How does your garden grow? With thistle weed and dandelions and crabgrass all in a row? Nothing can ruin your yard’s vibe quite like those floral invaders, and weeding them out can be a real pain in the neck. And back. And knees.
But with the right tricks of the trade, you can take out these unwelcome visitors without using harsh ingredients that can destroy your lawn or spending every single weekend wrist-deep in soil. We asked Earth’s Ally horticulturist Angelo Randaci and Dan DiClerico, director of home improvement & outdoor at the Good Housekeeping Institute, for their advice, and they really got into the weeds, sharing the main ways home gardeners go wrong when trying to tame the invaders. Stick these five tips into your back pocket, along with your trusty trowel — in no time, you’ll be sitting back and smelling the roses.
Mistake 1: Treating all weeds the same
Garden invaders aren’t all created equal. Step one in your plan of attack should be figuring out if you’re dealing with annuals (crabgrass, chickweed), perennials (dandelions) or biennials (thistle). With the first bunch, for example, the key is getting to them before they flower, so they can’t create the seeds from which they’ll grow again next year. Perennials and biennials, on the other hand, may require more than one application of a herbicide to really get the job done.
“It’s also important to keep in mind that not all weeds are bad,” adds DiClerico. “Clover, for example, can help the lawn by taking nitrogen from the air and feeding it to the soil.”
For the ones you are trying to dig up, you need to know what type of weed root you’re dealing with. Crabgrass, for instance, is known for rooting at its joints and spreading horizontally along the soil. This helps it create more plants — and lots of additional work to remove them all.
Mistake 2: Skipping the prep work
When summer temps give way to chillier autumn climes, it’s time to cover up. (Both dandelions and chickweed tend to sprout up during the fall.) Putting down a layer of mulch — organic materials like grass clippings or wood chips — over your garden soil can prevent new weeds from germinating by cutting off their contact with the soil. “That’s why we always recommend mulching grass clippings, instead of bagging them,” says DiClerico. The extra layer may also keep any existing weeds from getting the sunlight they need to keep growing.
“When adding stones or pebbles to your landscaping, add an organic landscape fabric or weed barrier first,” adds Randaci. “It will help block out the sun’s rays, and it will also keep your decorative rocks from slipping below the soil’s surface.”
Mistake 3: Being too hard on your yard
When it comes to weed killers, you tend to, uh, reap what you sow. Certain products don’t just destroy weeds — they also potentially damage the soil you need for a healthy garden, as well as harm plant pollinators like bees and other local fauna. Which is why Earth’s Ally set out to find just the right chemistry.
Powered by sea salt, Earth’s Ally Weed & Grass Killer is made with familiar household ingredients, yet powerful enough to crush weeds at the root. It’s formulated for high-foot-traffic areas like patios, driveways, sidewalks and mulch beds, making it a wonderful choice for your entire yard. And since it meets the EPA’s “minimum risk” definition for herbicides, it’s a safe option for bees as well.
Mistake No. 4: Not getting to the root of the problem
If you want to get rid of weeds, you have to dig deep and be sure to pull out the entire root with the plant. Otherwise, you’ll be removing that same pest over and over again.
To make this task a lot easier, “tackle weeds a few hours after a rainstorm,” says Randaci. “It’s the best time to hand-pull, because the soil is damp and soft. You will have a much better chance of pulling the entire root.”
Mistake No. 5: Playing the procrastination game
With weeds, you literally have to nip them in the bud. Whether it’s by hand, with a herbicide or by using pots of boiling water, the important thing, say the experts, is persistence.
“It’s best to eliminate them when they are young and manageable,” says Randaci. At the very least, do the dirty work before they start to flower: This means they’ve put down roots, and have plans to settle in for a long stay again next year.
