Tools for controlling weeds?

[DWSmith]

I'm a new gardener. The weeds got out of control but now I'm about caught up with them.

So far my tools for weeding my vegetable garden are; my hands, a draw hoe, a garden fork, and a Mantis cultivator (which I'd rather not use).

From the reading I'm doing it appears that I need an arsenal of weapons to keep weeds under control.

Would a Dutch hoe a good addition to my tool set? It would seem to require much less work than the draw hoe.

Any recommendations? Should I just stick with the tools I already have?

[ButternutSquash]

I hand weed. Once weeds are under control, life gets easier. Mulching with compost helps. I use a fork for bindweed, to get out some root, you can't get most out.

[Alison]

I plant things closely together so hoes are quite risky for somebody as clumsy as me . I too mainly hand weed too, much easier and more accurate.

[kathyd]

Once you've weeded, use lots of mulch to slow down re-growth. I use 2 or 3 layers of junk mail topped with an inch or two of grass clippings (avoid touching the stems of your plants). It keeps most weeds at bay for weeks at a time, you can weed through it as required, top it up as you go along, and it can be dug into the soil at the end of the season. If you want to buy more tools, why not see if you can borrow some first to try - I think tools are a matter of personal taste to some extent.

[andy_j]

If you have the money, invest in one of these. As a professional gardener and allotmenter (?) for 32 years, I can honestly say that this is the best tool for weeding that ive ever had the pleasure of using

Buy De Wit diamond headed hoe: Delivery by Crocus.co.uk

[taff]

ooooo....shiny!

[Two_Sheds]

So far my tools for weeding ... are; my hands ...

the one thing you could (should!) add to your arsenal is mulch.

I don't hoe, I don't dig, but I have far fewer weeds than my neighbours because I mulch (with old weeds & dead plants, pea pods etc). Those weeds that do come through the mulch are easy to spot & pull out
then they get added to the mulch too

[sparrow100]

I've double dug and removed all the major weeds on my plot - my first response is always hand-weeding though now at the minute I have hardly anything. I use a 3-pronged cultivator, but i'm not adept at it yet and have a few fewer dwarf bean plants now...

Mulching is a really good suggestion too.

[Bigmallly]

I use a Dutch Hoe then just leave the cuttings to die.

[Scarlet]

Ah sparrow, I have the same problem! If I use a tool to weed while stood up everything gets beheaded. Mulches all the way for me... Mind you I've got a bit of a problem this year. Everything is a few foot tall. I need a month to get my it back under control

[JustPotteringAbout]

Attitude to 'weeds' > Plants > mulch > tools.

Toolswise ,whatever I can find or is near at hand; Wolf 3 prong cultivator, Plasterer's fine tool, bit of stick, stone or slate, fingers. i find I have better control of the business end going astray if I use a shorter tool, particularly when planted tight

Attitude to 'weeds': Weeds are plants too, their roots can break up the macroaggregates, They transport nutrients (some of which would wash away to the subsoil from lower horizons) to the topsoil. They can indicate soil nutrition status. Above all many are edible and delicious (though get IDs from someone who knows what they are doing)
Plants: You could block their light with desirable [companion] plants as ground cover. Can save erosion
Mulch: This blocks light and provides nutrients. Using the chopped off weeds makes for a shorter nutrition cycling. Using what's closest before before bringing in anything can reduce your workload.
Depends on your climate. Midwest can bake a bit? Heavy rains? You could mulch with straw to save soil erosion.

I had to look up Mantis cultivator in case it was machinery. Avoid using that if you can - it'll just chop up perennials and each piece of root will grow to a new [weed] plant

[Two_Sheds]

There seem to be two schools of thought on weeding; 1) get the whole weed roots and all or the pieces of the roots will grow more weeds

It all depends what weeds you're talking about.
Perennials will survive beheading, and some mulches

If you have lots of the nasties (bindweed, couch grass etc) then give them a total light blocking mulch for several months. This will weaken them considerably, if not kill them outright, so they're then easier to dig out.

2) slice off the tops over and over again because bringing up the roots will also bring up weed seeds.

It's not pulling up the root that brings more weeds per se, it's turning the soil over aka digging. On allotments every bit of soil potentially has 1000s of weed seeds in it, ready to burst into life when they're brought near the daylight.

Simply pulling up a weed doesn't necessarily expose those seeds to the light.

[Bigmallly]

For me, it's a case of what I am physically able to do. If I was to spend a lot of time on my knees pulling up weeds or digging them out, I know I would suffer the next day hence that is why I prefer to hoe. It's easier on my back & provides an instant mulch.

[veggiechicken]

Hi Dan and welcome.
I use a garden fork for most things - in preference to a spade. Its easier to get into compacted soil than a spade and good for levering out roots.
If you put the weeds on a sunny, paved area, they'll cook and shrivel in the sun. After a good bake, you can add them to your compost heap.

[Chris172]

Hi and welcome to the vine

Weeds are a nightmare however as quoted previous I weed 20 minutes every time I go to the garden

Over the past two years I have utilised many tools to assist in getting the blighters out

Recently as I have planted tight have flattened a large spoon I picked up at a local car boot 20p and it is brill for the tight areas, however as previous members mentioned I like to get in with my hands especially after some rain as they lift out much easier

It pays to weed regular and my returns are getting better as I reduce the competition for my produce

Happy gardening


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