to smother large areas of weeds. It’s a simple process that takes minimal effort.

First, unroll your Ram Board in the garden. Cut it into the size and shape you need to cover the weeds you want to kill. If you have a large area to cover, you can overlap multiple rows of Ram Board. But make sure the overlap is at least 2-3 inches (5-7.6cm) wide to prevent any weeds creeping through the cracks.

Next, cover the Ram Board with mulch. You can use any kind you like, but I recommend an organic mulch, like this one from Amazon, because as it breaks down it will enrich your garden and become part of the soil. Your mulch should be about 2-3 inches (5-7.6cm) deep to hold down the ram board and suppress weeds all season.

It’s as easy as that! Just sit back and get ready to thank yourself this summer when your garden bed is free of weeds and all your neighbors are bent over, toiling to pull out pesky weeds.

Other Eco-Friendly Weed Barriers

If you don’t already own any Ram Board, there are a few other great options you probably already have on hand that you can use instead. These are the ones that have worked best in my garden:

1. Cardboard

Turn all that online shopping trash into an eco-friendly weed barrier in your garden. Always remove any tape or staples first because those won’t break down into the soil in your garden. You don’t want any unwanted trash coming up in your soil. Break down and flatten cardboard boxes, then lay them over weed-filled areas, then cover with mulch.

2. Newspaper

Using newspaper to kill weeds can be a bit more difficult, especially on a windy day, but it follows the same basic process. Layer at least 2 to 3 sheets of newsprint over your garden, making sure to overlap the edges. Next, water the papers to hold them down and prevent wind from blowing them away. Finally, cover with a couple inches (5 cm) of mulch.

3. Paper Grocery Bags

Paper grocery bags are another great option because they’re thicker than newspaper, so you only need one layer to suppress weeds. Cut or tear your paper grocery sacks open so they lay flat. Then cover your desired area, making sure to overlap the edges of the bags by a couple inches (5 cm), and add your layer of mulch.

Every weed does its best to survive, but some are craftier at this than others. If this were an Olympic sport, crabgrass might win the gold. This highly resilient summer annual does well in dry, compacted soil that other plants avoid, and it spreads quickly by tillers. Each plant produces up to 150,000 seeds that germinate the following spring. And the stems spread out low and wide like crab legs or spider legs, too low to hit with a lawn mower.

If you are ready to go to battle against crabgrass in your turfgrass, your best option is using a pre-emergent herbicide. You may have heard this type of crabgrass control called a crabgrass preventer. It can be very effective but only if you apply it in a very narrow window, before the crabgrass wakes up.

This “perfect moment” can be anywhere from February to May, depending on your climate. We’ll show you how to figure out the exact best moment in your own location.

Crabgrass Is Everywhere

Crabgrass is a common weed that grows in all 50 states, thriving in USDA Hardiness Zones 2 through 11. That means that your landscape is not exempt. If you aren’t familiar with crabgrass, its blades look like regular grass but wider. It grows in clumps, forming low, circular mats that look a bit like crab legs.

Where might you see crabgrass? It is often found in turfgrass lawns, particularly compacted or thin turf. Crabgrass loves hot, sunny conditions and grows quickly in full-sun locations.

You might also see it in cracks in your driveway. Crabgrass is not one of those weeds like dandelions, for example, that some people like to grow. It is considered a nuisance weed in every state.

Using Pre-emergent Herbicide on Crabgrass

The best way to get rid of crabgrass is to use pre-emergent lawn herbicides in the springtime. You have to be very careful to hit “the pre-emergent window” to apply the crabgrass preventer. The basic idea is to apply the herbicide before the grass seeds germinate. Some gardeners relate the timing to when the forsythia bushes are blooming. Their bright yellow flowers are among the earliest blossoms to open in spring. You can find Scotts Crabgrass & Grassy Weed Preventer on Amazon or from your local hardware store.

But it’s probably better to be more precise by basing your timing on the temperature of the soil. It’s more work but it’s worth it, since an application at the perfect time will not only prevent crabgrass from emerging but also other common weeds including chickweed.

When to Apply Crabgrass Preventer

This type of herbicide prevents the seeds from the last growing season from germinating. So you need to apply the pre-emergent herbicides before soil temperatures get warm enough for the seeds to germinate. That temperature, taken at 0-2 inches depth (0-5cm), is between 60 and 70 degrees F. Some 80 percent of seed germination takes place when temperatures are consistently between those temperatures.

So how to figure out the best moment? Use a soil thermometer to take readings starting on February 1 - if you live in the south, somewhat later if you live in the north. Keep checking every few days. Apply crabgrass preventer when the soil temperature reaches 55 degrees Fahrenheit for a few consecutive days.

A simple soil thermometer like this one from Urban Worm on Amazon has an easy-to-read color coded dial for fool-proof monitoring. Or you could opt for a 4-in-1 soil moisture meter, thermometer, pH meter, and light meter which is also available from Amazon.

Other Crabgrass Tips

• Mow your lawn a few days before you apply crabgrass preventer. This will help the preventer get down to the surface of the soil.
• Clear all leaves and other debris off of the lawn before you apply the herbicide.
• Avoid any type of soil disturbance, including seeding grass, around the time you are applying the crabgrass preventer.
• You’ll get the best crabgrass control if you split the application. Apply the first half in early spring, then the second half six to eight weeks later.
• Water in the product in the pre-emergent herbicides within 24 hours of application.
• Do everything you can to keep your turfgrass healthy and dense. This will involve adequate irrigation, fertilization, and mowing the grass high.

Crabgrass Prevention Essentials

Most gardeners ignore their yards in winter, because everything appears lifeless. Beds sit still, soil freezes and thaws, and pulling weeds feels pointless when nothing seems to be growing. That assumption, though, can be our undoing a few months down the line, when marathon weeding sessions become necessary.

Winter annual weeds thrive in cold weather while perennials rest. They germinate in fall, grow steadily through winter, flower in late winter or early spring, then drop seeds before summer heat shuts them down. By the time you notice them in May, they’ve reproduced and their seedlings are already emerging. Recognizing these common weeds that exploit winter gives you a real edge – and 10 minutes of focused weeding in January can save 10 exhausting hours in May. It’s the ultimate lazy gardener's win! Here’s how to stop weed seeds spreading before it’s too late.

3 Sneaky Winter Annual Weeds to Watch

There are 3 garden weeds in winter that are quietly running the show in your garden while you stay warm inside. These aren’t your usual dandelions or crabgrass. They’re specialists built for winter, engineered to finish their entire life cycle before typical weeds even think about waking up. So don’t be tempted to defer weed controls until later. It would be a big mistake to think you had time on your side.

These weeds have adapted perfectly to conditions most gardeners call off-season. They don’t even flinch at freezing temperatures, they stretch toward weak winter light, and they flower even when pollinators are scarce, by self-pollinating. That makes them remarkably effective at spreading – but also easy to beat if you act early. So grab your weeding tools of choice and catch this silent winter invasion before seeds form, and find out how to stop next year’s infestation before it starts.

1. Hairy Bittercress

Hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) starts as a small rosette flat against the ground, then pushes up thin stalks 3–6 inches (7.6-15.2cm) tall with tiny white flowers from late January through March. Each plant drops hundreds to thousands of seeds. The pods burst open when touched, shooting seeds in all directions.

This potential “exploder” shows up in moist, disturbed spots, like path edges, pots, and gaps between pavers. Once temperatures hit 40°F (4.4°C), it finishes its whole cycle in 5–8 weeks. The trick is to stop it before the flowers (and seeds) appear.

Pull it before the flowers appear, and you stop thousands of seeds from spreading. Get it early, or deal with a lot more next year. Use a weed-extractor tool like the CobraHead Original Weeder from Amazon, which has a fingernail shape for hooking under the rosettes of the plant without disturbing nearby perennials. It’s effective for precise extraction of rosettes in tight gaps.

However, once pods turn brown, they are effectively armed. At this point, a hoe would be a disaster. The vibration would trigger a seed explosion up to 3 feet (0.9m) away. Instead, a good hairy bittercress control is to place a damp paper towel over the weed to catch the seeds as you gently hand-pull the plant from the base.

2. Common Chickweed

Common chickweed (Stellaria media) sneaks in and blankets the ground with soft, cushy mats of slender stems, tiny oval leaves, and delicate little white star-shaped flowers. It loves cool, damp weather and spreads extremely quickly, dropping seeds everywhere, while also rooting at every spot where a stem brushes the soil. One plant can pump out between 800-15,000 seeds. Those seeds hang around in the soil bank for decades, just waiting for the right moment to strike.

It picks exactly the spots you care about most: rich, moisture-holding soil in partial shade, the same cozy corners where you plan to put your spring veggies or favorite ornamentals. Weed early, and you’ll find the shallow roots slide right out with a gentle pull. But let it settle and it digs in deeper, tangling into thick, stubborn patches.

Since it keeps flowering nonstop from late winter right through spring, every week you put off dealing with it means it dumps more seeds into your future. Garden weeds in winter like this one never clock out. They’re quietly taking over while you’re still waiting for warmer days. So tackle this one quickly. Use a stirrup or hula hoe, like the True Temper Action Hoe from Amazon, for quick slicing on sunny days.

Word to the wise, though: while the shallow roots slide out easily, beware of re-rooting. Chickweed is famous for adventitious roots, meaning a tiny fragment of a stem left on damp soil can grow into a new plant. If you weed on a damp day, don’t leave the pulled plants on the soil surface. Toss them in a bucket to ensure they don't stage a comeback.

3. Annual Meadow Grass

Annual meadow grass (Poa annua) looks like regular lawn turf, but forms clumps in beds, borders, pathways, and bare patches. It produces seed heads even when mowed short, flowering from late winter into early summer. Each plant releases between 100 and 1,000 seeds that germinate in waves, fall being the primary period.

This annual weed tolerates compacted soil and thrives in high-traffic areas where other plants struggle. Young plants pull easily with shallow roots, while mature clumps form tough mats. Seeds remain viable for years, creating persistent problems. Bare soil invites it in, so preventing gaps matters as much as removal.

Unlike the soft stems of chickweed, meadow grass grows from a central crown. Simply slicing the top off with a hoe often isn't enough; it will likely resprout. Use a hand fork or a stand-up weeding tool to get beneath that crown and lever the entire weed clump out of the earth. You can buy Grandpa’s Weeder Original Stand Up Weed Puller from Amazon to lift this weed out of lawns or beds without having to kneel on cold, wet ground.

January Weeding Game-Changer

Winter annual weeds are small, shallow-rooted, and easy to remove in January. Most haven’t flowered yet, which means pulling them now removes the problem completely. By March, you’re dealing with stronger, more established roots and developing weed seed heads, turning a quick cleanup into much harder work.

The numbers get really ugly if you skip this winter weeding window. One hairy bittercress plant dropping 2,000 seeds can easily become 200 new weeds next fall if just 10 percent germinate. Those 200 plants then produce hundreds of thousands more seeds. That’s how weed problems explode, seemingly instantly. Stopping weed seeds spreading now prevents that multiplication before it starts. So 10 minutes of weeding eliminates thousands of future weeds. That’s 10 minutes seriously well spent.

Tackle These Weeds Efficiently

Hand-pulling after rain works best, since damp soil releases roots with less resistance. Grab plants at the base and pull straight up so the entire root comes out. If plants haven’t flowered, they can go into compost. If flowers or pods are visible, bag and trash them to prevent seed spread.

If you find yourself facing a massive carpet of chickweed, a stirrup hoe (or hula hoe) is your best friend, but only use this method on a dry, sunny day so the remains bake and die before they can re-root. Focus first on beds and walkways, since these areas often seed into lawns and planting zones. Tools like this Combi Stirrup Hoe from Amazon make quick work of winter weeds and save your back while you work.

The Power of Winter Mulching

Let’s talk about mulching. A good mulch blocks winter annual weeds by cutting out light and creating a barrier that seeds can’t push through. After clearing weeds, spread 2-3 inches (5-8 cm) of shredded bark, wood chips, or straw over bare soil. This smothers seedlings and prevents fresh seeds from reaching the soil surface. When the ground might be muddy or soft, use a cart like the Gorilla Carts Poly Garden Dump Cart 600lb Capacity from Amazon for hauling mulch in winter.

Mulch does need refreshing yearly, as it breaks down and settles, creating gaps where weeds can establish. It works best as a way to prevent problems, rather than fixing established infestations. Combine it with cardboard for a longer impact. Use a shredded hardwood mulch like CountryMax Natural Shredded Hardwood Mulch from Amazon for long-lasting coverage that also improves the soil. Combined with January weeding, mulching keeps beds clean with minimal ongoing effort.

However, to truly stop the cycle, mark your calendar for late September. Applying a pre-emergent (like Espoma Organic Corn Gluten Meal from Amazon) in the fall prevents these winter seeds from ever germinating in the first place. It’s the ultimate proactive move to get ahead of the game for the year ahead, ensuring that you can maintain a low-maintenance garden.

Winter Weed Essentials

Get on top of these pernicious annual weeds now, and your perennial borders will be thanking you come spring. Grab this trio of weed tools so you stay armed, and stop these sneaky weeds becoming really dangerous:

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Winter weeds can push their way into the garden amazingly fast, like an alien occupying force. The weeds of winter are not tough, deep-rooted plants, so yanking them out by hand is an option. But if you have a garden full of them, there are other (easier) ways to keep on top of a problem like this, before it becomes a problem.

Winter weeds are wussy weeds, with shallow roots and soft stems. This winter weed killer is one of the most efficient and potentially inexpensive ways of staying one step ahead of weeds in your yard. Whether you’re looking to control weeds on a lawn, in a garden bed, in a raised bed, or between pavings, this easy weed killer for winter is a fantastic way to safeguard your spring garden.

This garden hack doesn’t require use of toxic chemicals – just some cardboard, newspaper or tarp – so it won’t damage other garden plants, or threaten wildlife. Yet over time, this trick can help you kill winter weeds (and prevent future weeds) in a very effective way, thereby making your spring planting that bit quicker and tidier.

What Winter Weeds Need to Survive

We tend to treat weeds as separate to other plants, because they are generally unwanted – but they are still plants. Like other garden plants, weeds need water, sunlight, and air to survive. This is just as true in winter as it is at any other time. And winter weeds are weirdly not always tough or as resilient as you might imagine.

Don’t make the weeding mistake of thinking that winter weeds require exactly the same treatment as certain weed varieties that seem to pop up all over the place in summer. Some of the more common garden weeds you’ll see at this time of year (hairy bittercress, chickweed, purple deadnettle, clover, speedwell) are relatively shallow-rooted and wimpy. So if you deprive weeds of any one of these three core elements, they will turn up their toes.

Of course, it’s not easy to keep weeds bone dry in winter. Even if you stop irrigating the area, winter rain or fog can moisten the soil. It’s also difficult to prevent air from getting to a garden area. But blocking out sunlight? Now that we can do something about. This is our core objective with this hack for weed killing in winter.

Depriving Winter Weeds of Sunshine

As someone who grew up in central Alaska, I know how depressing it can be to pass months without seeing the sun. Winter weeds don’t appreciate lack of sunlight, either – and this makes smothering an effective way to control their growth. Although you can get a lot of satisfaction from hand pulling weeds, this hack allows you to claw back some time both now, and in spring.

Smothering (the process of depriving weeds of sunshine) is effective as a weed killer for lawns in winter, as well as with those in garden beds and borders. Cutting off sunlight interrupts photosynthesis, a plant’s food-making process. This weed control technique involves covering the soil surface with a material that blocks sunlight. This is how a lot of mulching products work. Without sunlight, weeds cannot make food and will eventually die back. Smothering is an environmentally friendly, affordable method of controlling winter weeds.

Another plus with smothering is that it can coexist with any spring crops. Since lack of sunlight does not prevent germination, smothering will not prevent any seeds you’ve sown in autumn from germinating in spring. It can even work in spots around the garden where you have connecting pavers, stepping stones and patio slabs. And there are some great products sitting around your home that are perfect for smothering.

Weed Smothering 101

It is possible to use a few materials to smother your weeds, including organic mulch, cardboard, landscape fabric, newspaper, and clear or black plastic tarp. Any of these can be effective to block sunlight from the weeds, but some work better than others. However, the beauty of using cardboard to smother weeds in winter is that you are bound to have a fair old bit of card knocking around during the holidays, particularly while the gifting season is in full swing.

Flattened cardboard boxes or newspapers are a very effective way to smother weeds. One layer of cardboard will do the job, but if you want to use newspapers, pile on around 10 layers. You can hold the paper in place by hosing it down lightly, anchoring it with rocks or bricks, or covering it with an organic mulch like Back To The Roots Organic Premium Mulch from Amazon. The mulch is a good choice because it not only holds the newspaper or cardboard in place, but also makes the yard look nicer during the smothering process.

You can also use black tarp to prevent sunlight from reaching the plants. For best results, use a tarp that is larger than the garden area you wish to clear. Spread out the tarp, then secure it on all sides with bricks or rocks to prevent it from getting blown away by the wind. If you need a large tarp, use long pieces of wood to hold down the edges, with rocks or bricks on top of the wood.

Weed tarps and barriers like EcoGardener Pro Garden Weed Barrier from Amazon are heavy duty and durable. However, they could run expensive if you are looking to cover a wide area – whereas cardboard is inexpensive and something you are bound to have a fair amount of as the holidays rush towards our homes.

Whatever you use, you can smother winter weeds in as little as 3 weeks. But don’t make the mistake of removing the card too quickly. It’s a good idea to leave them on for longer, between 2-3 months, to make sure all the weeds are dead and that the ground is clear as you enter spring.

Tackling Other Weeds

As I have said, winter weeds are wimpy weeds, with soft stems and shallow roots. But there are other weeds, perennial weeds like dandelions or thistles, that are larger and tougher, and have deep tap roots. It may take more smothering time to rid the garden of these. So if you are tackling this project in spring, bear this in mind.

One option is to dig them out with a garden fork like RestMo’s Heavy Duty Gardening Fork from Amazon, before you lay down the card, tarp or paper. This is essential if the presence of perennial weeds prevents you from getting the covering material flat on the soil. You can also use a hori hori knife like Perwin’s Hori Hori Knife for Weeding from Amazon, to help sever and lever tap-rooted weeds in their entirety, preventing regrowth. Then use the card or paper to prevent further growth.

Your Weeding Essentials

Laying down some cardboard or newspaper is a great way of suppressing weeds ahead of spring, but it’s always a good idea to create a ‘weed toolkit’ that you can rely on for different, more tenacious weeds and specific parts of the garden. Here are some of the key tools and products to keep close ahead of the new gardening year.

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Anyone with a garden is used to matching plants to cultural conditions. This is because we understand that plants only grow in sites that provide the conditions they need. It’s a mistake to plant sunflowers in shade or blueberries in alkaline soil, for instance. But did you know that the same principle applies to weeds? A weed species only grows in a spot that offers the particular conditions it needs to grow. And while we think of weeds as freeloaders that aren’t fussy about where they pop up, they actually do have preferences and tend to adhere to them faithfully.

So you can use weeds as a soil indicator, revealing hidden secrets about conditions underground, from moisture to pH to nutrient deficiencies and excesses. Indicator weeds are weed species that thrive in a particular soil or site conditions and point to them. Using common garden weeds as soil indicators, the very presence of those weeds in particular parts of your yard can help you to read soil health and identify problems with a view to addressing and amending them.

Think of weeds as soil whisperers – unearthing the very secrets of the earth. From plantain to clover, every plant that pops up uninvited can show you something about soil drainage, fertility, structure, pH and nutrient balance. So what are your indicator weeds telling you about your garden? Here’s how to decipher what weeds say about your soil (and by extension, garden health) – plus, how to take action to create richer, balanced growing conditions for the plants you actually want to grow.

Why Weeds Reflect Soil Conditions

Weeds seem to sprout up everywhere, conveying a sense of being indiscriminate (and relentlessly so). But depending on the weed, and the nature of that weed, it’s often only a particular soil type that will do. Weeds and soil have a unique relationship. Every species of weed has particular soil needs, which is why we can talk about weeds as soil indicators. If a certain type of weed appears in large quantities in a part of your garden, it’s often a clear indication as to certain key features going on underground – and one of the most reliable ways to ascertain issues such as compaction, moisture-retention and the level of fertility (or lack thereof).

So using weeds as indicators of soil conditions can be highly instructive. Yes, it’s always a good idea to follow your findings up with secondary measures, but as a first line of inquiry, weeds are straight, direct, and easy to read. Often, we make the classic weeding mistake of ignoring weeds for weeks at a time, and obviously I’m not saying you should simply leave them be. Of course, it’s important to manage their numbers, whether that’s by organic means or by pulling weeds out. But before you do that, it’s worth considering their location, and the nature of the spot they grow in.

For example, have you seen a large dandelion colony growing on your lawn this year? Dandelions have deep taproots, so when large amounts of these weeds appear, it could be a sign that your soil is too compacted to hold water and nutrients. Note, though, that sometimes a weed’s presence indicates something good about the soil too. For example, some weeds like chicory and oyster fern only grow in fertile soil.

Common Indicator Weeds and What They Signal

There are thousands of different weed species, but some are so common that almost every gardener has seen them. The real blessing of understanding how weeds and soil pH, moisture level, structure and nutrient load are linked is that this knowledge can be used to amend problem areas and supercharge your soil with treatments, mulches, cover crops, and so on. By changing the condition, you not only create better soil for your preferred plants, but in several cases, you can also get rid of the weeds in question without needing to use any chemicals at all!

Before you take action, make sure you have properly observed weed patterns, not one-offs: One plant here or there isn’t a diagnosis. Look for clusters and repeated appearances through the season. Then verify with a soil test. This is essential when weeds hint at low calcium (dandelion, wood sorrel), low nitrogen (black medic), or nutrient imbalance (quackgrass). A soil meter such as the Raintrop 4-in-1 Soil Moisture Meter from Amazon can also confirm suspicions about compaction, drainage, and so on. In tandem with your soil meter, use this shortlist of common weeds to gain valuable insights about your planting conditions.

1. Dandelion

The presence of this bold yellow weeds will rarely make your spirits rise, but it could be an interesting omen of particular soil conditions that need attention. Indeed, the presence of dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) can often indicate compacted soil that’s short on air and water. These common garden weeds, often seen along paths and across worn turf, are also often associated with low calcium availability.

If a soil test shows low Ca and acidic pH, apply calcitic lime. To address the effects of compacted soil, core‑aerate afflicted areas to relieve compaction. Use a core-aeration tool like the Walensee Lawn Coring Aerator from Amazon to reduce soil compaction, then topdress with compost.

2. Moss

The presence of various types of moss is usually synonymous with shade and moist condtions. Moss (various species) tends to denote unfavorable lawn conditions, typically moist, soggy or poorly drained, as well as compacted and low‑fertility soils. In tandem with this, moss can often also indicate a low soil pH (tending acidic).

You’ll tend to see moss in shady, soggy corners of the garden or in spots where grass has thinned out. Based on a soil test and the types of plant you are looking to grow in particular areas of the garden, it’s then advised to amend soil pH, and boost fertility with some aged compost or organic material. Again, using a core-aeration tool to relieve compaction and drainage will also be beneficial.

3. Mustard

Sightings of mustard (Brassica spp., including wild mustard) generally occur along field edges and roadsides, but you may also see them pop up in newly worked beds in gardens. Wild mustard is sometimes associated with nutrient-poor and sandy spots, but that is not necessarily the case. Heavy soils and clay soils are similar hot spots.

The presence of thriving mustard plants in your yard does indicate that the soil surface has been recently exposed or disturbed. To counter this, it’s a good idea to give the soil a protective layer, either via cover crops or with a well appointed organic mulch. Try Brut Organic Aspen Mulch from Amazon to protect beds and borders and to support recent plantings.

4. Ostrich Fern

If I tell you that the presence of ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) indicates good news for gardeners, you might not believe me, but it’s true. This is one weed that you should feel blessed to spy, because it denotes moist, humus rich and exceptionally fertile planting conditions. While often associated with woodland swales and stream banks, seeing ostrich ferns will be especially good news for shade gardens. Leverage this fertility for other shade lovers and maintain even moisture and organic matter.

5. Wood Sorrel

Anyone with experience of foraging will have spotted some variation of sorrel, but wood sorrel (Oxalis spp.) can also crop up in certain garden corners. Indeed, this weed is a classic sign of low calcium and relatively high magnesium in soils. It can present itself in lawns and beds with imbalanced soil chemistry.

Where you catch a glimpse of wood sorrel, double check with your soil meter and correct the Ca:Mg balance, while maintaining steady fertility. You can add a little Earth Science Fast Acting Gypsum from Amazon to condition the soil and improve calcium levels in an organic way.

6. Oxeye Daisy

Oxeye daisy is one of the prettier weeds, if you will, and you might not mind its innocent-looking flowers, but it can also tell you something interesting. Generally, the appearance of oxeye daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare) signifies poorer soils and disturbed sites. They often appear in pastures and meadows.

There is a little dissent about whether oxeye daisies are tied to acidic soils. Some experts believe they are, but others maintain they thrive best in neutral pH conditions (6.5-7) and aren’t a reliable sign of acidity in isolation. If in doubt, use a soil meter to check. Depending on what you want to grow, you can reduce acid levels in soil by adding some lime or wood ash, and build soil fertility with some aged compost or organic material.

7. Plantain

Another common weed that can indicate acidic soils is plantain (Plantago spp.). Plantain is also associated with low fertility and soil compaction, as well as heavier (possibly claggy clay) soil conditions. You are most likely to see plantain along hard-packed paths and thin lawns.

To rectify the issues, use a core-aeration tool to reduce the presence of compaction, followed by a topdressing of compost. If you see plantain in areas where lawns are thin, it’s also a good idea to overseed to thicken the turf. Try Scotts Turf Builder Thick’R Lawn from Walmart to give lawns a boost and condition the soil in one go.

8. Creeping Charlie

Ground ivy or creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederacea) has a strangely pleasant character as weeds go, with its scalloped leaf edges and minty aroma. However, as far as soil health goes, it also signifies poor drainage in shade, as well the likelihood of compacted, low‑fertility turf.

You may see it nestled in shady spots, along fences or in damp areas of lawn. It’s often an indicator that soil drainage is not great. Use a core-aeration tool to address this. Following a soil test, it’s worth fertilizing the soil or lawn to favor grass density.

9. Black Medic

Black medic (Medicago lupulina) is another of those common garden weeds that is often accompanied by bright yellow flowers as well as trifoliate leaves, and a little care may be needed to identify it as it can often be mistaken for oxalis or clover. However, having identified black medic in your garden, it’s usually a sign of dry growing conditions, stressed lawns and low nitrogen fertility.

Where you see black medic alongside dry, thin turf, take a soil test first, but it’s generally a good idea to replenish your turf by overseeding and feeding. Water deeply but less often to encourage deeper roots.

10. Quackgrass

Also known as couchgrass (Elymus repens or E. repens), this weed can look rather lush in appearance. Quackgrass, which spreads rapidly, is connected with nutrient imbalances in the soil, although obviously this needs to be corroborated with a meter reading. The presence of this weed denotes high potassium and manganese with low phosphorus and calcium, but it tolerates many soil types and drainage classes.

Although it is commonly seen in fields, its presence in gardens is usually found where there are thin patches in lawns. Following a soil test, correct any nutrient imbalances. You can also encourage denser turf in patchy spots by applying a lawn dressing such as Wonder Soil Top Dressing Lawn Repair from Amazon for thicker grass.

11. Stinging Nettle

The presence of stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) may not be good news for exposed shins, but it’s actually great news in terms of soil condition. Where you find it lurking in damp spots and compost-adjacent areas of the garden, it is generally a sign that the soil is high in nutrients, particularly nitrogen. Little wonder, perhaps, that nettles are often used crushed up and brewed into a fertilizer.

So if you do spy some stinging nettles around the edges of your yard, you can at least be sure that soil fertility is in a pretty good state. Depending on light exposure, you should harness this goodness by planting hungry ornamentals or larger, heavy-feeding crops in situ. Alternatively, keep a contained patch aside for composting.

Improving Soil Based on Weeds

Once you have identified your weeds and know a little more about what it might indicate about your soil health, adapt this simple three-step, test‑first approach to your particular needs. Base this approach on the proliferation of the weeds, nearby plants you wish to keep, and what you would like to grow next year. However, fall is a great time to make soil amendments that have time to settle in before the next gardening calendar year. By changing conditions underground, you not only create better soil for your preferred plants, but you can also get rid of some of the weeds. So if you use this time wisely to reinvigorate the soil, you will be thanking us later!

1. Fix physical issues first: Many indicator weeds point to compaction or drainage problems. Core‑aeration relieves compaction. Test drainage with a simple percolation (perc) test, which checks to see how fast water drains through the ground. Roughly 1in (2.5cm) per hour is acceptable, but less than that suggests poor drainage. Use an aeration tool such as the Coring Tool and Plug Aerator from Amazon to help relieve soil compaction. Address with organic matter, grading or subsurface fixes, and follow with compost topdressing.
2. Adjust chemistry thoughtfully: Depending on the findings of your soil meter test (as well as any weeds present), you can apply lime or sulfur to increase soil alkalinity or acidity respectively. For example, if tests show low Ca with acidic pH, use calcitic lime – especially where dandelion or wood sorrel is rampant. If nitrogen is low and black medic is everywhere, you can boost nitrogen (N) levels and overall turf vigor. Use CZ Garden Organics Organic Dolomite Lime from Walmart to safely stabilize soil pH where you suspect you need to raise the soil pH (in other words, make it less acidic, more alkaline, or reset to neutral).
3. Strengthen your plant community: Healthy, dense plantings make it harder for weeds to move in. For lawns, mow higher, overseed thin areas, water deeply but infrequently, and fertilize according to the season and a soil test. In beds, keep soil covered with a good mulch or living cover to reduce disturbance that favors colonizers like mustard. An absolute favorite for the Gardening Know How team is Back to the Roots Organic Premium Mulch from Amazon, which protects bare soil, retains moisture levels, improves soil structure, conditions the earth in a gentle, slow-release way, and as a bonus, suppresses future weeds.

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Trying to figure out how to keep a neighbor’s weeds out of your yard can be complicated. We all want our yards to look beautiful and as gardeners, we work hard to keep them that way. But our next door neighbors may not put in as much work or may not have the time, ability, or knowledge to do the same. Or they may have a different idea about what a "weed" is. That's where problems can arise.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. That explains why the issue of encroaching weeds is really a gray area that can be a fraught topic to discuss with neighbors. It doesn’t help that the definition of a weed—a plant growing where it isn’t wanted—depends on the preferences of each different person. For example, I happen to love dandelions, but some of my neighbors pull out the cheery yellow flowers from their lawns.

So, what constitutes a “neighbor’s weeds encroaching in your yard”? Essentially, it means that a plant growing on your neighbor’s land is expanding its range onto your property and you don't want it there. But it’s not just a question of how to get rid of weeds from your neighbor's yard. It's an issue of open and understanding communication between people living close together. You have to navigate a fine line between community standards and personal choice. As a lawyer and long-time gardener, I'll help you navigate this prickly topic.

How to Talk to Your Neighbor About Weeds

“My neighbor’s weeds are out of control!” you fume. “My neighbor’s weeds are growing over the fence! We gotta talk. Now!” Given the delicacy of the issue, you’ll be much better off taking a friendly and respectful approach and trying to be a good neighbor in your garden.

Here are some tips to help you approach your neighbors politely and keep the issue from growing out of control.

1. Do Your Research

As a lawyer, my first step would be to figure out if the law is on my side. Look up local laws and ordinances for your area. Check out the nuisance laws and determine whether or not they are on your side.

Then look up the particular plant in question and make sure it is considered a common type of weed or known invasive plant. I personally hate the ivy that has appeared under the property-line wall from my neighbor’s side, but many people use it for vertical interest—think “ivy league” colleges. But English ivy is considered an invasive plant in many areas of the United States, so there is some validity to my annoyance.

2. Document the Problem

Next, document the issue. Take photos over time to have a visual display of how the plant is negatively impacting your property. If the problem has been going on for a long time, keep a record in your garden journal about how and when the issue has evolved.

A few simple notes with dates is great, but taking photos of your garden can illustrate the issue more clearly and help keep both you and your neighbor objective and prevent either party from exaggerating to make their point.

3. Approach Your Neighbor

Armed with this information, it’s time to initiate a conversation. Be polite, curious, and courteous, since cooperation is likely the only way you can nip things in the bud. Unless the offending plant is a toxic weed in an area where growing is prohibited, you aren’t likely to get a court to rule in your favor.

So, address your neighbor gently and kindly. Depending on the extent of the problem, you might express concern for them and ask if they need a hand with their yard. However, above all, you don’t want to insult your neighbor.

If they are young and able-bodied, be careful, as this could be viewed as sarcastic. Though they may have other issues going on at home that are keeping them from maintaining a neat garden. So you can offer your assistance as an avid gardener who likes to share their knowledge to make it seem like they're doing you a favor, rather than you offering unwanted charity.

If your neighbors are elderly or infirm, of course offer to help them. Otherwise, you can offer to put them in contact with a professional landscaper who can help with the yard work.

Above all, keep in mind that any solution you propose should benefit both parties. Think through some potential solutions before rushing over to discuss the issue. How can you help them? Can you share your gardening tools with them? Could the two of you hire a professional lawn care service and split the cost?

But be aware that unless they are breaking some law, your neighbor has the right to say no to your offer. You must be prepared for that. If you’ve approached them in a respectful way and proposed mutually beneficial solutions, and they still say no, accept it and move on. You’ll have to solve the problem yourself in a way that won't upset them.

What Can I Do About My Neighbor's Weeds?

This is the time the self-help questions come up. Can I pull my neighbor’s weeds? Can I spray my neighbor’s weeds? No and no. At least not without permission.

If you’ve run into a brick wall with your neighbor, it’s time to solve your problem yourself. This does not mean hopping the fence in the middle of the night to pull their weeds or spray them with weed killer—which can drift to nearby water features and even back into your own lawn.

Those types of activity may be considered criminal trespass and you could be sued in court, perhaps even sent to jail. Short of that, you will lose any chance of having a good relationship with your neighbor.

Unless your neighbor gives you permission, you do not have the right to cross the property line or take any direct action in their yard. Your best option is to place a barrier at the property line to impede the weeds from coming your way.

This could be a fence, landscape rocks, a covering of mulch, or landscaping fabric, which you can get on Amazon, at the property line. This will stop or at least slow any weeds’ progress. However, these efforts may not help for controlling aggressive plants or ones that spread via air-borne seeds.

In the end, keeping your own backyard plants healthy and happy is your best protection. This is particularly true of grass. Doing everything right—like mowing, watering, and fertilizing—will help you grow a lush lawn that can crowd out weeds all on its own.

Invest in high-quality lawn care products, like the ones from Scotts on Amazon, to set up your lawn for success. You can also use organic products to get rid of weeds, like this natural weed killer from Amazon. But be aware that it will kill grass as well as unwanted plants.

When to Seek Outside Help

If your neighbor won’t help remove their weeds, you might want to get outside help. But the type of help that will serve you best depends on the situation.

If you and your neighbor both want to solve the problem but can’t hash out a fair way of handling it, a mediator might help. Bring in someone who can talk to both of you and try to find common ground. If the mediator can’t get a deal made, they can provide both of you with further resources to help resolve the conflict.

If you’ve given up on getting help from your neighbor, but the problem is too big for you to deal with on your own, call in a professional landscaper. They will assess the situation, determine what is truly at stake, and advise you on how to proceed. This is a good choice if the weed infestation is out of control.

Finally, there’s always a lawyer. Save this one for last because it’s sure to leave both of you with bad feelings and big bills. But if the case is extreme, there is an attorney out there who will represent your interests.

Be Proactive to Prevent Problems

If you are just starting landscaping your property, think ahead to prevent these types of issues. Install physical barriers, like an inexpensive fence, to prevent weeds from encroaching.

You might also want to build in a “buffer zone” between your house and your neighbors’ properties so that none of your gardening practices become someone else’s problem.

A uniform hedge or mixed privacy hedge would both be good options that double as buffer zone and lovely landscape design. This neighborly border area will keep your gardens separate and also add beauty to your own landscape.

There are many frustrating things in the world, but one of the biggest is how to get rid of weeds between pavers permanently. This is especially difficult for organic gardeners who eschew chemicals on their property.

Inaccessibility is the problem when you try to kill weeds between pavers. Sometimes it is hard to manually get to the root with a trowel, garden fork, or even a hori hori knife.

A few clever gardeners have done battle with a weed using odd implements like butter knives or flathead screwdrivers, but these can’t reach the root effectively. To successfully get rid of weeds in tight spaces, you may need to try chemicals, manual removal, a flame weeder, or a combination of things.

1. Manually

There are crack weed cutters on the market that have a slender edge and curved blade. These can slip into tight spots and get at the weed very effectively. This crack weeder from Amazon has 4.4 stars out of almost 7,000 reviews.

If you are not able to get the weed, don’t worry. Repeated removal of the foliage will eventually drain the plant of all energy, and the root will die. You can also try using a screwdriver to go after tough weeds or a soil knife.

2. Flame Weeder

Flame weeding is effective on broadleaf weeds. There are both propane and electric models. They are easy to use, just ensure there is a water source nearby. The flame will burn away the exposed part of the leaf, and with shallow-rooted plants, burn the root. Attach your normal propane tank to a weed torch from Flame King on Amazon and get weeding.

The trauma to the plant often kills it. For many perennial and tap-rooted plants, this is not an effective weed removal method. Be sure to wet down the weeds with your hose before using the flame weeder to reduce the likelihood of causing a fire. Also make sure to have your hose and a fire extinguisher nearby.

3. Black Plastic or Landscape Fabric

These materials can smother or solarize weeds. Killing weeds with black plastic harnesses solar heat, heats up the weeds and pavers and kills the weeds. The landscape fabric will mostly smother the weeds in the site, and is a useful way to prevent more weed seeds from colonizing the area.

4. Boiling Water

Simply putting the kettle on and using that boiling water can kill weeds. Boil the water and pour it over the weed, saturating it thoroughly and quickly. This process will have to be repeated many times. Be careful not to burn yourself in the process.

5. Vinegar

The vinegar in your cupboard will not work to kill weeds between pavers, but if you get 20 percent acetic acid (horticultural vinegar), you can remove the weed within several applications.

Beware of the caustic effect on mucus membranes and wear appropriate protective gear like rubber gloves, safety goggles, and a respirator.

6. DIY Weed Killer

You can make a homemade weed killer using salt and vinegar. Mix 1 gallon of white vinegar, 1 cup salt, and 1 tablespoon of dish soap as a surfactant. Pour this into a spray bottle and douse the weeds. Repeat as necessary.

7. Corn Gluten

Corn gluten can control some broadleaf weeds and crabgrass. It won’t kill existing weeds, but it will inhibit germination in certain weed seeds to act as a pre-emergent herbicide. You can find organic corn gluten weed preventer at Walmart.

8. Chemical Herbicides

You can also use a non-selective herbicide like glyphosate that will kill a broad range of weed plants. A product like 2,4-D is considered a selective herbicide and is great to use on broadleaf plants. You should follow the manufacturer’s directions on the correct amounts to mix with water if you are using a concentrated formula.

A spray bottle may be used in small areas, but for larger spaces like a driveway, consider a backpack sprayer, which can hold a large volume of weed killer and has a long handled spray nozzle to effectively target weeds.

Be sure to wear protective clothing, only use on calm days, and never use near water, drainage, or where pets may be present. Follow the manufacturer's guidelines for use.

Getting rid of weeds between pavers is a constant battle, but hopefully some of these options will help you manage your patio weeds better.

You’ve heard the old saying: weeds are just plants growing in the wrong place? We all end up berating weeds in one part of our garden or the other, whether it’s a cheeky clump of chickweed popping out of a raised bed, or a sleepy crabgrass sprawling across the lawn. And in your quest to save money as you fight the good fight, it’s tempting to reach for any organic remedy lurking in cupboards that might kick your weedy residents into touch. But if you're pouring vinegar willy-nilly on common weeds in your perennial border, it's time to stop and read this.

Now, this isn't advice to ditch organic controls completely. Depending on the weed, the location, and the extent of the problem, some homemade remedies may work. But there is another option for gardeners who are worried about the efficacy and potential risk that comes with using vinegar, baking soda, and so on. Intrigued? If you want to take a lump out of some common garden foes while protecting desirable plants and soil, it's time to reach for the toolbox – and a very special tool to pull weeds…

What's The Problem with Vinegar?

Vinegar gets mentioned a lot with folks tackling weeds. Depending on the type, it can be organic, relatively inexpensive, and something most of us have in the kitchen. If you use vinegar on weeds, the acetic acid can be effective on younger, tender plants. But when we talk about weeds (and getting rid of weeds), it’s the root networks we need to focus on. If you’re pouring vinegar directly on weeds and hoping they will shrivel up and die – well, yes, some of them might. But unless you have targeted the roots as well, there’s a jolly good chance those unwelcome plants will reemerge .

Vinegar is both a contact herbicide and a non-selective herbicide – and both of these things are problematic. The ‘contact’ bit means that the vinegar is only really tackling the bit it touches – the bit you can see (not the root). And the ‘non-selective’ part means that vinegar doesn’t discriminate between weeds and other plants (or grass), so it can be potentially quite damaging to the parts of your garden you want to keep alive and healthy. Tipping vinegar, salt and so on into garden beds and lawns as a weed control can also have a negative impact on the soil.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying vinegar, baking soda, and those other household remedies are always a mistake as an on-the-spot treatment. They are probably not a big deal if used for random gremlins popping up between paving cracks in a garden path. However, for a more controlled approach to tackling the problem, you’ll find that pulling weeds with a good tool on your side helps you go deeper, is less risky for soil and healthy plants – and it is genuinely satisfying. Enter our toolbox buddy…

Presenting… the Screwdriver!

Pulling weeds by hand doesn’t have to be a drag – it can be incredibly therapeutic. And when I’m heading out to go one-on-one with weeds, I always make sure I have this one toolbox companion in my apron pocket: a screwdriver. Specifically, a screwdriver with a long shaft. You need this to secure a decent purchase around the deeper root systems of some of the more pernicious common garden weeds you’ll encounter, like dandelions and crabgrass.

To be clear, I’m not saying you should wield a screwdriver at every single weed you see without first inspecting the weed to identify it. Some weeds with more intricate, shallow and brittle root systems (like ground elder and bindweed) will require a more nuanced, dedicated approach. Knowing your enemy is part of the battle and every job has the perfect tool, as they say. But my trusty screwdriver has performed honorable service in the field for several garden weeds – specifically those with deeper root networks and a thick taproot.

So when I spot burdock, dandelion, thistle, plantain, and even clumps of crabgrass, I feel better knowing my screwdriver can turn the task of weeding into good garden therapy. Again, I adapt my approach to the weed in question, as well as the garden site. It’s important to wear comfortable gloves with a good grip, especially for weeds like thistles. A screwdriver is especially effective on dry earth, but it still works fine if the ground is wet, and it can slide neatly into a range of soils and garden situations, from busy perennial borders to gaps in flagstones.

For the best way to pull weeds with a screwdriver, I recommend a screwdriver with at least an 8-inch shaft, and preferably one with a 10-inch shaft if you can find one in your toolbox. If you don’t have one, the Performance Tool W30992 Slotted Screwdriver from Amazon is a good option for grip and ergonomics, and while the end of the tool doesn’t seem to matter in my garden, I do find the flat head screwdrivers are better for purchase. But if you fancy having the option of different screwdriver tips, try the Kyuionty Screwdriver Set from Amazon, which has one flat and one blunt tip – and both have the longer, 10-inch shaft.

Pros and Cons of Screwdriver Weeding

The beauty of the long-shaft screwdriver is in the simplicity of its design – and the leverage it allows you to wield when you slide it underground. I like to position the screwdriver a couple of inches to the side of the weed, slide it vertically into the ground, then anchor it towards the root while lifting the root with my hand. Just wear gloves to protect against sharp or poisonous weeds, and crouch near the weed for the best support.

If used carefully, a screwdriver both loosens the earth and allows you to hoist the weed free at the safer root level, rather than the riskier surface level. Yes, a trowel or hoe can also do both these things with varying degrees of success, depending on the location and the weed. But using a screwdriver as a hand weed puller gives you a level of local control and grip that honestly does feel super-satisfying.

There are other tools out there, like the fishtail weeder, but my trusty screwdriver is one of the best weeding tools I’ve ever used in the garden. Stick with weeds that have long or substantial taproots, like dandelions, dock, thistles, plantain, and burdock. Screwdrivers are less effective on brittle-root weed types like ground elder and bindweed. Here are some of the key benefits of using a screwdriver on weeds:

• It’s organic: If you are mindful about working with nature and not overrelying on chemicals, this approach works in harmony with your garden and is relatively kind to grass (as long as you aren’t hacking away at your lawn, that is).
• It’s great in crevices: Unlike a trowel or hoe, a screwdriver is ideal for weeds growing in a tight squeeze, such as between the cracks in a patio or pathway. It gives you access to the full length of any weed taproot, in a way that would restrict other tools.
• It’s targeted: Again, as long as you are using the screwdriver carefully around each problematic weed, you don’t have to worry about whether you are impacting nearby perennials, ornamentals and edibles that you want to keep.

Using a screwdriver doesn’t negate the need to stay vigilant on a weekly basis. There are always going to be some weeds that can’t be successfully removed in their entirety this way. But weeding more regularly means you can keep on top of fresh weeds, removing them while they are relatively young and weaker.

I would also add that no one weeding measure should be used for everything. To be an effective weeding warrior, you should use a screwdriver as part of a wider range of weed-busting measures, along with approaches such as mulching, weed suppressants and so on. Do this, and a screwdriver is definitely worth keeping in your pocket the next time you go out into the garden.

Don't Forget These Other Weeding Essentials

Frequently Asked Questions

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A weed is defined as a plant that you don’t want, but what about so-called weeds most people hate but you love? The plant known as pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) is widely considered a weed because it has two serious “weedish” characteristics: it’s invasive and toxic. Yet some gardeners really adore pokeweed and I’m one of them.

When pokeweed turned up in my backyard without invitation, I fell in love before I ever found out it was a weed. It grew fast from a knee-high shrub to a small tree, taller than me, with upright racemes of tiny pale flowers that turned into dark purple berries.

The benefits of growing pokeweed are impressive. The plant lit up the landscape, grew without any assistance, and drew more birds to the backyard than any other plant in my garden. That settled the debate about the pros and cons of growing weeds in the garden for me. In my book, pokeweed is a desirable plant and most definitely not a weed.

Meet the Pokeweed Plant

You may need more than one introduction to get fully acquainted with this shrub, given the many unique names it possesses. There is pokeweed, of course, or American pokeweed, but it’s also called pokeberry, poke sallet, dragonberry, pigeonberry weed, and inkberry.

All of these names refer to Phytolacca americana, a large perennial shrub that can grow up to 10 feet (3.3 m) tall. Its leaves are green, growing on reddish stems, and it produces pale flowers in a candle-like raceme.

The flowers develop into berries that are dark purple, almost black. Over the years, people have used the berries as dye and ink, which explains the common name “inkberry.” Don’t confuse pokeweed with the other shrub named inkberry holly. The berries on pokeweed contain seeds by which the plant easily propagates itself, often with the aid of birds.

If you're interested in growing pokeweed yourself, you won't be able to find seeds in any big box stores or nurseries. But you can get pokeweed seeds from Amazon or other online sellers who specialize in selling hard-to-find plant seeds.

Why Do People Hate Pokeweed?

Pokeweed has grown wild in the United States for centuries, since long before the colonists arrived. Indigenous people found many uses for it, both medicinal and culinary, as well as for dye made from the purple berries. But today, many people consider it a pest weed.

Two words explain why many gardeners (and virtually all farmers) hurry to get this plant out of their backyard: toxic and invasive. When I say toxic here, I mean deadly.

The berries and mature foliage are poisonous to humans, dogs, and livestock. The roots have the deadliest toxins, followed by the foliage, then the berries. Ingesting these parts of the pokeweed plant causes respiratory paralysis which can lead to death. Pokeweed plants can also cause skin irritation, so you should always wear gloves when touching this poisonous plant. We recommend a set of thorn proof & puncture resistant gloves, like these ones from Amazon.

In addition, each of the pokeweed’s berries contain seeds that can grow another pokeweed plant. The berries may fall to the ground from the shrub and decay, thereby “planting” the seed. Alternatively, birds may eat them and spread to another location.

If you ever grow a pokeweed, you are likely to have pokeweed for years after, even if you try to eradicate them. Seeds remain viable for decades, which can make controlling pokeberry plants extremely difficult. For these reasons, pokeweed is often considered an invasive native plant.

And Yet…Pokeweed Has Its Fans, Like Me!

I know this plant seems to have a lot of bad qualities, but is pokeweed good for anything? Yes! In fact, pokeweed’s benefits have won over many fans—including me.

I have always worked to attract beneficial animals to the garden and turn my yard into a wildlife habitat. I’ve put in seed feeders for birds, nuts for squirrels, hummingbird feeders, water feeders for raccoons, and watering stations for pollinators in my garden in San Francisco as well as feeders for badgers, foxes, wild hares, and hedgehogs in my garden in France.

I’ve installed ponds as a habitat for newts, frogs, salamanders, dragonflies, and snakes where they can have their young. I’ve planted blueberries, cherry trees, and butterfly plants to lure wildlife and regularly leave stacks of branches and detritus in which animals can pass the winter, safe from prey. But none of these wildlife gardening efforts can compare with simply growing a pokeberry plant.

Pokeberry has been called a natural wildlife feeder. It provides food for many different species of birds like robins and bluebirds, as well as squirrels, mice, foxes, leopard moths, raccoons, opossums, deer, and even black bears. Birds and other wild creatures are apparently not vulnerable to pokeweed’s toxins and love to eat it.

Discovering Pokeweed

Pokeweed appeared out of nowhere in my San Francisco garden, which is to put it politely, a bit on the wild side. And it grew fast! I watched it grow from a flowering shrub into an 8-foot (3 m) tree before I took a cutting to the San Francisco botanical garden to find out what it was. The head gardener looked it up for me and advised me to rip it out, but by then it was too late.

The plant, now identified as a toxic weed, was overflowing with birds. The “regulars” abandoned the bird feeder to feast on the berries and other birds—birds I had never seen in the yard before—joined them. It was like a huge avian rave festival with birds planing in to find an unoccupied branch. There were many different types of songbirds that filled the backyard with their sweet cries.

Let’s just put it out there: you should consider encouraging a pokeweed plant if birds and wildlife are your thing. One shrub was enough to transform my garden, but if you need more, pokeweed is ready and willing to propagate. I have now introduced it to my land in France, and it has worked the same magic there.

How Do You Use Pokeweed in the Garden?

I love everything about pokeweed, from the ridiculously long racemes of purple berries to the shrub’s resilient ways. Thankfully, I no longer have a young child at the house, nor livestock that might eat the foliage and get sick. If you’re in a similar situation, pokeweed might be the plant to try. It will bring songbirds for certain, including the gray catbird, northern mockingbird, northern cardinal, and brown thrasher.

What else is pokeweed good for? In addition to its cool, Dr. Seuss aesthetics and wildlife appeal, some people grow pokeweed to eat.

Yes, this at first sounded curious to me, too, since it is poisonous to humans. But in reading more about it, I discovered that immature shoots and leaves are edible when young—that is, in spring and early summer. The same plant parts are deadly as they mature, and roots and berries—mature or not—are always toxic.

The cooked greens look something like turnip greens and are called poke sallet, poke salad, or polk salad. Who remembers the 1968 Tony Joe White garden-themed song (later covered by Elvis) called “Polk Salad Annie”?

Tips for Growing Pokeweed

I encourage animal and insect lovers to try growing these weeds for wildlife. Here are some tips on how to grow pokeweed while keeping yourself and others safe:

• Wait until your children have passed the age that they will reach for bright berries without asking questions first.
• Plant pokeweed well away from the fence line if you live in an urban area. You don’t want the neighbor’s kids to eat berries either.
• If you have a playful or hungry dog, fence off the area in which you are planting pokeweed.
• Don’t goof around with the berries, e.g. make dye with them, using your bare hands. The pokeweed berry juice can be absorbed through the skin and cause a reaction. Use a set of thick, puncture resistant gloves like these ones from Amazon.
• Rake up all fallen berries in the garden to prevent pokeweed from sprouting up everywhere.
• Cut the plant back to the ground in late autumn. It will grow back in spring.

I have an ambivalent attitude about weeds in my garden. On the one hand, I appreciate nature and its resilience. Also, I don’t really hate any plants. Weeds are just trying to survive, right?

On the other hand, weeds in the garden don’t always look nice, and worse, they compete with the plants I’m intentionally trying to grow. I have learned all about weed control in my battles over the years.

Weeds have been a challenge in my garden, particularly in my largest bed and in the lawn. My annual struggle in preventing, managing, and removing weeds in the garden has taught me a lot of important lessons. Maybe they can help you, too.

Some Of The Worst Weeds In My Garden

I haven’t identified all of the common weeds in my garden, but I have a few regulars. They come back every year and are tough as nails:

• Dandelions. Every garden has problems with dandelion control, right? Those adorably round seed heads that form all summer long ensure they will never truly go away.
• Violets. Violets are pretty, and I don’t actually mind them in the lawn. They’re about the same height as the grass and sprinkle the lawn with purple. On the other hand, in beds, wild violet control is infuriating. They get quite large and grow annoyingly close to other plants, making them very difficult to grasp and pull.
• Old Groundcover. Now, this one is not necessarily a weed, but we have groundcover from a previous owner in a couple of our beds. I don’t like it, but it literally grows like a weed and has to be pulled periodically all summer.
• Bindweed. This is my true nemesis. I’ve researched eradicating it, and it is nearly impossible. It is a vine that looks a little like morning glory. It permeates my patch of daylilies, twining around them. The best bindweed control in planted areas is hand weeding. If I don’t pull out bindweed all summer long, the daylilies start to suffer.

The Number One Weeding Mistake To Avoid

The biggest mistake I’ve made with weeds is ignoring them. Trust me, they don’t just go away. The longer I ignored them in the past, the harder it was to remove them later.

Waiting too long in spring to start weeding is a related mistake. If you don't spring clean your garden correctly and get a head start on the weeds, they get out of control faster than you can imagine, often preceding perennials in coming out of the ground as the weather warms.

How To Avoid Weeds In Garden Beds

Learning how to get rid of weeds in gardens is a combination of prevention and an active strategy. I can’t say I’ve completely conquered my weeds, but these tips have helped me get it to a manageable situation.

1. Mulch, Mulch, And Mulch Again

Weed prevention in garden beds includes making life more difficult for them to grow. Obviously, your beds have to be hospitable for other plants, so how do you prevent weed growth? I haven’t had good luck with weed blankets, but mulch can help.

Some of the benefits of using mulch in the garden is keeping moisture in the soil and helping beds look tidy. They also contribute to suppressing weeds. This is not a foolproof method to prevent weeds, but it helps. I’ve found that it’s best not to be stingy. Pile that mulch on a little deeper than you normally would if weeds are an issue.

2. Practice No-Till Gardening

I used to give my beds a good turn in spring before putting in annuals or new perennials. I’d always been taught that it was best to mix up the soil, but it turns out to be a great way to stimulate weed growth. By tilling the soil, you bring more weed seeds to the surface where they can thrive. Using no-till gardening methods means I simply dig the hole, add a little compost, and place the plant.

3. Start Early, Weed Often, And Make It Fun

For me, removing weeds in garden beds is best done by hand. It can feel like a hopeless task if you let the weeds get out of control. The key to doing it right and to making it a manageable chore is to start early in spring and keep weeding a little bit at a time. It doesn’t feel so overwhelming when I break it up into small chunks.

I have even learned to enjoy this little regular chore. Using a tool is great for tougher weeds, but hand weeding is effective in a lot of instances. If you are in need of a good weeding tool, our editors love the A.M. Leonard Deluxe Soil Knife & Leather Sheath Combo found on Amazon.

Many nights, I’ll spend just 30 minutes in the cool of the evening after dinner pulling weeds. I put on my headphones with a good audiobook and lose myself in the task.

4. Weed And Feed The Lawn

I stay away from all herbicides in my garden beds. I don’t want to risk harming my other plants, but weed control in garden beds is different from weed control in the lawn. My first tip for managing lawn weeds is not to get caught up in perfection. If my lawn is uniformly green, but some of that green is from violets or dandelions, so what?

Of course, if you don’t address them at all, those weeds will take over and replace your turf grass. I’ve found that an occasional application of weed and feed lawn herbicide is an easy way to keep weeds from getting out of control. I like to apply it right after a rain to help it stick.

If you’re new to gardening, don’t be disheartened by the weeds as they emerge from the ground. Weeds can be managed, if never truly eliminated. These are the strategies I’ve found to be useful after trial and error. Maybe they can help you as you devise your best weed control plan.

You’ve probably heard of poison ivy, and maybe you’ve even had a close personal encounter, but it isn’t the only noxious plant you need to watch out for. There are plenty of poisonous weeds and prickly weeds that cause rashes (and worse), and one or two could well be hiding in plain sight in your garden.

We can spend so much time fretting about weed control because these rough and ready plants may look unsightly, we don’t think of the other problems associated with certain weeds. There are a number of problematic or stinging weeds that cause rashes, itching, stinging, eye irritation and, in extreme cases, infections.

So before you march out into the yard to do battle with the weeds, it’s a good idea to get familiar with those uninvited guests you don’t like the look of – you may well be growing poisonous plants. Keep reading to learn more about the most likely noxious and nasty weeds to crop up in your yard – and what you can do to take action.

Poisonous Weeds

Inadvertent contact with toxic or poisonous weeds can cause skin and eye irritation, blistering, dizziness, nausea, or worse. Make sure you can spot these problematic common weeds – and approach with caution (and protective hand coverings).

1. Poison Ivy

Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), not to be confused with the DC comic book plant/human hybrid, is a poisonous plant native to most of the 48 contiguous states. It is most commonly found vining up trees or other supports, but may also exist as a small shrub. It has three smooth to mildly notched leaflets and bears white waxy coated berry-like fruit. Usually, the middle leaf appears slightly larger than the others.

Like poison oak and poison sumac below, poison ivy contains urushiol. This is an oily sap that causes a rash upon contact. The sap can persist on clothing and equipment for weeks, so if you do come into contact with this noxious weed, wash clothing and tools thoroughly in warm, soapy water.

2. Poison Oak

Atlantic or Eastern poison oak (Toxicodendron pubescens) also usually has three leaflets, although it may have five, seven or nine. The leaves are more rounded than those of poison ivy, looking rather like an oak leaf. They often present as slightly scalloped in shape and may be slightly haired.

Poison oak is found in the South and East US coast, growing as a shrub, but more commonly it grows as a vine in the West. Small, innocuous white flowers will give way to velvety gray or tan berries in the spring. You must never attempt to remove poison oak by burning the leaves to get rid of them, as the fumes can be lethal.

3. Poison Sumac

Poison sumac (Toxicodendron vernix) has clusters of white or green berries. Leaves have a slight sheen, and stems are generally red. This noxious weed is found in the Midwest, Northeast and some of the Southeast US. Poison sumac plants feature seven-13 smooth paired leaflets on each stem.

Ongoing control and removal of poison sumac requires months of patient cutting and regular applications of horticultural vinegar – but only if wearing protective gloves. There is also a harmless sumac plant that differs from poison sumac in the appearance of its berries. These are bright red and positioned upright on the plant.

4. Poison Hemlock

Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) is native to Europe, Africa and Asia and is invasive in North America. Eating any part of poison hemlock, even in small quantities, can result in death. All parts of the plant contain toxic alkaloids, although the mature fruit and seeds are the most poisonous.

The plant itself is about 3-8ft (1-2m) in height, with hollow stems riddled with ridges and purple spotting, fern-like foliage and a taproot. While it is poisonous when ingested, this weed can also be toxic to sensitive individuals when touched. If seeking to control poison hemlock, you must always wear gloves and other protective clothing when handling this plant.

5. Water Hemlock

A member of the same family (Apiaceae) as poison hemlock, water hemlock (Cicuta maculata) is even deadlier. To distinguish between these two sinister plants, focus on the purple found on their hollow stems. Water hemlock has purple streaking, while poison hemlock has purple spots. Water hemlock also has fleshy tubers, rather than the deep taproot of poison hemlock, but they both grow to 3-8ft (90cm-2.4m) tall.

Ingestion of all parts of this plant can lead to seizures, paralysis or even death. The toxins can also be absorbed through the skin or breathed in, so either avoid the plant altogether or wear protective garb including goggles and a mask. Wash everything well after handling the plant.

6. Cow Parsnip

Cow parsnip (Heracleum maximum) has hollow stems covered with tiny hairs and radiating foliage. In the plant’s second year, it sends up a 4-15ft (1-4.5m) stem topped with an umbrella of tiny white blooms.

This perennial-biennial contains a sap which, when exposed to the sun, produces toxins that may result in a blistering rash as painful and dangerous as a burn. Because all parts of the cow parsnip plant may cause skin irritation, great care should be taken to cover any exposed skin areas.

Prickly Weeds

Prickly weeds in yard spaces are usually more of an annoyance than a danger. However, festering wounds from stinging weeds can still cause some serious injuries, so it pays to be super-cautious if you suspect the presence of these weeds.

7. Stinging Nettle

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) can be found through North America and the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The plant has 6ft (2m) fibrous, hairy stems surrounded by heart-shaped serrated foliage. Stems are covered with needle-like hairs that contain an array of irritants. When a person or animal brushes against the hairs, they break off, releasing irritants into the skin. Once the spines are lodged in the skin, there is little to do except wait out the symptoms of hives and stinging pain.

These irritants are a survival tool of the plant which also has the advantages of being a perennial and propagating by seed and rhizome. Indeed, trying to control the presence and spread of stinging nettles can feel like an ongoing battle. The best ways to try to fight back are by regular weed whacking and crushing – but only if using protective clothing. Nettles have been purposefully cultivated for use medicinally and as a food source for centuries.

8. Sandbur

Sandbur (Cenchrus longispinus or C. incertus), as the name implies, is generally found in sandy soil. However, it may also grow in grazing pastures or even sports fields and lawns. A summer annual grass, sandbar has sharp, spiny burs that can cause injury to people and pets.

In pastures, livestock are known to get ulcerated mouth wounds and even gastrointestinal issues from swallowing the barbed seed heads. Controlling sandbur weeds can be tricky, but regular lawn-mowing can help keep the irritating sandbur seed heads from developing.

Stay Safe When Handling Weeds

Without wishing to sound alarmist, Mother Nature can be dangerous at times, so you need to protect yourself by wearing the appropriate garb. I recommend long pants and sleeves, sturdy boots and a good pair of gloves. In some cases, safety goggles and a mask wouldn’t be too outlandish. It can’t hurt to invest in some anti-fog goggles from Amazon.com which prevent eye irritation and are comfy for the price.

If you’re concerned about layering up in high summer temperatures, you should at the very least wear arm gaiters with gloves. Better yet, try all-in-one gloves with extra long cuffs. For a budget option that doesn’t skimp on solid protection, G&F Gardening Gloves from Wayfair keep you safe from the common noxious weeds, and come in a choice of rose pink and jade green.

For gardeners with sensitive skin, try a breathable set of long-sleeve DLY canvas and cowhide gloves from Amazon, which have the added benefit of being thorn-proof.

Frequently Asked Questions

Fall is the perfect time for weed control. Get a jump on spring weed control by zapping broadleaf weeds in the fall, while they are young enough to manage. In the springtime, the weeds grow rapidly and flower. Waiting till then to eradicate the weeds is futile; they are too mature to be affected by herbicide.

How To Kill Weeds In Fall To Prevent Them In Next Year’s Garden

Many perennial weeds and winter annual broadleaf weeds can be effectively controlled in autumn. You can manually hoe or pull them, or for stubborn weeds, you can apply pre-emergents or broadleaf herbicides.

Winter Annual Broadleaf Weeds

What is a weed? Winter annual broadleaf weeds that germinate in the fall and make a big spring show include dead nettle, common chickweed and henbit. They can be controlled with pre-emergents, herbicides, or by manually pulling them up.

Pre-emergents need to be applied before the weeds germinate in the fall, usually in September. Choose a product according to where you want to use it, in a garden or in the lawn, as the product ingredients will differ. Be sure to identify the weeds you want to eradicate, and those weeds should be listed on the label. Preen Garden Weed Preventer is a great option for the garden, while Scott's Turf Builder Crabgrass Preventer works well for the lawn. Both are available on Amazon.

If you miss the pre-emergent window, and weeds are actively growing, you can hoe, rake, or dig up the seedlings if you prefer to avoid chemicals or if you have only a few weeds. This heavy duty garden hoe is perfect for the job. Also, mowing often to prevent them from going to seed will help.

Fall weed control may also include liquid or granular broadleaf herbicides that will kill winter annual seedlings. (See “Broadleaf Herbicides for Fall Weeds” below.)

Perennial Broadleaf Weeds

Perennial broadleaf weeds are another story. They are more difficult to control manually because they have a more extensive root structure. Dandelions, for example, have a long taproot and are difficult to dig and get the entire root. Any missed section that is left behind will re-rerooted. However, if you only have a few in an out-of-the-way place, you may want to leave them to bloom in spring as an early pollinator plant. Remove the seed head once it emerges, though, or they can increase quickly.

Other common broadleaf perennial weeds include Canada thistle, bindweed, pokeweed, plantain, and ground ivy. Perennial weeds die back in the winter and regrow in the spring just like our ornamental perennials. In autumn, weeds are storing nutrients to prepare for winter and this is the best time to knock them out with herbicides. The chemical translocates down to the roots along with the carbohydrates that are moving down to the roots.

Perennial seeds also germinate in the fall and those seedlings are vulnerable to herbicides.

Broadleaf Herbicides for Fall Weeds

Broadleaf herbicides come in liquid or granular form. Experts say the liquid product covers more of the foliage so may be the better choice. Either product will work better if the air temperature is above 55 degrees F (12.8 degrees C). Let the grass grow for a few days before applying so there are plenty of leaf blades.

For the liquid product, we recommend Southern Ag 2,4-D Weed Killer, available on Amazon. Spray when the wind does not exceed 5 mph to avoid the product drifting onto desirable plants. Watch the weather reports so you can apply it when rain is not forecast for at least 24 hours after spraying.

Granular broadleaf herbicides often are combined with fertilizer. This professional-grade granular pre-emergent weed control herbicide from Amazon should do the trick. The grass should be damp so the granules will stick to it for better absorption. You can apply it after watering the lawn or in the morning when the dew is still on the grass. Allow at least 24 hours after application before watering.

Whether using herbicides in gardens in a liquid or granular form, do not mow for three or four days after the application so the formula has a chance to move through the leaves to the roots.

Johnson grass (Sorghum halepense) has plagued farmers since its introduction as a forage crop. This invasive and noxious weed has gotten so out of control that landowners in many states are mandated to kill it. If you are bothered by a troublesome invasion of this perennial weed, learn how to get rid of Johnson grass.

How to Get Rid of Johnson Grass

As with most invasive weeds and grasses, using multiple strategies usually works best for Johnson grass control.

Johnson grass reproduces and invades crop areas in two ways, spreading both by seed and rhizomes to overtake farmland and other areas of your property. The rhizomes of Johnson grass are identified by thick cream-colored rhizomes, covered with orange scales.

When combined with cultural practices that prevent the spread of rhizomes and seeds, an organic herbicide program may be helpful, but may still not eliminate it.

Tilling the soil in fall following the harvest and followed with an organic herbicide is a good start to killing Johnson grass. Rhizomes and seed heads brought to the surface by tilling may be destroyed.

The seeds of Johnson grass can remain viable for as long as ten years so it is best to prevent the seeds from being spread in the first place.

Take steps to prevent the spread of seeds and rhizomes to areas that are not infested. Digging clumps of Johnson grass in the yard or small garden is a start. Dispose of the clumps where they cannot reseed or spread. It is best to do this before the grass goes to seed, to further prevent the spread of the seeds.

When Johnson grass grows near the lawn, keep the turf thick and healthy to discourage the invasion of Johnson grass. Take a soil test and apply recommended amendments to keep the grass growing. Reseed thin areas of the lawn and mow at the proper height for your variety of grass to keep it healthy and competitive against the Johnson grass.

Recommended Johnson Grass Herbicides

Successful Johnson grass control may include the use of organic, environmentally friendly Johnson grass herbicides. It's important to consult with your local garden center or extension service to be sure you are using a product that won't contaminate the surrounding area, its soil and its plants.

Yellow starthistle is identified as one of the most serious weeds in the Western U.S. Although it is an annual plant, it spreads rapidly and produces an extensive amount of seed. Its control is of paramount importance because it threatens the desirable vegetation in rangeland, natural areas and roadways. Learn how to slow down this invasive plant.

Quick Facts about Yellow Starthistle:

• Botanical name: Centaurea solstitialis
• Height: 6 inches to 6 feet (15 cm to 1.8 m)
• Spread: Branching spines
• Sun exposure: Full Sun
• Soil requirements: Well-drained fertile or poor soil
• Hardiness zones: USDA 5 to 9; UK Zone 6
• When to plant: Sow seeds in spring

Yellow Starthistle: Identification & Control Methods

Yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) is considered a noxious weed in 12 Western and upper Midwest states. An eradication program is recommended as soon as the annual (sometimes biennial) yellow thistle plant is recognized growing on a person’s property.

Why is yellow starthistle a problem? Its aggressive spread takes a firm hold, impacting native flora and fauna. Also known as Barnaby’s thistle, golden starthistle, or yellow knapweed, it sends deep roots into the soil, depleting the moisture so no other plant species can establish. It outcompetes native plants for nutrients and space.

Info About Centaurea Solstitialis

While yellow starthistle has some wildlife value, it is poisonous to horses, and they should not be allowed to graze in infested fields. If consumed by horses, it causes a fatal neurological disorder known as “chewing disease,” which leaves horses unable to chew or swallow. However, sheep, goats, and cattle can safely graze on yellow starthistle to help control its spread.

Identification of Yellow Starthistle

The gray-green to blue-green annual can grow up to 6 feet tall (1.8 meters) with stiff, branching stems and side wings. In fall and winter it forms a basal rosette of ruffled leaves, then flowers in spring. The yellow flowers are thistle like, with sharp spines protruding in a star shape below the flowers. Leaves are alternate and, along with the stems, are covered in whitish hairs. Its vigorous taproot can descend more than 36 inches (.9 m).

Habitat & Growing Conditions

The Eurasian native was accidentally introduced into California around 1850 and quickly spread. It is now common in most states along roadsides, fields, pastures, rangeland, desert, and waste areas. It prefers a well-drained soil in full sun but is not picky about soil conditions or alkalinity. It tolerates poor soil and drought. However, it will not grow in shade.

How Does Yellow Starthistle Spread?

Yellow starthistle spreads solely by seed and can produce 30,000 seeds per square meter. The seeds can germinate immediately or remain viable in the soil for up to 10 years in certain environmental conditions. Typically they are viable for only 4 years. Mature seed heads turn straw colored and drop seed within a small area. The seed is carried further on shoes, clothes, fur, hair, road vehicles, and equipment.

How to Get Rid of Yellow Starthistle

A yellow starthistle invasive species management program should begin as soon as a population is identified. Begin with the smaller infestations, then move on to larger populations. Yellow starthistle control may include mechanical, cultural, biological, and chemical means of management. Keep annual records of infestations and continue to monitor areas once under control. Have a plan to combat missed areas or seedlings.

To control yellow starthistle in a small space, pull the plants before they go to seed and dispose of them.

Here are suggested control methods for large areas:

• Mechanical - Pulling, mowing, or cultivating to eliminate seed can reduce or eliminate an infestation in two to three years.
• Cultural - Cattle, sheep, or goats can effectively reduce an infestation if they are allowed to graze in short bouts of high intensity. Goats are not bothered by the spines that appear on the flowers and will continue to graze while other animals will not. Grazing should occur when the stems are beginning to bolt but before the spines grow. Prescribed burns can be effective if they’re timed when the yellow starthistle plants are just beginning the flowering stage.
• Biological - In the Western U.S., six insects have been released to curtail the spread of yellow starthistle by attacking the seedheads. Of the three species of weevils and three species of flies, only two of them, the hairy weevil and the false peacock fly, make a respectable dent in seed production. However, they can be useful in an integrated management program.
• Chemical - Yellow starthistle herbicide control can include selective, post-emergent herbicides applied to young plants in the seedling to rosette stage or later when growing 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm). Once the plants are flowering, herbicides are ineffective on annuals.

Note: Any recommendations pertaining to the use of chemicals are for informational purposes only. Chemical control should only be used as a last resort, as organic approaches are safer and more environmentally friendly.

The black swallow wort plant is a vine native to Europe that has become invasive in parts of the U.S. It was intentionally brought here as an ornamental vine but now wreaks havoc in many ecosystems. Learn how to identify this problematic vine and control methods to help eradicate it from your area.

Quick Facts about Black Swallow Wort:

• Botanical name - Cynanchum louiseae
• Height - 6 feet (1.8 m)
• Spread - NA
• Sun exposure - Sun to shade
• Soil requirements - All types
• Hardiness zones - 4 to 8
• When to plant - NA

The Problem with Black Swallow Wort

Black swallow wort vine has been declared invasive in much of the Midwest and Northeast U.S. Check with your local extension office to find out if it is a problem in your area.

As with most invasive plants, the primary problem with black swallow wort is that it outcompetes native species. It does this in several ways, including by tolerating a variety of conditions. It grows in both sun and shade and tolerates a variety of soils.

Black swallow wort also spreads and reproduces prolifically. It spreads through both rhizomes and seeds, producing thousands of seeds for every square meter. Each seed produces up to four embryos. These strategies give it a major advantage over many native plants. The rhizomes spread and can help a plant cover a large area quickly.

As a vine, black swallow wort can form dense, low-growing mats. It can also grow up and around other plants and strangle them. This gives it one of its common names, “dog-strangling vine.” Another strategy the vine has for outcompeting native species is allelopathy, meaning that it produces chemicals that harm other plants in the area.

Black Swallow Wort and Monarch Butterflies

That black swallow wort can outcompete and literally smother native plants is a problem. Another major issue with this invasive plant is the harm it causes to the already beleaguered monarch butterfly.

Monarchs solely lay eggs on milkweed; black swallow wort is related to milkweed and resembles it. Studies have found that monarchs mistake it for milkweed and lay eggs on it. Unfortunately, the invasive plant is toxic to the emerging caterpillars. Black swallow wort also harms monarchs indirectly by outcompeting native milkweed.

How to Identify Black Swallow Wort

Black swallow wort is a vine that can grow up to six feet (1.8 m) long, growing low along the ground or twining around other plants. The leaves are dark green, glossy, and simple, about three to four inches (7.6 to 10.2 cm) long and two to three inches (5.1 to 7.6 cm) wide. They are spaced opposite each other on the vine and are pointed at the ends.

The flowers are deep purple and almost black with a yellow center. They are star-shaped and small, growing in clusters. Black swallow wort blooms from June through late summer. The seed pods look like those on native milkweed, about two inches (5 cm) long and smooth.

You can find black swallow wort growing in shady wooded areas and woodland edges. It also thrives in disturbed areas, such as along fences, roads, and ditches.

How to Get Rid of Black Swallow Wort

If you find black swallow wort in your area, you can notify your extension office in case it is a new patch of growth only just identified. If it is on your property, consider trying one or more of these black swallow wort control methods to eradicate it:

Pulling

Pull black swallow wort out by the roots several times a year. You must get the entire crown out of the ground for this to be effective. If seed pods have formed, be careful not to let them burst and disperse. Dispose of the plants in the landfill, not in yard waste.

Mowing

Mowing is less effective and will not fully eradicate black swallow wort, but cutting it back before seeds form can help reduce dispersal.

Herbicides

Foliar herbicides can be effective against black swallow wort. Check with your extension office for recommendations and instructions for safe application.

As with most invasive plants, early detection is vital to control. Never plant black swallow wort, even though it can be an attractive vine. If you live in a region where it is invasive, watch out for it and attack patches of vines as soon as you notice them.

Note: Any recommendations pertaining to the use of chemicals are for informational purposes only. Chemical control should only be used as a last resort, as organic approaches are safer and more environmentally friendly.

Phragmites or common reeds include native as well as introduced species of grasses. The non-native phragmites are outcompeting native vegetation and pushing out the native phragmites. Learn more about the differences between native and non-native phragmites.

Quick Facts about Phragmites:

Botanical name: Phragmites australis

Height: 7 to 15 feet (2 to 5 m)

Spread: 9 feet (3 m)

Sun exposure: Full sun to part shade

Soil requirements: Moist to wet light, medium, or clay soil

Hardiness zones: USDA zones 4-10; UK zone 5

When to plant: Do NOT plant invasive subspecies australis. Plant native species in spring.

Phragmites Or Common Reed: Native Vs. Invasive Varieties

Common reed (Phragmites australis) is a grass with native and non-native varieties found in wetland areas, along stream and pond edges, lake shores, marshes, and low-lying ditches. It is important to learn the differences between the two species so you can eliminate the highly aggressive, non-native species on your property and take preventative measures in its spread.

The non-native species, Phragmites australis ssp. australis is extremely tall with blue-green leaves, a purplish flowerhead, and an invasive habit that reproduces by massive rhizome stands.

Native, beneficial phragmites such as Phragmites australis ssp americanus are being pushed out because of the invasive species. It is shorter with yellow-green leaves and an airy flowerhead.

What Are Phragmites?

Phragmites are perennial wetland grasses that produce plumes in late summer followed by seedheads. U.S. native species that were once widespread are now most populous in western states.

Are phragmites invasive? The introduced non-native phragmites are displacing the native grasses and other vegetation and are considered highly invasive. They cause changes to the ecosystem process, outcompete native aquatic plants, and are not suitable nesting, food, and shelter for native animals.

The invasive species reproduces by underground rhizomes and above ground stolons. Rhizomes can grow as much as 6 feet (1.8 m) per year and eventually increase to 60 feet (18 m) in a mature stand. Roots can descend as much as 6 feet (1.8 m). Each node on a rhizome has the potential of producing a new plant. Seed heads produce thousands of seeds but most do not germinate.

Native Phragmites

The native, beneficial common reed (Phragmites australis spp. americanus) is shorter at 7 feet (2 meters) with an airy seedhead. It has yellowish-green leaves, which are lighter than the leaves on the introduced species. Its leaf sheaths are loosely attached to the stems and fall away naturally. The stalks are non-rigid, reddish and smooth by the end of the season.

Invasive Phragmites

Native to Europe and Asia, the invasive phragmites Phragmites australis ssp. australis was accidentally introduced into the U.S. and is now widespread across the continent. It can be distinguished from the native phragmites by its taller stems, bushier purplish inflorescences and stalks that are dull, tan, rigid and hollow. Its leaves are dark or bluish green and the leaf sheaths stay tightly attached to the stems.

How to Get Rid of Phragmites

It may take several years to completely eliminate an infestation of Phragmites australis spp. australis and followup vigilance is necessary. Suggested methods of control include:

Mechanical

Mow at least three times during a growing season to decrease its thickness. Mowing equipment must be cleaned before moving it to another location to prevent spreading pieces of rhizome or seeds.

Prescribed fires can be effective in the year following an herbicide treatment.

Chemical

Following all label instructions, apply herbicide between July and September for phragmites removal. Allow the grass to die back for about two weeks and then mow. (If using an herbicide in standing water, make sure the product is labeled for aquatic use.)

Controlling non-native phragmites is difficult once they are established. In areas where phragmites are considered a noxious weed, transporting, propagating, or selling the non-native plants is prohibited.

Note: Any recommendations pertaining to the use of chemicals are for informational purposes only. Specific brand names or commercial products or services do not imply endorsement. Chemical control should only be used as a last resort, as organic approaches are safer and more environmentally friendly.

Ammonium soap of fatty acids has been touted since 2006 as a safe, non-toxic herbicide. An ammonium nonanoate herbicide will control some weeds, brush, and even moss if used properly, and will not contaminate aquatic environments.

This is great news, because finding non-toxic alternatives to chemical herbicides can be challenging. Studies have shown that natural compounds such as acetic acid and fatty acids can be effective in controlling certain weeds.

What is Ammonium Nonanoate Herbicide?

Using an ammonium nonanoate safe preparation leaves little dangerous residue. It is a naturally occurring fatty acid found in some plants and animals. It is called a "soap salt" because fatty acids are part of the composition of soap.

Ammonium nonanoate safe herbicides are non-systemic and have no soil activity. The soap gets into plant cells and reduces pH, which causes desiccation and eventually death of unwanted species.

Application is topical, usually through spray. The active ingredient is a colorless or pale yellow liquid with a slight odor.

Using Ammonium Soap of Fatty Acids

Why Natural Herbicides?

Gardeners often have their own preferred natural herbicide. Some make up a mixture containing household and kitchen ingredients, others purchase a spray, dust, or granular preparation. Consistent among organic gardeners is the goal of finding a glyphosate alternative. Glyphosate has been shown to be toxic to humans and aquatic life, and one of the surfactants commonly used in products containing glyphosate, stays in an environment for a long time before degrading. This can be hazardous for certain wildlife.

Is This the Best Natural Herbicide?

Ammonium soap will work well on some plants, but not as well on others. In a comprehensive herbicide plan, it is best to use a combination of natural herbicides for the most effective control of pest plants.

Using acetic acid, or horticultural grade vinegar, in combination with ammonium nonanoate is an excellent way to get broad spectrum control. Both work in a similar way and leave no damaging residue.

The EPA has concluded there is no health risk to humans, but the compound can cause eye, skin, and mucous membrane irritation. Long sleeves, eye protection, and avoiding inhaling the product are recommended.

If you routinely have a problem with weeds in your landscape, there’s a reason -- it’s called a soil seed bank. A weed seed bank in soil is nature’s way of ensuring that weeds survive regardless of your attempts to eradicate them. Weed seed bank management techniques run the gamut from solarizing to poisoning... some with more success than others. So how do you get rid of a soil weed seed bank? Read on to learn all about seed banks and how to win the war against the weeds.

Weed Seed Bank Definition

A weed seed bank is a reservoir of viable seeds in the soil. Every bit of soil has a seed bank made up of seeds lying waiting for the perfect conditions with which to germinate. They may wait for just the right amount of rain or higher temps or more sunshine. Some varieties of seed need to be disturbed in the soil or may even require a fire to trigger germination.

Weed Survival

Agricultural soil contains thousands of seeds per square foot. The number and variety vary according to past farming techniques, soil type, region, etc. Your landscape may not have quite as many seeds in the seed bank, but they lurk there in sufficient numbers to frustrate the gardener.

How do they get there? They blow in on the wind or are carried in by wildlife. They may be brought in on planting medium or manures, or even in transplanted plants. Many common species of weeds can produce thousands of seeds per season from a single plant. And then there’s viability.

Viability means the length of time the seed will remain usable, that is how long it can sit around and still germinate. Some seeds like dandelion only persist for a short period of time, while others like purslane can survive for 20 years, purslane for 40, and mullein seeds for up to 100 years!

How to Manage the Weed Seed Bank

Controlling weeds may be accomplished either in the short term or long term. Short term management means controlling weeds during initial crop growth, while long term management works to control weeds all season.

The most foolproof way to control weeds in the seed bank is to allow the seeds to germinate. Seedlings can then be killed either with chemicals or mechanical controls, or by planting cover crops to suppress them.

Although it seems counter intuitive, the benefit of allowing the weed seeds to germinate is that it will reduce the number of seeds in the seed bank. Provided the weed seedlings are not allowed to mature and produce seed, the seed bank is further reduced.

This in turn prevents weeds from popping up later in the growing season, competing for soil nutrients and water with crops or established plantings. This method of seed bank control is called the “stale seedbed” technique. It not only depletes the number of seeds in the soil but also eliminates the production of new weed seeds.

How to Control Weeds with a Stale Seedbed

Start implementing a stale seedbed several weeks before planting by cultivating the area. This initial cultivation works two ways -- by killing any overwintered weeds and by bringing weed seeds to the soil surface where they are exposed to light and water, the better to germinate.

This successive batch of weeds may sprout overnight or over the course of a few weeks depending upon the weed seeds present and conditions. When the weed seedlings are still small, cultivate again. Repeat cultivation as needed up until planting time. Three cycles of cultivation are often all that is needed to significantly reduce the number of weeds.

To ensure this method of weed suppression works, don’t allow the weed seedlings to grow large. Till when the seedlings have just emerged before leafing out, when they are in the white thread stage. Don’t cultivate deeply. Only break the surface down a couple of inches (5 cm), possibly less. This method requires soil moisture, so be sure to irrigate the area after cultivating.

While establishing a stale seedbed may push planting back a bit, the absence of weed competition will give the area access to more sun and water, increasing growth.

Note: Any recommendations pertaining to the use of chemicals are for informational purposes only. Chemical control should only be used as a last resort, as organic approaches are safer and more environmentally friendly.

How do weeds spread? Although some perennial weeds propagate new plants from runners, most are germinated from seeds. If you don't particularly enjoy weeding, reducing the number of weed seeds in your garden is one way to cut down on this routine gardening chore. How long do weed seeds remain viable in the soil and what contributes to their longevity? Let's find out.

Never Let 'Em Set Seed

Did you know that lambsquarter produces half a million seeds per plant? That's nothing compared to the two million seeds generated by a single purslane plant. If you've ever heard the saying “never let 'em set seed,” that's why. Each time a weed drops seeds into the garden bed, it increases the weed seedbank.

The seedbank consists of the number of viable seeds in the soil. These could be weed seeds that are near the surface or those which are buried deep in the ground. The seedbank is responsible for fueling new weed growth. Furthermore, weed seeds in the seedbank can lay dormant in the ground for years, decades, and yes, even centuries.

How Long Do Seeds Last

The record belongs to a 2,000 year old date palm seed, which is the oldest ever germinated. Mustard seeds are also long lived as evidenced by the 600 year old seeds which germinated after being excavated from a Denmark monastery. Moth mullein seeds from a research project at Michigan State University were still viable after 130 years.

Luckily, most weed seeds in your garden soil won't last that long. Some, like common groundsel, will die within a year. Queen Anne's lace seeds will remain viable for a few years, but Canada thistle can last up to two decades. There are several factors which influence how long weed seeds remain viable, but not letting more weed seeds fall to the ground is one of the best ways to reduce weeds in the garden.

Weed Seed Viability

Seeds consist of an embryo, endosperm, and seed coat. The embryo is the beginnings of the new plant. The endosperm stores the energy needed for the plant to grow before it's capable of photosynthesis. The seed coat encases and protects the embryo and endosperm.

The hardness of the seed coat is one factor which influences how long a seed will remain viable in the soil. Naturally, the harder the coat, the better protective barrier it provides. A tough seed coat also reduces predation of the seed by blocking the release of odors. Seeds are a nutritious food source for worms, insects, mice, and birds. It's estimated about 50% of seeds are consumed by these animals.

Other factors which contribute to weed seed longevity include:

• Depth – Tilling moves seeds near the surface to deeper within the ground. The deeper the seed is stored in the ground, the longer it will remain viable. For example, giant foxtail seeds survive one to two years near the surface, but can be viable up to 39 years when buried deep within the soil.
• Monocot vs. dicot – Overall, broadleaf weed seeds tend to remain viable longer than grass species. The seeds of many annual grassy weeds, like brome grass, are not likely to germinate after two to three years. Some broadleaf weed seeds, such as curly dock and field bindweed, measure longevity in decades.
• Species – Not all seeds are programmed to germinate as soon as conditions are right. Many species of weeds, like jointed goatgrass, have built in triggers which stagger dormancy. Having seeds which germinate throughout the growing season or even in subsequent years allows some offspring to grow in more favorable conditions and helps ensure the likelihood the species will survive.

While it can be disheartening to realize you could be fighting weeds for years to come, reducing the number of seeds which are added to the seedbank is a good place to start the battle. Solarizing the soil can kill long lasting seeds near the surface and shallowing tilling will reduce the number of viable seeds brought to the surface.

Recently you may have seen a herd of goats nimbly traversing hilly or rocky terrain within the city limits. What are the goats doing? They are goats for rent and their task is clearing brush, specifically in difficult to reach or large naturalized areas. Goat weed control is all the rage in some municipalities. It can be of benefit to the homeowner as long as they are aware of not only goat rental prices, but several other factors as well. Keep reading to learn how to rent goats for weed control.

History of Goatscaping

The practice of using goats or sheep for weed and noxious vegetation control isn’t new; in fact it’s been around for centuries. A more recent historical use for these livestock dates to WWI when sheep were used at the White House. At this time most able bodied men were serving in the war in some capacity, and thus were not available to mow the vast lawns of the “People’s House." So in came the sheep.

When the war was over, manpower replaced the sheep. But the idea of utilizing these hoofed mammals survived and is once again a viable option for clearing land.

Today the practice is referred to as targeted grazing or goatscaping, and many cities, government agencies, and homeowners are turning to goats to clear parks, right-of-ways, and other steep, difficult to navigate terrain.

Benefits of Goat Weed Control

Goats are adorable, personable, and non-toxic, but they do come with some caveats. First off, goats are great at clearing out invasive plants like English ivy, kudzu, and honeysuckle and don’t balk at burning nettle, poison ivy, or poison sumac.

Goats and sheep eat similar items, but goats have the benefit that they gravitate towards flowering weeds and woody plants, eschewing the tender green grass which is then left behind for other herbivores.

Another benefit of goats over sheep is height; not the height of the animals but rather their reach when eating. Sheep are able to clear areas up to about 5 feet (1.5 m.), while goats can climb and stretch to reach areas up to 7 feet (2 m.) from the ground.

Lastly, goats scatter their droppings randomly across the landscape as they eat, which is then broken down by microorganisms and cycled back into the soil. So goats are not only providing a way to rid an area of undesirable plants, but actually fertilizing the area at the same time.

Detriments of Goats Clearing Brush

There are several things to consider when renting goats for weed control, but perhaps the most important is that goats will eat anything. This means that if you have certain plants you don’t wish to get nibbled on, you had better protect them with something sturdy. It also means that goats aren’t an ideal method of weed control in areas that are fully landscaped -- you’ll likely lose coveted specimens.

Another downside of employing goats for targeted grazing is that it isn’t instantaneous. It usually takes more than one targeted grazing to decimate most invasive weeds. Goats can, and will, rapidly clear areas that are targeted for wildfire control, but this clearing is likely temporary. This means that the use of goats is more of a long term management technique.

Timing is also crucial. If grazing occurs too early in the season, rainfall may be sufficient to allow the vegetation to re-grow. But if the targeted plants are allowed to mature and grazing done later in the season, you run the risk of loss of edibility -- the goats won’t want to eat the mature, tough, bitter weeds. The latter scenario might mean the goats’ owner will need to provide supplemental nutrition.

Cost of Goatscaping

So, you want to rent a goat. The first thing you need to do is contact a reputable targeted grazing company. These companies are service providers and as such their experience and attention to detail are critical. When looking for a targeted grazing company, be sure to check into their background and ask for references.

Generally, a grazing contractor will provide an estimate based on acreage. This estimate should include the start time and duration. The cost of targeted grazing may depend on a number of other factors besides acreage.

The number of goats needed to clear a predetermined area will of course affect the pricing of the contract. One acre can support about six goats over time, but if the owner of the land wants more rapid clearance, additional goats per acre can be contracted and paid for.

The difficulty of the terrain may increase the cost, since loading and unloading the goats and their facilities will require extra labor. Access to water, proximity to established landscaping, toxic plants, and even the presence of other livestock or their guardian dogs can also increase the cost.

As you can imagine, these goats are valuable, but they are also prey, which means they need to be protected. This may mean setting up electric fencing or the use of guardian animals such as dogs or donkeys, which will again add to the cost of the contract.

Jobs set up on a multi-year contract are usually cheaper than those set up on a per acre basis.

If you are interested in hiring goats to clear an area, do your research and be realistic about your expectations. Goats are amazing “eating machines,” but the results will not be as perfect as mowing down an area or applying an herbicide. That said, they are an environmentally friendly solution to invasives and weeds on difficult terrain.

“Leaves of three, let them be.” Somewhere along everyone’s childhood, that little rhyme about poison ivy is memorized. And if you spend much time outdoors, that poem really is helpful in determining which plants to avoid. So, if you find poison ivy and want to eradicate the plant, is it safe to burn poison ivy?

Learn Why Burning Poison Ivy Is Dangerous

Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), poison oak (T. diversilobum) and poison sumac (T. vernix) can produce an allergic reaction if any part of the plant - leaves, stems, roots or berries - is touched, bruised, crushed, cut or burned. The colorless oil, urushiol, is quickly absorbed by the skin and can adhere to clothing, pet fur, camping equipment, and yard tools. Touching those items even weeks later can cause a reaction, referred to as contact dermatitis.

What Happens if You Burn Poison Ivy?

Is burning poison ivy dangerous? Inhalation of smoke from burning brush piles containing any of the poison ivies can irritate the nasal passages, the oral cavity, and the lungs. Smoke particles and ash can carry the urushiol oil, causing internal as well as external danger.

Do not knowingly burn poison oak, poison ivy, or poison sumac. They all contain urushiol which can cause a severe allergic respiratory reaction. If you accidentally burn poison ivy and inhale smoke, get medical attention right away.

Outdoor workers should be trained on how to identify poisonous plants and avoid throwing them into a brush pile for burning. However, if burning poisonous plants is necessitated by your employment, wear protective clothing, including an employer-supplied NIOSH-certified half-face piece particulate respirator rated R–95, P–95, or better. (This does not apply to wildland firefighters who need a higher level of protection against combustion products.)

Instead of Burning

If you need to dispose of a large amount of dug-up poison ivy, bury it or stack it in an out-of-the-way location. The oil on dead vegetation can still be active for 1 to 5 years.

Treatment for Contact Dermatitis

If you know you were exposed to the plant, washing the affected area within 20 minutes with lots of water and a mild soap may help.

Contact dermatitis causes varying degrees of a rash, from mild to severe, but most people are susceptible. Symptoms include red patches, linear bumps or weeping blisters, itching, and swelling.

• First Aid
• Cool baths and showers may relieve some of the itching and discomfort. Warm water can exacerbate it.
• Cooling compresses, oatmeal baths to relieve itching
• Calamine lotion or over-the-counter topical hydrocortisone creams may reduce itching.
• Antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) may reduce itching. It can cause drowsiness which may help you rest. Read the labels for precautions.
• Doctors can prescribe medication to speed or improve healing, if needed.
• Call 911 or go to an emergency room if you experience a severe reaction such as swelling or breathing difficulties. Also get emergency medical help if the rash is near your eyes or in the genital area or if you’ve had a severe reaction previously.

Thistle type weeds are every gardener's bane. From their prickly stems to their deep tap roots, thistle is one of the most annoying weeds to eradicate. What’s more, some species of these prolific self-seeders are invasive and can quickly overtake an area. Which can leave the unwary gardener in a thorny situation.

Facts About Thistle

Thistle is an adaptive plant which can grow almost anywhere from roadsides and pastures to flowerbeds and lawns. Depending upon the species, thistle can be biennials which form low-growing rosettes their first year. After flowering their second year, biennials die. Other types of thistles are perennials. They grow and spread for many years.

Worldwide, approximately 200 species of thistle have been identified, many of which are native to North America. While gardeners might not appreciate these wildflowers in their well-manicured landscape, native species are a key part of the ecosystem. They provide food to birds, butterflies, and pollinators. 

Invasive varieties of thistle originated in Europe and Asia and were likely introduced when importing seeds. Lack of disease and insect pests has allowed these noxious species to spread throughout North America. As these introduced species threaten native flora and disrupt the ecosystem, it's prudent to eliminate them in open areas as well as in the home garden. 

Identifying the Most Common Non-Native Thistle Varieties

Proper identification is key to eradicating invasive and noxious species of thistle. Of the many different types of thistle, these four are considered the most problematic:

• Bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare) – This biennial has deeply-lobed, hairy leaves with prominent spines on both the lobes and terminal end of each leaf. Bull thistle forms a robust, deep green rosette the first year. The second year, the flowering stem can reach 6 feet (2 m.) tall. One of the later blooming species of thistle, gumdrop-shaped purple flowers appear from July through September. 
• Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) – Contrary to what its name suggests, Canada thistle is native to Europe. This perennial species likely arrived on the shores of North America as early as the 1600's. The leaves have wavy lobes with a smooth upper surface. Clusters of small flowers form June through September on stems which can reach 6 feet (2 m.) tall. The flowers can be pink, purple, or white.
• Musk thistle (Carduus nutans) – Sometimes referred to as the nodding thistle, this biennial produces a single, somewhat weighty flowerhead that droops when mature. Bloom time is June through October and the pinkish purple flowers can reach 2 inches (5 cm.) in diameter. The leaves have a wavy lobe shape with a light green midvein.
• Scotch thistle (Onopordum acanthium) – This extremely spiny biennial can grow to heights of 12 feet (4 m.) and form thickets too dense for cattle to penetrate. The broad, oblong, lobed leaves are covered with hair, which gives this noxious weed a greenish gray tint. The 2 inch (5 cm.) purple flowers bloom June through August. Of the various types of thistle weed, Scotch thistle is one of the hardest to eradicate. 

Invasive weeds can be a source of major frustration in both ornamental and vegetable gardens. While most species of weed can be easily controlled, some may spread quickly before growers have even had a chance to fully eradicate them. Learning more about specific types of weeds can help gardeners to better understand how to manage their growth within garden beds. In this article, we will detail the most common types of white flowering weeds.

Common White Flower Weeds in Grass

1. Bindweed - When it comes to plants with a white flower, weeds like bindweed may seem familiar. In fact, bindweed is sometimes referred to as common morning glory. Much like traditional morning glories, this perennial weed sprawls across the ground to twist and choke out native species. Bindweed, with small white flowers, produces exceptionally deep roots that are very difficult to remove from the soil.
2. Common Boneset - Common boneset is yet another perennial weed with white flowers. Boneset is able to thrive under a wide range of growing conditions, including soils which remain relatively wet. White flowers are produced in large clusters in late summer and continue to bloom into early fall. 
3. Fleabane - Fleabane weeds produce clusters of white daisy-shaped flowers. Each bloom produces a yellow disk, which is surrounded by several threadlike petals. Deeply rooted plants are highly attractive to various species of bees, moths, and butterflies. After bloom, fleabane plants produce lightweight seeds that are then scattered by the wind. 
4. Queen Anne’s Lace - White Queen Anne’s lace flowers are usually found growing in lawns, along roadsides, ditches, and in other areas which have been recently disturbed. Plants produce large, white umbels which some consider to be ornamental. It should also be noted that this weed is very similar in appearance to several other species of toxic plants. 
5. White Clover - White clover are among the most common weeds found in lawns. Plants are most easily identified by the distinctive shape of their leaves and by the small white blooms. White clover flowers are especially popular with bees and other pollinators in early spring, as they are often among the first flowers to begin blooming. Unlike other weeds, white clover is sometimes used to fix nitrogen in soils or may even be used in erosion control. 

If you love being outdoors, learning how to identify poison ivy is a necessary skill. The experience of spending a few days with itchy, stinging, blistered skin from this innocent-looking plant can bring home how important it is to acknowledge its presence and avoid any contact with it in the garden or out on a hike. It can make you quite miserable. We'll provide some simple tips to help you identify and avoid poison ivy, plus examine some common lookalike plants that are often confused with this vicious vine.

Why Poison Ivy Identification Is Important

Why do plants like poison ivy and poison oak cause such a miserably uncomfortable rash? Poison ivy and other skin irritant plants contain an oily resin called urushiol.

Every part of poison ivy is coated with urushiol. That means the leaves, stems and roots can have the same irritating effect on human skin wherever it’s touched by any part of the plant and the oil can cling to clothing. Some people are not allergic to urushiol, but caution is always advised.

The poison ivy plant release urushiol whenever it is bruised, brushed against, broken or damaged, or even when it’s burned. Direct contact with or inhaling smoke from the plant can cause a rash or worse.

The rash most people get from poison ivy is an allergic response from the body’s immune system. That's why you should never burn poison ivy or other plants that contain urushiol. Inhaling smoke and ash that contains urushiol oil can cause an allergic reaction in your nasal passages, mouth, and even your lungs.

Wherever urushiol oil goes it has the potential to spread the rash. The oil can remain on clothing and bedding, as well as the skin. Scrubbing the skin as soon as possible after contact is crucial. But avoiding contact with poisonous plants is an even better remedy. That's why it's important to learn how to identify poison ivy.

What Does Poison Ivy Look Like?

Poison ivy is a native that grows in many types of terrain and in every state in the US except for California, Hawaii and Alaska. While it is more commonly found in forested and mountainous areas, it also thrives near rivers, lakes and wetlands, as well as ocean beaches.

The tricky aspect of identifying poison ivy that it blends in beautifully with other woodland understory plants like shrubs, vines and saplings. It doesn’t appear the slightest bit threatening or remarkable and would not normally catch your attention if you weren’t looking out for it.

Identifying Poison Ivy Leaves

What do poison ivy leaves look like? You may expect this notorious plant to have a dramatic or more noticeable presentation, but it looks like many other low shrubs or climbing vines. Here are some features to look for:

• They grow on a vine.
• Each leaf has three leaflets, generally oval, roughly toothed and pointed.
• Sometimes the two side leaflets appear to have a "thumb" or a point on one side of the leaf.
• The middle leaf in the trio is the largest.
• The leaves are alternate, meaning they do not appear directly across from each other along the stem but are staggered.
• Poison ivy leaves are shiny and red-tinged in spring, but become dull and green as they mature. In autumn, the leaves turn a mahogany red-brown.

• You might see yellowish flowers in early summer, followed by white berries.
• Poison ivy is deciduous, which means it loses all its leaves and berries in winter.

Common Poison Ivy Lookalikes

There are four common plants that are poison ivy lookalikes. One is poisonous and should be avoided the same as poison ivy, but the other three are harmless. Here are the most common plants people confuse with poison ivy:

1. Poison Oak

You may have heard the old adage, “Leaves of three, let it be.” This bit of folk wisdom comes from the fact that both poison ivy and poison oak have three leaflets and are coated in urushiol oil.

This similarity makes the two plants hard to distinguish, but you should avoid both to prevent painful rashes. Though they look similar, there are several simple ways to tell these poison plants apart. Let’s take a look at what they are.

Poison oak has several distinguishing characteristics:

• Poison oak grows as a low shrub instead of a vine with its leaves crowded near the stem tips.
• Each poison oak leaf often has three leaflets, but sometimes more.
• Poison oak leaves are more rounded and resemble oak leaves.
• Poison oak leaves are “alternate,” like poison ivy, meaning they do not appear directly across from each other along the stem but are staggered.
• Poison oak’s leaves are furry on the underside and paler in color than the tops.
• A deciduous plant, the leaves of poison oak fall completely away in winter.
• Poison oak berries are white or tan and darken in color before they fall.
• Poison oak can be found in California and throughout the Northwest regions of the US, as well as British Columbia. Poison ivy cannot.

2. Virginia Creeper

Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) is one of them. These vines only cause an allergic skin reaction in people with allergies to them and are usually considered harmless.

How do you tell them apart? Poison ivy always has three leaflets per leaf, while mature Virginia creepers have five. Young plants sometimes have less however. In addition, Virginia creeper vines are much less hairy than poison ivy vines.

3. Boxelder

Another plant that looks like poison ivy is boxelder (Acer negundo), since the leaves also have three leaflets and look very similar in shape. But check the leaf arrangement. Boxelder leaves are opposite from each on along the stem, while poison ivy leaves are arranged alternately.

4. Climbing Hydrangea

This is also the way to tell climbing hydrangea (Decumaria barbara) from poison ivy. Their leaves are also opposite and usually have smooth edges, unlike poison ivy.

Don’t stop hiking in nature, but always be prepared and vigilant. Nature is not always as kind as we’d like, and it’s better to be safe than to deal with the rash from poison ivy or poison oak.

An interesting fact is not everyone is allergic to poison ivy. WebMD says, “Up to 85% of Americans are allergic to poison ivy, leaving at least 15% resistant to any reaction.” I’m happy to report I am in that 15%! But if you’re in the majority, a good rule of thumb if you’re unsure is: don’t touch it!

Weed control can be a difficult task in most any garden. While some species may be considered more invasive than others, the process of removing weeds can be painstaking. Whether controlling the plants manually or chemically, learning to identify specific types of weeds can be helpful in understanding more about their proper removal. In this article, we will examine several common purple flowering weeds in greater detail. 

Common Purple Lawn Weeds

1. Common Violet - This weed with purple flowers is most frequently found growing in shady lawns. Spreading quickly, common violets grow to form large masses of dense heart-shaped foliage, with distinctive purple blooms. Common violets are among the first flowers to begin blooming each spring, and usually cease once the weather has started to warm. 
2. Henbit - Another very common purple flowering weed, henbit is able to spread quickly to cover entire lawns. It is especially problematic in agriculture, as it often can multiply across the expanse of fields. Since henbit is generally considered a cool season annual or biennial, it can be controlled quite easily as crops are planted for the summer growing season.
3. Ironweed - When it comes to identifying plants with a purple flower, weeds like ironweed can be found growing in both open spaces and near garden beds. Ironweed is a very tall plant, which produces clusters of purple threadlike blooms. Appearing in very late fall, flowers are exceptionally popular with pollinators and beneficial insects. 
4. Purple Dead Nettle - Sporting both foliage and flowers in varying shades of purple, weed flowers like purple dead nettle are quite noticeable in lawns. Plants are exceptionally common in areas where the ground has previously been disturbed. Purple dead nettle is known to multiply rapidly and can quickly overtake flower beds and vegetable gardens. 
5. Thistle - Invasive thistles are often found growing along ditches, roadsides, and near pastures. Sharp, mottled foliage gives the plant a unique appearance, which makes it quite easy to identify. Large blooms open to show a highly ornamental, purple, hairlike form. Flowers are extremely attractive to bees, which cover the bloom from summer and into early fall. 

Invasive plants, whether native or introduced, can quickly spread throughout lawns and other growing spaces to completely overtake the area. This often results in the loss of other plant species, due to their inability to compete for light and/or nutrients. One plant, Elaeagnus umbellata, or Autumn Olive, is specifically known for its invasive growth habit. Learning to properly identify autumn olive berries can help landscapers begin to control the plant early, should it appear in their own green space. 

What Is Elaeagnus umbellata Autumn Olive?

Commonly known as autumn olive, Elaeagnus umbellata is a tall deciduous shrub that is hardy to USDA growing zones 4-9. In late spring, these bushes produce masses of fragrant white-yellow blooms. Originally introduced to the United States as an ornamental plant and for use in erosion control, singular autumn olive plants are able to produce over 200,000 viable seeds each growing season. Through dispersal of this seed, as well as the production of root suckers and quick establishment, autumn olive plants grow to quickly overtake established flower beds and other native plant life. 

How to Get Rid of Autumn Olive

The first step in getting rid of autumn olive is being able to correctly identify the plant. Autumn olive leaves, with a silver-like coloration, grow to form very dense shrubs. After they bloom, the plants quickly set hundreds to thousands of berry-like seed pods. In fall, autumn olive berries turn a vibrant red color, which is especially attractive to foraging wildlife. 

Those wishing to get rid of autumn olive will need to focus their attention on killing the root system of the plant in order to fully remove it. Though these plants can be cut above the ground, they are likely to regrow quickly. Still, the young plants can be pulled out by hand quite effectively. More established Elaeagnus umbellata may need additional attention to be fully removed. 

Some farmers have had success controlling autumn olive plants through the use of foraging livestock animals. Those who choose this method first need to make certain that the plant is safe for the specific animal’s consumption. Then they need to consistently monitor the plants’ progress within the pasture. 

One last option involves the use of systemic herbicides. Most experts suggest that these applications be made late in the growing season, and may require several treatments. As always, the use of any chemical should be done carefully and in full accordance with the manufacturer’s label instructions for safe use. 

Note: Any recommendations pertaining to the use of chemicals are for informational purposes only. Chemical control should only be used as a last resort, as organic approaches are safer and more environmentally friendly.

Whether you are reseeding an entire lawn or simply sowing seeds in bare areas of existing turf, you likely have questions. One of the biggest questions may be regarding grass seed and weed killer. Should I plant grass seed or kill weeds first? Can you put weed killer and grass seed down together? Don’t worry -- we’ve got you covered. Read on to learn how to get rid of weeds in new grass. 

Plant Grass Now or Control Weeds First?

Whether to sow grass seeds or control the weeds prior to sowing is a big question, and one that depends on three different scenarios. For areas with broadleaf weeds and a few annual grasses sow now and control the weeds later. 

Broadleaf herbicides should not be sprayed onto newly seeded turf until it has been mowed at least twice which can first be done when the grass is three inches (8 cm) tall. 

If, however, you have an area that has lots of broadleaf weeds and crabgrass, it is better to eradicate the weeds prior to sowing. If you want to sow as soon as the next day, opt for an herbicide that allows you to do so.

Lastly, if the area is covered with perennial grasses such as quackgrass, the best plan is to eradicate these grasses first using a non-selective herbicide. This requires multiple applications and should begin weeks prior to sowing grass seed. Because these perennial grasses grow via rhizomes, at least two possibly three applications should be made. Keep in mind that the area will be unsightly for weeks to months. 

Is there a Weed Killer that Won’t Kill Grass Seed? 

On occasion a newly sown lawn will grow up with weeds at the same time. Then, of course, the grower wishes to kill the weeds but not the grass. Weeds may infiltrate the grass for a number of reasons, but did you know that one of these is that there were weed seeds in amongst the grass seed? 

It’s true. Grass seed comes in many varieties, but all must be labeled as to their makeup. This includes the types of grass seed but also the percentage of weed seed both noxious and otherwise by weight. The best quality grass seed will say “none” or “no noxious weed” on the label. The label “no noxious weed seed” does not preclude the possibility that other types of weed seeds may be intermixed with the grass seed. 

In any case, do not put grass seed and weed killer down at the same time. Most herbicides are for use on established turf and at the very least the area should go through two mowing cycles before applying. Then use a three-way herbicide in the fall to control weeds. 

Note: Any recommendations pertaining to the use of chemicals are for informational purposes only. Specific brand names or commercial products or services do not imply endorsement. Chemical control should only be used as a last resort, as organic approaches are safer and more environmentally friendly.

For some of us, a Sunday morning ritual we’ve practiced for years has not yet been disrupted by the internet: reading the Sunday newspaper. Along with that hot mug of steaming joe, we spread out the sections and choose our favorite one first. 

With today’s recycling push, many of us go through the chore of sorting the paper when we’re finished and getting it into the recycle bin. Some of us must drive it to a recycling area. But what else can you do with the large volume of newsprint? Have you considered…

Newspaper to Control Weeds?

The avid gardener is always looking for new ways to control those pesky weeds that sprout in our lovingly laid out flower and vegetable beds. Did you know newspaper kills weeds? When spread out around our sprouting seedlings, sunlight is unable to reach those weed seeds that always germinate to perturb us and suck the nutrients from our young growing plants.

Mulch your garden bed with newspaper when seedlings or young plants are about four to five inches (10 to 12.7 cm.) in height. Prepare the soil to be covered ahead of time for best results. Hoe or hand pull weeds already growing in and around the garden. Dispose of the weeds somewhere else; hopefully the weed seeds will go along with them.

Remove any small weeds that may have sprouted close to your plants. Leave an inch or two (2.5 or 5 cm.) of ground exposed between the stem and the start of the newspaper mulch. Don’t place any mulch against stems of growing plants. When using newspaper for weeds in the garden, don’t cover the root system of your vegetables and ornamentals.

How to Use Newspaper for Weeds

The idea of using newspaper to control weeds is to eliminate most of them for the rest of the gardening season. Ideally, this works well enough to set aside the hoe in the area you’ve mulched.

Since most gardens grow in full sun, unfold a small section and use the newspaper to keep weeds out of that part of the garden, repeating in connecting areas. Weigh it down on the corners with nearby rocks you’ve removed from the garden soil, or use hay or soil to hold it down. Cover the entire garden in this manner for weed control.

Let the sunlight help determine which thickness is best for other areas of the garden. Those located in partial sun may only need a couple of folded sheets to block the sun. Put the newspaper near the plants or seedlings, but not right up against the stems. Water the newspaper as you water the rest of the garden. 

Newspaper Over Weeds

While your newspaper mulch prevents seeds from sprouting and kills weeds growing underneath the paper, it also conserves moisture and regulates the temperature of the soil. An additional benefit to putting newspaper over weeds is the fertility that is added as the paper decomposes.

Newspaper is safe for use in the garden and works well as a mulch because water can move through it to reach the soil underneath. Colored ink is safe as well when mostly made from soy products. Use only the newsprint sections of the paper. Avoid using the slick ad inserts and anything printed on glossy paper, such as coupons. These don’t allow water to penetrate them and don’t easily decompose.

Small-flowered bittercress, also known as sand bittercress, is a plant native to North America. A member of the Mustard family, Cardamine parviflora can be found throughout most of the eastern United States and is rapidly increasing its range— making this bittercress weed potentially invasive. 

Characteristics of Small-Flowered Bittercress

Cardamine parviflora may be confused with similar looking plants such as C. pensylvanica (Pennsylvania Bittercress) and C. hirsuta (Hairy Bittercress). 

Small-flowered bittercress is an erect bittercress weed variety with elongated clusters of stalked flowers borne upon branching stems. The tiny flowers bloom from March to May and are followed by small, slender pods. 

The blooms of sand bittercress are about one-eighth inch (3 mm.) across with four rounded white petals accented with six pale yellow stamens. The four sepals are green or a light purple, oblong, and half as long as the petals. 

Further Description of Cardamine parviflora

Sand bittercress is a petite bittercress weed, about 8 inches (20 cm.) tall with small basal and stem leaves under 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5-4 cm.) in length. The plant may have a few branches at its base or be branchless. 

Sand bittercress is pinnately divided into four pairs of narrow leaflets and a single terminal leaf. Terminal leaves are narrow, not rounded. 

Cardamine parviflora is spread via human interaction and can be found growing in woods, along lightly wooded bluffs, rocky glades, damp depressions, home gardens, constructions sites, and urban areas. 

Small-flowered bittercress prefers full sun to light shade with either moist to dry conditions. It adapts to many types of soil.

Common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) is a small tree that grows between 10 and 25 feet tall (3-8 m).

Native to Eurasia, it was brought to the US as an ornamental. However, it spreads rapidly and has become invasive, replacing native vegetation and lowering species diversity.

If you have noxious buckthorn plants growing in your yard or garden, you may want to eliminate them. How to get rid of common buckthorn? Read on for information about removing common buckthorn and different methods of buckthorn control.

Invasive Buckthorn

The buckthorn shrub spreads rapidly. Each plant produces lots of berries that are eaten and spread by birds. Wherever it grows, it shoulders out native plants because it leaves out early in spring and holds its leaves late into fall. The tree may also produce chemicals inhibiting the growth of other species near it. 

Invasive buckthorn has been found to alter the ecosystems it lives in. Both its fruit and foliage are high in nitrogen and are broken down quickly by invasive earthworms. This destroys beneficial fungi that native trees need to grow. It also opens up bare soil that is ideal for buckthorn to grow. 

Removing Common Buckthorn

Once you determine that you have noxious buckthorn plants invading your yard, you’ll want to take action to stop them.

Buckthorn control is harder than you may think though. You are not likely to be able to eradicate all the buckthorn in the surrounding area, so you will have to choose your battles.

Experts recommend that you survey the buckthorn on your property and select the areas of most concern. A good time to do this is in early spring or late fall, when native vegetation is not in leaf, but buckthorn is. This makes mapping easier. Figure out the highest priority areas and take it from there.

How to Get Rid of Common Buckthorn

The best time to start removing common buckthorn is when it is very young. You can pull out slender seedlings by hand or using a shovel. Bigger plants can be uprooted with heavy equipment. This is only effective when there aren’t many noxious buckthorn plants.

If you are wondering how to get rid of common buckthorn that is more mature, cutting stems or girdling often work. If you prune back the stems twice in one season for several years, this reduces plant size and density. You can also girdle large stems by making parallel cuts through the bark, then peeling off the outer bark. 

Thwarting Buckthorn Naturally

Some brilliant folks in Wisconsin have invented a "buckthorn baggie" that is slipped over the cut stump of a buckthorn, tied with a marked zip tie, and left for a period of a year. This deprives the stump of sunlight, preventing it from resprouting.

What is arrowgrass? Also known as common arrowgrass, shore arrowgrass, goose grass, pod grass, or seaside arrowgrass it is an aquatic or semi-aquatic plant that grows wild across much of southern Canada and the Northern U.S. It is also found in South America, Europe, and parts of Asia. Read on to learn about identifying along with tips on seaside arrowgrass management. 

Identifying Seaside Arrowgrass: Arrowgrass Plant Information

Seaside arrowgrass is found in wet, alkaline soil including sandy beaches, tidal marshes, swamps, and bogs. It is also found in damp grasslands or irrigated pastures where grass is typically cut for hay. Unfortunately, seaside arrowgrass can be toxic to livestock.

A grassy plant with wand like blades, seaside arrowgrass emerges in early spring. At maturity the plant is generally between 8 and 30 inches (20-76 cm.) tall. Spikes of small green or purplish flowers rise above the plant in mid to late summer. It spreads by both rhizomes and seeds and may be annual or perennial. 

Arrowgrass Plant Information: Toxicity

Seaside arrowgrass can produce cyanide and all parts of the plant are toxic. Ingestion of the grass primarily affects ruminants like sheep and cattle. Even small amounts can be deadly when mixed into hay, especially in young animals. The plant is particularly dangerous when wilted and somewhat less dangerous when the plant is dried.

Symptoms include rapid heart rate, severe difficulty breathing, salivation, staggering, muscular twitching, coma, and death and blood turns bright, cherry red. In some cases, the plant can cause sudden death with no warning. 

Protecting Livestock: Seaside Arrowgrass Management

The USDA advises that livestock should be kept away from areas where growth of seaside arrowgrass has been delayed. The plant is most toxic when growth is stunted by frost, drought, or regrowth after harvest.

Seaside Arrowgrass Management: Chemical Control

You may be able to control common arrowgrass with metsulfuron, which is used for broadleaf weeds and some annual grasses. When used as directed metsulfuron has a low toxicity to birds, bees, fish, and earthworms. Toxicity to mammals, including humans, is low unless the metsulfuron is ingested in large quantities. Keep people and pets out of treated areas until the substance has dried.

So you want to start a new garden space but it is so covered in weeds you don’t know where to begin. If you want to be a good steward of the earth chemicals aren’t an option, so what can you do? You’ve heard of using plastic sheeting for weeds, but can you kill weeds with plastic? It makes sense that you could prevent garden weeds with plastic, but can you kill existing weeds with a plastic tarp? Keep reading as we investigate how to kill weeds with plastic sheeting. 

Can you Kill Weeds with Plastic? 

You may have heard of or even have in your landscape, plastic sheeting laid under bark mulch or gravel; one way to prevent garden weeds with plastic, but can you kill existing weeds with plastic sheeting? 

Yes, you can kill weeds with plastic. The technique is called sheet mulching or soil solarization and is a terrific organic (yes, the plastic is environmentally unfriendly but it can be saved for reuse over and over) and no fuss way to rid a potential garden space of weeds. 

How does Plastic Sheeting for Weeds Work? 

The plastic is laid down during the hottest months and left for 6-8 weeks. During this time the plastic heats the soil to such an extent that it kills any plants beneath it. At the same time the intense heat also kills some pathogens and pests while inducing the soil to release any stored nutrients as organic matter breaks down. 

Solarization can also occur in the winter, but will take longer. 

As to whether you should clear or black plastic sheeting for weeds, the jury is somewhat out. Generally black plastic is recommended but there is some research that says that clear plastic works well too. 

How to Kill Weeds with Plastic Sheeting

All you have to do to kill weeds with plastic sheeting is to cover the area with the sheeting; black polythene plastic sheeting or the like, flat on the ground. Weight or stake the plastic down. 

That’s it. If you like you can poke some small holes in the plastic to allow air and moisture to escape but it isn’t necessary. Allow the sheeting to stay in place for 6 weeks to up to 3 months. 

Once you remove the plastic sheeting, grass and weeds will have been killed off and all you need to do is add some organic compost into the soil and plant!

There are so many types of weeds, it can be exhausting for us gardeners to keep up. Garden weeds present an ongoing challenge – not only are they often unsightly, but they can also choke out the results of our hard work, outcompeting plants and crops we actually want in the garden. That’s why many of us spend countless hours (and money) on weed control methods designed to suppress or eradicate weeds.

Before you spend money or your valuable time fixating on weed eradication, keep reading to learn about some of the most common weeds you are likely to see in your garden; along with some tips on how to best manage and control them.

Identify the Most Common Types of Weeds

A common definition of a weed is any plant you don’t want that is growing where you don't want it to grow. This oversimplified designation should go further to explain that many common garden weeds can be poisonous or invasive. There are many basic weeds that are a nuisance and can quickly take over a garden if left unchecked.

There are several effective methods for controlling the spread of various types of weeds, ranging from planting flowers to deter weeds to the use of herbicides. However, to keep on top of weeds in your yard, you may need to deploy multiple methods of weed control.

1. Common Purslane

Common purslane is a major weed found in over 50 crops that also thrives in lawns. It has oval, fleshy, succulent-like leaves and tiny yellow blooms. Purslane is an annual that produces seeds that can remain viable for 20-40 years! This weed is difficult to control and eradicate. Mechanical cultivation is often tricky, even with the best weeding tools, since the slightest hint of root fragment or stem left behind will regrow.

How to Control: Flaming or digging out entire plants can help control purslane spread, but the use of mulches and weed barriers like thick black plastic are more effective. There are some great weed barrier fabric options at Amazon to help keep weeds like purslane from taking hold. This common weed can also be controlled using pre-emergent or selective herbicides according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

2. Crabgrass

Crabgrass has naturalized itself throughout North America. This annual warm season grass tends to establish in barren areas of lawn during the hot summer months. In the South, crabgrass is considered to be a valuable forage in pastures, but most gardeners wish to control crabgrass and ultimately eradicate it. A coarse textured, yellow-green grass, several types of crabgrass weed reproduce solely from seed that can remain dormant and viable for three years in the soil.

How to Control: Maintain a healthy lawn with a regular mowing routine or a weed eater such as the Senix Cordless Weed Eater and Grass Trimmer from Walmart to deter the establishment of crabgrass. Reseed any bare spots in the turf and apply a mulch along with consistent light irrigation. Otherwise, a selective pre-emergent herbicide prior to germination, or a post-emergent herbicide during the growing phase, can help control crabgrass.

3. Canada Thistle

Canada thistle is so abhorred, it is listed as a noxious weed in 43 states. Spreading through rhizomes or wind blown seeds, Canada thistle emerges in mid to late spring, matures to a height of 2-4ft (60cm-1.2m) and then blooms in July to August. Canada thistle has a deep taproot, alternate spiny or toothed green leaves, and smooth stems. Its seeds remain viable in the soil for up to four years.

How to Control: With a root system that can extend 15ft (4.5m), Canada thistle weeds are difficult to control through manual digging. An herbicide might be needed to eradicate Canada thistle, and even then you need to be prepared to apply this more than once. Try a two-part approach – a fall and early spring application of herbicides combined with pre-bloom mowing through the growing season. Incredibly, one of the best ways to reduce the risk of this weed is to improve soil fertility to make conditions less appealing for Canada thistle.

4. Bindweed

Bindweed is a broadleaf perennial weed with arrow shaped leaves and a vining habit that can grow to 6ft (1.8m). Blooming with white to light pink blossoms, much akin to morning glory, this plant is incredibly resilient which makes controlling bindweed notoriously difficult. A heavy and regular application of mulch can help to prevent the establishment of bindweed.

How to Control: Don’t bother to try and dig bindweed out. A better idea is to outwait the plant by snipping it off at soil level. Eventually, this technique will render the weed incapable of photosynthesizing and it will die. Otherwise, the use of non-selective chemical herbicides to kill root systems is the only way to eradicate bindweed.

5. Prostrate Spurge

Prostrate spurge is a low growing broadleaf annual weed that forms dense mats of purple to green foliage An equal opportunity weed, spurge can be found in lawns, areas of barren, dry soil and elsewhere in the landscape.

How to Control: Hand-pull weeds when they are immature or spot-treat with herbicide. Mulching can help prevent the establishment of this weed. Try a 2-3in layer of Scotts Nature Scapes Mulch from Lowes to prevent this weed taking hold. You can also use a pre-emergent herbicide on lawns.

6. Yellow Salsify

The seed puffballs may confuse you, but otherwise yellow salsify looks nothing like a dandelion. Growing up to 3ft (1m) in height and 2ft (60cm) across, yellow salsify is notable for its gray/green leaves as well as the aforementioned puffball of seeds following the weed’s yellow blooms.

How to Control: Found throughout sun filled areas of the landscape, mulching can help prevent the establishment of salsify. But you need to take care not to make careless mistakes with mulching. Otherwise, dig up plants on a regular basis using a trowel or hori hori knife. Try weekly intervention to weaken emerging weeds. Alternatively, apply a post-emergent herbicide.

7. Lawn Burweed

Described as the spawn of Satan, lawn burweed is found primarily in the southern and western states. A winter annual, burweed is also called spurweed or stickerweed due to its needle-like seeds that stab unsuspecting walkers’ feet. A low growing plant, burweed has small feathery parsley-like leaves on upward rosettes. Also known as bindi patches, this weed is now listed as an invasive plant in parts of the US, Australia, and New Zealand.

How to Control: Larger plants can be pulled out at the root prior seeding. Otherwise, you can control spurweed with herbicide applications in late winter and early spring. Aerating of the soil and mowing at a higher level can also reduce the incidence of lawn burweed.

8. Pokeweed

Pokeweed has been established all over the United States, where it can grow up to 10ft (3m) tall. This large weed has light green leaves and clusters of white flowers that give way to dark purple berries – indeed, its visual elements can make it strangely appealing to some gardeners. With a deep taproot and the ability to produce 1,500-7,000 seeds per year, pokeweed can be difficult to control, however, a deep layer of mulch can prevent its establishment.

How to Control: Before the weed has established, when it is young, it can be dug out or spot-treated with herbicide. Gather and destroy any berries left behind after the plants are removed – or this weed will definitely come back.

Frequently Asked Questions

The most unique aspect of Medicago button clover is the button clover fruit which is disk-like, coiled in three to seven loose whirls, and paper thin. It is native to the Mediterranean region and along the European Black Sea coast but can be found throughout the world where it is varyingly treated as a weed. Since it is often classified as an invasive species, button clover control is of interest. Read on to learn how to manage button clover. 

What is Button Clover? 

Medicago button clover (M. orbicularis) is an annual forage plant in many European countries. Also known as blackdisk medick, button medick, or round-fruited medick, and is a member of the Fabaceae or pea family. 

The plant is easy to identify with its fimbriate stipules, serrated leaflets, yellow blooms, and flat, papery, coiled seed pods. 

Its genus name Medicago is derived from the Greek word “medice” meaning alfalfa, while orbicularis is derived from the Latin “orbi(c)” meaning “a circle” in reference to the coiled button clover fruit. 

This spreading winter annual gets to about a foot (31 cm.) in height and blooms in April through early June. Medicago button clover forms a symbiotic relationship with the nitrogen fixing bacterium Sinorhizobium medicae. It is found in disturbed areas such as along roadsides. 

How to Manage Button Clover

Button clover control isn’t much of a concern. Rather, it is being tested for use as a subsidiary crop. It turns out that these legumes are highly nutrient rich and may be an excellent alternative for livestock feed. 

How to Grow Medicago Button Clover

Obtaining seed may be the issue with growing this plant. However, once seed is obtained it should be sowed between September and October in loam or clay soil, ideally limestone soil with a pH of 6.2-7.8. Sow seed to a depth of ¼ inch (6 mm.). Seeds will germinate in seven to fourteen days.

For many home gardeners and commercial growers, learning to quickly identify invasive and problematic weeds is essential to maintaining healthy crops. Non-native noxious weeds can be especially troublesome, as they are known to spread and overtake plantings quite quickly. One such weed, called invasive tropical spiderwort, has become a common problem for growers throughout much of the southern United States. 

What Are Tropical Spiderwort Plants?

Tropical spiderwort (Commelina Benghalensis) is native to the tropical regions of Asia. Also known as Bengal dayflower, tropical spiderwort weeds are difficult to control due to their ability to spread. Within a short growing season, invasive tropical spiderwort is able to spread through rhizomes, as well as by rooting into the soil from stem segments. Tropical spiderwort plants are also unique in that they are able to produce seeds via flowers which develop both normally and below ground. Without treatment, these plants can multiply and overtake small gardens and portions of fields. 

Controlling Tropical Spiderwort

When it comes to controlling tropical spiderwort, there are some options to regain control of your growing space. For those with small gardens, manual control of tropical spiderwort weeds is possible. This should be done by removing the weeds as soon as they emerge from the soil. Not only will this make removing the plant much easier, but it will also ensure that it does not have the opportunity to multiply. Removing mature spiderwort plants may be exceptionally difficult due to their ability to spread under the soil. 

The implementation of dense plantings may also help control the presence of tropical spiderwort plants. When plant spacing is diminished, quick growing crops are better able to shade the soil. Without sunlight, tropical spiderwort plants may struggle to establish themselves within the planting. 

Tropical spiderwort weeds in larger plantings may prove more difficult to control. In these cases, manual control is often not a realistic option. Commercial growers may have some success with the use of pre-emergent and/or herbicide applications. When choosing to implement these techniques, it will be imperative that growers read and follow the manufacturer’s label closely and carefully. This will ensure that the product is applied safely and properly. 

Skeletonweed (Chondrilla juncea) may be known by many names – rush skeletonweed, devil’s grass, nakedweed, gum succory – but whatever you call it, this non-native plant is listed as invasive or a noxious weed in a number of states. This makes managing skeletonweed a primary concern.

Killing rush skeletonweed isn’t easy. It is extremely resilient and resistant to mechanical and cultural methods of control. Since it is so persistent, the question is how to control skeletonweed?

About Skeletonweed Control

Rush skeletonweed is thought to have been introduced to eastern North America via contaminated seed or animal bedding around 1872. Today, this nearly 3 foot (91 cm.) herbaceous perennial has spread across the country.

It reproduces by seed as well as lateral roots that, even when broken, determinately produce a new plant. This dogged determination to reproduce makes managing skeletonweed a challenge. Since it can re-sprout from root fragments, mechanical control by pulling, digging, or disking is ineffective unless consistent (6-10 years) mechanical controls are applied.

Also, burning is ineffective in managing skeletonweed as is livestock grazing, which seems to just disperse rootstock that results in additional plants. Mowing is inadequate skeletonweed control as well.

How to Control Skeletonweed

The only successful non-chemical method of killing rush skeletonweed is the introduction of the rust fungus (Puccinia chondrillina). First introduced in Australia, it has since been used as a biocontrol in the western United States, though with less stellar results. Since this sole biocontrol was not effective in killing the invasive weed, two additional biocontrols have been added to the mix: skeletonweed gall midge and skeletonweed gall mite, which appear to be reducing the incidence of the plant in states like California.

Otherwise, the only other option for killing rush skeletonweed is with chemical controls. Herbicides are often inadequate because of the extensive root system and lack of leaf area on the plant. However, for large-scale infestations, it is the only option.

Always read and follow the manufacturer’s safety and application instructions. Successful skeletonweed control will rely on several applications. The herbicides that give the best results are fall applications of picloram alone or picloram combined with 2, 4-D. Clopyralid, aminopyralid, and dicamba also affect the root system and can be of assistance in managing skeletonweed.

Note: Any recommendations pertaining to the use of chemicals are for informational purposes only. Specific brand names or commercial products or services do not imply endorsement. Chemical control should only be used as a last resort, as organic approaches are safer and more environmentally friendly.

Have you noticed succulent type weeds popping up in your lawn or garden? Probably the most likely seen and common weeds with succulent leaves, purslane (Portulaca oleracea) might make a regular appearance in your landscape. While purslane is used as an edible in some places, most of us consider it a weed and treat it as such.

Identifying Weeds with Succulent Leaves

Purslane plants are trailing, succulent-type weeds with a mat-forming habit. With fleshy, succulent leaves and reddish stems, it can become a prolific nuisance in your yard. Native to India and Persia, purslane has spread around the world. It is related to the popular bedding plant portulaca (moss rose).

Since the plant germinates when soil temperatures are warm, you likely won’t see it until later in summer. Germination occurs when the effect of the pre-emergent herbicides you applied in spring have worn off. These herbicides are not normally applied to the vegetable garden or anywhere edibles might grow.

If purslane has popped up once in your yard, it is guaranteed to reappear year after year from the prolific seeds it produces. Purslane produces yellow blooms. If you find it to be a problem in your landscape, remove it before flowers go to seed. Succulent garden weed info says seeds in the soil can remain viable up to 40 years. That’s a long time!

Controlling Succulent Lawn Weeds

Purslane in the lawn may be controlled by pre-emergent treatments you’ve already applied. While purslane will sprout and grow in any area, it seems partial to the already tilled soil of your veggie garden bed. Learn to recognize purslane and remove it before it flowers.

A thick layer of mulch may help control the weed to some degree. Tilling the soil is known as purslane multiplication, sources say. Broken pieces have no problem rooting back into the soil. This weed is just as content growing in your gravel driveway, you can expect it anywhere in your yard. This multi-branched weed is drought tolerant and grows happily without encouragement.

As an alternative for getting rid of the succulent weed, if you wish to try the tart and tasty leaves of the plant, choose them when they’re young and tender. Tasting similar to watercress or spinach, you can use them in salads or on sandwiches. Leaves may also be lightly sautéed in stir-fry dishes. Positively identify the plant before consuming it though.