When weeds spread over large areas or delicate greenery sprouts from every crack on sidewalks, the troubled hobby gardener is not defenseless against the brazen activity. This guide is packed with practical tips on how to remove weeds naturally. This is how it works without poison injection in beds, on paved areas and in lawns.
How to remove weeds naturally?
There are many methods to remove weeds effectively and naturally, such as digging, trenching, weeding and mulching, high-pressure cleaners, boiling water and joint brushing. Steam cleaners, brooms and wire brushes can be used on sidewalks and paved surfaces. Scarifying and using a weed cutter helps in the lawn.
- The four best methods for removing weeds over large areas are: digging up the garden, trenching, a combination of weeding and mulching and opaque covering.
- Effective devices against weeds on sidewalks and paved surfaces are high-pressure cleaners and steam cleaners.
- You can deal with weeds between stones with hot water, a joint brush, a gas or heat burner and an electrical device, such as a Weedbuster with a rotating joint scraper.
Removing weeds – where and how at a glance
The arsenal for biological weed control is full of effective methods. The following table provides an overview of how you can remove weeds permanently, quickly and easily.
| Remove large areas | On sidewalks/paved areas | Between stones/joints | In the grass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digging | High-pressure cleaner | boiling water | Scarifier |
| Rigolen | Steam cleaner | Joint brush | Weeder |
| Weeding and Mulching | hard broom/wire brush | electrical device | |
| Cover | Gas burner | ||
| Heating burner |
Have one or more of the options mentioned aroused your interest? Then please read on. Learn how to do it right in the following sections.
Excursus
Stay away from s alt and vinegar
Weed control with s alt or vinegar brings hobby gardeners into conflict with the Plant Protection Act. The legislature considers alleged home remedies based on one's own recipe to be unapproved plant protection products. The law does not distinguish whether the perpetrator is a private or commercial offender. The administrative offense is punished with high fines. Responsible hobby gardeners therefore ignore s alt and vinegar as supposed biological control agents and tackle bold weeds using manual or mechanical methods.
Removing weeds over large areas – tips
Digging makes sense when nothing grows except weeds
All-encompassing weed growth cannot be overcome with simple weeding. Where dandelions, field bindweed, groundweed and gourds have been able to proliferate for years, more aggressive control strategies are required. However, you don't have to resort to chemical treatment. The following tips get to the heart of how you can remove weeds over large areas with a little elbow grease or patience:
Digging up the garden
Removing weeds the classic way requires a sharp spade and a fair amount of physical effort. Dig the weed-filled garden to a spade depth. Place the spade blade on the ground at a slight angle. With one foot, step on the top edge of the spade blade until it has completely penetrated the ground. Lift up the cut soil including the weeds and throw the substrate upside down with a 180 degree turn back into the hole. Once you have completely dug up the garden in this way, rake the soil with a toothpick until it has a fine, crumbly consistency.
Rigolen
Rigolen is digging for advanced users. The following step-by-step instructions explain how to proceed correctly and remove weeds over large areas with a long-term effect:
- Mow weedy areas deeply with a lawn mower or a scythe
- Dig a trench 2 spades deep across the bed
- Throw excavated material through a set-up sieve
- Dig the second trench next to the first furrow without any gaps and sift this garden soil as well
- throw the sieved excavation from the second trench into the first furrow
- continue like this until the end of the weed area
Finally, shovel the sifted garden soil from the first furrow into the trench you dug last.
Tip
Please do not throw weeds into the compost heap, but into the organic waste. In contrast to private compost heaps, urban composting and biodigestion plants develop sufficiently high temperatures during decomposition to permanently destroy weed seeds.
Weeding and mulching
Mulch prevents weed growth
Traditionally and close to nature, you can get rid of widespread weeds with a two-step plan. In the first stage, garden tools are used that chop off weeds and loosen the soil, such as rakes, sowtooths, star cutters or weed rollers. Most of the roots remain in the ground and seeds are distributed. For this reason, a layer of mulch follows in the second stage, which prevents further weed growth. Bark mulch, wood chips, dried grass clippings and autumn leaves are well suited. It is important to note that you mulch the bed, tree disc or lawn paving stones to a maximum height of 5-8 centimeters, otherwise snails, mice and other creatures will find the welcome hiding place.
Cover
A dark cover blocks weeds from sunlight. Photosynthesis comes to a standstill, so that even the most stubborn weeds disappear never to be seen again. Commercially available mulching film or simply thick cardboard are well suited. The downside is the long waiting time involved, which usually extends over an entire season. You can cushion the less than decorative appearance with a layer of bark mulch or wood chips.
Remove weeds on sidewalks permanently – This is how it works
Pathways and paved areas magically attract weeds. Apart from the unkempt appearance, green paved areas turn into dangerous slides for family and guests when it rains. It doesn't have to come to that, because you can permanently remove weeds with the following methods:
High-pressure cleaner
The high-pressure cleaner makes short work of annoying weeds on the sidewalk, driveway and patio. The device is equipped with a Vario nozzle, which you can either set to a spot or flat jet. The water shoots out of the nozzle at a pressure of up to 150 bar and removes all weeds from the paved surface. For sensitive surfaces, we recommend carrying out a test in a concealed area in order to regulate the pressure if necessary and avoid damage to the pavement.
Steam cleaner
With steam you can effectively tackle stubborn weeds and permanently remove them. So that you can use a steam cleaner to combat weeds, the device should have the following features:
- at least 2 l tank volume
- at least 2000 watts of heating power
- extra long cable
- with additional hot water function
- a small nozzle as an accessory
From a temperature of 42° Celsius, the steam cleaner puts an end to annoying weeds. Because the hot water vapor penetrates deep into the pores of paving stones, the weed roots also have to believe it. You can easily sweep away the dead residue once the surface has dried.
Broom and wire brush
Working with a broom and wire brush is more strenuous but it is environmentally friendly and kind to your wallet
In order to keep weeds down on sidewalks, investing in a machine is not absolutely necessary. Are you ready for a trimming method? Then take a hard broom or a wire brush. The best time is after a rain shower, when weeds have become softened due to moisture. Use maximum pressure to scrub moss, algae, clover and other weeds from the sidewalk, patio or driveway. Then sweep away the pitiful remains and dispose of everything in the organic waste bin. You can achieve long-lasting success from this strenuous action with a final stone sealing. Modern, organic products are 100% solvent-free and contain neither fluorine nor silicone.
Weeds are green natural beauties that appear in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Remove weeds between stones permanently – this is how it works
Green joints are the biggest problem if you want to permanently remove weeds from sidewalks. Plates treated with a high-pressure or steam cleaner do not provide a target for bold wild herbs for a long time. Between the paving stones, however, seeds of dandelions, clover and the like can germinate and grow quickly. In order to remove weeds from joints in the long term and naturally, there are various options available to you, which are summarized in keywords in the table above. The specific procedure for each method is explained in more detail below:
Boiling water
Removing weeds from between paving stones in harmony with nature is a case for boiling water. Arm yourself with a kettle on a long cord and a large watering can for refilling. Bring the water to a boil in the immediate vicinity of the weeds. Pour hot water over the green culprits. The weeds die quickly because water at a temperature of around 50° Celsius causes the plant cells to burst deep into the root area.
Joint brush
The tried-and-tested joint brush (€9.00 on Amazon) is an effective tool against nasty weeds between stones. At the end of a telescopic handle there is a brush with metal or plastic bristles. By moving the joint brush between the stones with a little pressure, weeds get caught in the bristles. When purchasing, please make sure that the brush bristles converge in a V-shape.
Electric machine
A further development of the classic joint brush is the machine joint cleaner. The electrical device works with a rotating brush, powered by an electric motor, either by battery or cable. With up to 3000 revolutions per minute, all weeds between stones and joints are removed.
The following video demonstrates how it works, using an electric machine called Weedbuster as an example:
Unkraut entfernen mit dem Skil Weedbuster
Gas burner
Widely used in hobby gardening is removing weeds by burning them with a gas burner. When exposed to an open flame, temperatures of up to 1800° Celsius arise, which weeds have no resistance to. Simple devices work with a gas cartridge, are relatively easy to operate and require little effort. Thanks to a narrow flame, you can permanently remove weeds even from narrow joints. The inexpensive, simple devices are completely sufficient for weed control in small areas. To remove weeds over large areas, you need a gas burner with a gas bottle.
Heating burner
In this version of the device for weed control, a ceramic plate is heated to a whopping 1000° Celsius. The resulting infrared heat radiation is so intense that plant tissue, roots and weed seeds are destroyed. Hobby gardeners who are close to nature appreciate that the heat only penetrates 2 millimeters deep into the soil, so that valuable microorganisms are spared. Good to know: With burners based on infrared radiation, you can not only remove weeds from sealed surfaces and sidewalks, but also eliminate unwanted weeds even under trees and bushes.
Removing weeds from lawns – 2 effective methods
Weeds in the lawn are best cut out
You can quickly remove isolated weed nests with a weed wrench. In the simple version, the tool consists of an ergonomic handle with a semicircular lance made of quality steel. To remove a nose dandelion from the lawn, you have to get on your knees in front of the weeds. Use the blade to cut out the plant including the root.
Dethatching is the most effective method if you need to remove weeds from the lawn over a large area. You can rent the necessary equipment from many hardware stores and machine rental companies at a reasonable daily price. The following quick instructions explain how you can easily comb out annoying weeds in the lawn with the scarifier:
- Mowing the lawn deeply
- Place the scarifier on the lawn and set it to a working depth of 2-4 mm
- Scarify green areas lengthwise and crosswise
- sweeping out weeds with a rake
The best time to control weeds in the lawn is in spring when the weather is dry.
Frequently asked questions
How can you remove weeds from gravel surfaces without chemicals?
You can naturally remove weeds from the gravel path with a high-pressure cleaner or steam cleaner. To prevent the sharp water jet from the high-pressure cleaner from blowing the gravel in all directions, please use a device with a flat jet function. Spot weed growth on gravel surfaces can be removed quickly and easily with hot water.
We need to remove tall weeds from the fence. How does this work without poison?
Some people like climbing plants on the fence, others don't
As tall weeds on the fence, creepers and grasses create an unkempt appearance. Because you're in a lost position with one device, we recommend a three-stage, manual procedure. Remove the creepers from the fence and cut off all the weeds. Now take a weed cutter or a small shovel and dig out the bold weeds including their roots. Finally, mulch under the fence with bark mulch, wood chips, gravel or leaves as a natural weed suppressant.
How can we permanently remove weeds from a new property before we create a new lawn?
An old turf full of weeds is the biggest hurdle when creating a new lawn on a new property. To overcome the problem, get mechanical help in the form of a grass peeling machine. The device can be rented at an affordable price and removes the weed cover in no time. You should then dig up or dig up the future lawn area to remove the last remaining roots from the ground.
Which tool removes weeds on the side of the road without bending and without chemicals?
You can easily keep the sidewalk and roadside weed-free with a joint brush. The device is constructed as a combination of a long handle with a wire brush attached to the end. Just applying a little pressure is enough to remove even stubborn weeds on the side of the road or on the sidewalk between the stones, without bending over and without chemicals.
Tip
Did you know that regular lawn mowing is an effective way to remove weeds with ease. Cut the green area at least once a week to prevent dandelions, chickweed and other undesirable lawn weeds from flowering and seeding. In addition, you can keep an eye on the first buds and flowers with a daily inspection, which you can quickly snap off with two fingers. In this way, you starve out annoying lawn weeds in the long term.
