Remove weeds using these effective methods | Gardening 101 | Gardening Australia

Weeds are plants that you don’t want in your garden, but hang around anyway. They could be germinating from seeds blown in by the wind or dropped by birds. They might be emerging from underground bulbs left over from a previous gardener. They can even be plants you deliberately introduced into your garden that are popping up in the wrong spots, or have long overstayed their welcome. Weeds have often evolved to be ultra-competitive, quickly outpacing other garden plants.

CURE:
Jerry is a big proponent of weeding by hand. He finds the dexterity allows an opportunity to identify weeds and distinguish them from welcome self-sown vegetables. He uses kitchen scissors to cut weed seedlings off at the base. Disturbing soil can bring more weeds to the surface.

Hand weeding is best done when it’s slightly wet, “as the roots come out of the soil easier”.

But sometimes the scale and size of the weeds require a bigger approach. For this Jerry uses a dutch hoe, a simple tool that works to sever weeds from their roots.

Jerry says that weeding in the right weather can also help make a hard job a little easier. “When using the dutch hoe it’s best done when the soil is slightly dry, to allow the weeds you pull out to dry and die. Chickweed is a classic one where if it’s not dry all you’re doing with the hoe is moving it around the garden; it just resettles”.

But not everything should be hand-weeded. Bulbs in particular can scatter and spread if pulled out of the soil. To treat bulbous oxalis, Jerry recommends:

- Pouring boiling water over large clumps. This will cook and kill the bulbs where they lay
- Using a vet’s syringe, injecting cheap cooking oil at the base of the plant, to smother the roots and tubers
- If you think you can excavate the plant carefully, Jerry recommends keeping a bucket nearby to deposit the plant in and contain it, to avoid scattering bulbils over your lawn. Removed plants should go in the bin.

PREVENTION:
As always, prevention is better than cure. Jerry has a bed with Dai gai choi growing. These young seedlings are stout, strong and upright. Their robust nature means Jerry can mulch thickly with sugarcane mulch, which suppresses any weed seeds from germinating at all. This means little to no weeding as the plants mature. It won’t work with all seedlings, but if you’re planting more robust things (like Asian greens, tomatoes, cucurbits or eggplants) or seedlings at a mature stage, consider thicker mulch like sugarcane to keep the weeds from even starting.

Another way to turn the tap off on weeds is to think about where they’re coming from and if there’s anything you can do about stopping it. If they’re blowing in from next door, have a polite chat with a neighbour. Or perhaps the caller is coming from inside the house? Jerry says one of the worst weeds in his garden is the tomato. This quickly growing, adventitious plant is looking for exactly the warm and fertile conditions his garden provides, and will often come up en-masse in compost. It’s hugely annoying when you like tomatoes but you’re trying to grow other things too. Many people will face a similar problem with rogue pumpkin seeds in their compost. The solution was simple; Jerry no longer composts tomato fruit.

COMFORT:
Jerry says the key to a successful long-term weeding habit is to think about your own comfort. Jerry has a simple, affordable toolkit:

- Handlebar kneeler-to help get up and down from a kneeling position easily
- A sponge mat knee cushion to save your knees if you’re going to be on them for long periods
- A small plastic mat to stop his knees and legs getting wet in damp soil

Another comfort tip is Jerry lays down long wooden boards through the centre of his beds. These not only provide a designated pathway and stop the soil being compacted by spreading the load, they act as a perfect platform to stage weeding from without having to overstretch like you would if you were weeding from the outside.
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[Micko]

Jerry It's funny that you say don't weed if you're in a bad mood, but that's precisely when I usually prefer to go outside into the Garden 🤣

[claudiaceleste]

Love a good weeding session. I completely zone out, but when it’s time to stand up things are not good

[issism]

I’m a beginner in the backyard so this video is really helpful:))) !

[richgarden]

I use vinegar, dish soap and salt mixed and sprayed .
Next line of defence for 3 corner jacks is a "flame thrower" to burn them .
In areas where pets don't go I use organic weeders.
Great video

[SeminarioMAE]

you are the most good natured person i have ever seen

[rawrevelations]

Oooh, I saw plantain and dandelions… those are good medicine!

[lindavernon]

Lovely video. I find weeding quite relaxing and satisfying . . .if you’re in the right mood.

[Spotofgardening]

Nice video for when my garden is under control 😂😂 I have working on clearing a large garden in UK that hasn't been properly maintained for years. The Ivy and bramble bushes are something from a horror film!

[bethanyable]

Last year I wet my soil to help pull the weeds out more easily. 😅 no wonder they began taking over immediately!

[gardenshappen]

I'm going to have to try that cooking oil trick for the palm bulbs I can't dig up.

[chongseitmooi]

Garden weeding is good fr fingers exercises

[prubroughton]

with oxalis if you have a lot hens love it and if you can contain youngsters ( pullets) over the patch this is an excellent control

[theytwatcher]

I prefer the newspaper approach, as I'm lazy and just want to prevent weeds from growing. I think Sophie had a podcast of using newspaper to massacre weeds.

[gryphc]

There are many medicinal and edible weeds so perhaps look upon them as friends rather than foes. Dandelion, Cleavers, Chickweed, Plantain for example are all edible and medicinal 😊

[mufclad]

O to the M to the G ❤ this is coool thank you 😊

[andrewsnow]

Weeding is meditative. I’m ridding my lawn of clover by hand. I drown the grass with water and reach down and remove long stems by the root. I go into aglow state and before I know it one hour has gone by. I try not to use chemicals. First of all, they hardly work or they’re really slow. I like the look of the immediate improvement.
Is black eyed Susan’s a WEED?

[ivyclark]

Hi Jerry, I'm never sure about just using scissors because I wonder if the weed will come back stronger 😮 after a prune like when we prune some of our plants and bushes back. 😂

[Colors.TF]

They will grow again even if you take them out with the roots.

[Yashhaa]

i’m getting paid to do weeding for a guy and he wants me to pick out all the little sprouts ALL OVER HIS PROPERTY it’s absolutely back breaking just to get rid of these weeds that don’t even look bad and i feel like there has to be a better way

[berlyn]

I liked everything except your anti Christian propaganda at the end. I don’t believe in Zen sorry. I believe in God.