5 Ways to Get Rid of Weeds Without Pulling Them

5 Ways to Get Rid of Weeds Without Pulling Them Are you tired of hand-pulling weeds? Try these different techniques you may or may not have heard of for controlling weeds in your garden. Try these five methods to get rid of weeds without hand-pulling!

In the midst of summer, sometimes it’s all a gardener can do to stay ahead of the weeds. But keeping your garden weed-free doesn’t always have to be back-breaking work. Try these “no pull” methods.

A neat layer of mulch keeps weed seeds in the dark so they don’t germinate. It can also be dry and inhospitable for sprouting weed seeds that have blown in on top, preventing roots from reaching moist soil below. Mulch works anywhere, even in vegetable gardens where organic mulches like straw and compost can be incorporated into the soil at the end of the season. For flower beds and borders, use bark chips, shredded leaves or gravel.

Spread a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch over the top of weed-free soil, leaving 1 to 2 inches around the base of plants so crowns won’t rot from too much moisture. If you can’t start with a weed-free bed, cut weeds down to the ground, cover them with a layer of cardboard, as in the photo above, or several sheets of dampened newspaper, then spread mulch on top. This barrier will smother the weeds in a matter of weeks. In spring, top off with a light layer to freshen the mulch.

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Did you know pulling weeds can disturb the soil and bring seeds to the surface where light helps them germinate? But if you cut a weed off at the ground, no soil is stirred, and the chopped