‘Best’ methods to easily ‘clear’ your garden of pesky weeds

Gardening tips: Four homemade hacks to kill garden weeds

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It is not uncommon for a garden to be packed full of weeds and unwanted plants after the winter months, as it is a time when people often leave their outdoor spaces to rest. However, coming back to gardening in spring to a garden packed full of weeds can be extremely annoying. Here’s how to get rid of weeds using three methods.

1. Use hand tools

The experts at Checkatrade explained: “One of the simplest ways to clear a garden full of weeds is by hand – though you’ll need to be ready for some hard work if you’re weeding an entire garden.

“Depending on the size of the weeds, you can either start by pulling them out by hand if they’re small enough. 

“If you have some whopping great weeds on your hands, then you’ll want to start by using loppers and shears to cut them down to a manageable size.

“Once you’ve cut back all the weeds, grab your spade and turn over the soil. You might even want to consider double digging, where you dig out the top layer of soil and then dig a new trench twice the depth that you fill with fresh soil.

“A word of warning, this approach involves a lot of manual work and you’ll need to be physically fit to completely clear your whole garden of weeds.

“If you don’t have the time or energy for the hard graft, consider hiring a gardener to do the work for you.”

2. Mulching

According to the pros, one of the “best” ways to clear weeds from garden spaces is by mulching, which will also provide the garden with plenty of nutrients.

Start by trimming down any large weeds and then leave the off-cuts on the ground.

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The experts said: “You can then cover the whole area in cardboard and pile on leaves as high as you can, leaving it to rot.

“This cardboard layer creates a lack of light for the weeds underneath, which will kill them off. 

“Then the rotting leaves, cardboard and dead weeds will create a rich source of nutrients on which you can then use for your desired plants.”

3. Spray weed killer

If you’re not planning to use the garden for planting anything new for a few years and you just want the area to look better, a weed killer might be the best option.

Using weed killers is a “fast and effective” way to get rid of weeds fast and often for good, providing you use the treatment correctly.

The pros noted: “They’re also very toxic, so shouldn’t be used in gardens where children or pets will be playing.

“Spray all the weeds with weed killer and leave them to die. Then respray a month or so later to make sure all weeds have been killed.

“But remember, the presence of the weed killer in the soil afterwards will mean you won’t be able to grow any plants for a long while afterwards.

“If you’re worried about handling toxic substances yourself, hire a professional gardener to do the work for you.”

4. Weed burners

Some homeowners find that weed burners offer them a great way to clear the garden of weeds without using chemicals involved in weed killers.

A weed burner uses a hot flame to burn the weeds, fuelled by a small gas tank. The experts continued: “Due to the nature of a weed burner, this approach comes with the risk of causing a fire in the garden and must therefore be carried out with caution.”

If in any doubt, seek help from a professional or hire a weed burner specialist to carry out the work for you.

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