Don't Underestimate One Of The Most Tried & True Ways To Remove Weeds From Gravel

With so much information out there about the different ways and products you can use to kill weeds, there's one tried and true method that's often overlooked as a way to remove weeds from gravel effectively: Hand pulling. It's not that difficult and can often provide you with the best results. In fact, it's one of the best ways to get rid of weeds in your garden, including those gravel areas. It also means you don't have to rely on chemicals or raid your kitchen cupboards for ingredients to make up weed-killing concoctions.

It may surprise you to know that there are actually many benefits to hand weeding you might not have considered. For example, you have total control of pulling out the plant, roots and all, and disposing of it immediately. This means you're not constantly confronted with wilting greenery in your gravel while you wait for them to die completely. On top of that, hand pulling weeds can actually be quite a meditative process. As you work on removing all the weeds, other life stresses take a back seat. Plus, there's the immense satisfaction you get when you look at what you've achieved in just an hour or two of making your way along your gravel paths and driveway, pulling all the unwanted plants you encounter.

Hand weeding doesn't have to be a chore if you have a few essentials at your disposal. First, you want a good sturdy pair of garden gloves. These will make it easier to grip the weeds and pull them out. They'll also keep your hands clean and safe from any creepy crawlies you might come across. If you find squatting down quite uncomfortable, then you can get a soft kneeling pad that you can rest your knees on. These are often padded for some extra comfort.

For people who find kneeling a bit difficult, why not consider using something like a footstool to sit on. Get one that's fairly low to the ground and that feels the most comfortable for you. Finally, although you can just use a trowel or small garden fork to work at the roots of the weeds, why not invest in a proper hand weeder? This is one of our master gardener's top tools for banishing pesky weeds. It makes it easy to dig down into the dirt beneath the gravel and help to loosen the roots of stubborn weeds, like those with long tap roots. If you wish, you can use a hoe to remove annual weeds that don't have deep root systems.

Start by using your hose to wet the gravel areas down. This will moisten the soil underneath and make the weeds easier to pull out. Then, grab each weed by the base of the stem, as close to the ground as possible, and wiggle it around a bit until you feel the roots letting go of the soil. Pull the weed up, making sure you get the entire root system. If you just break off the top part of the weed, the roots will send up new shoots and your weed problem will continue. This is one of those common weeding mistakes that causes them to keep coming back.

While you're doing this, you'll sometimes come across weeds with deep taproots which will take a little more effort to pull out totally. This is where the weeding tool will help. Just push it down into the ground at the base of the weed and use it to loosen the roots. Then, you can lever the tool upwards and the weed should come out without too much hassle. And, if you've got oxalis or similar weeds, remember to also remove any of the small bulbils you can find in the soil. Once you've cleared your gravel areas of weeds, you might want to use the hose again to wash any surface dirt back into the soil and use a rake to level off any gravel sections that you've disturbed.