Is your garden suffering from a weed takeover? Are you wondering how to get rid of weeds, permanently?

Although it’s a fiddly task, getting rid of your weeds sensibly and efficiently will see them off in no time. Here’s how to do it, with help from our gardening experts.


First, Identifying the Problem

Like any plant, weeds can be annual or perennial.

Annual weeds last just one year or season and are easier to get rid of. Annuals appear quickly and can be eradicated just as fast.

Perennial weeds, however, can be a bit trickier. Perennial plants will return year after year. Their root systems are deeper than annuals, and if they’re not removed, they will just come back to mock you.

To identify the weed you’re dealing with, you can use a visual guide (like the RHS guide to common weeds), or a weed identification app.


How to get rid of weeds: In the ground





Pull them

Annual weeds (I.e., chickweed and groundsel) can be very easily pulled up by hand. Their roots won’t be deep and can be pulled out entirely from the ground.

Dig them

Perennial weeds are best dug up, which is easily done with a trowel or garden fork. Make sure you lift the entire root system, though. Anything left behind will grow again!

Spray them

If you have a serious perennial weed problem and don’t mind using chemicals, then a weed killer can be used. Wait for a dry day in summer and dab/spray the weedkiller onto the leaves.

Ground cover

Ground cover plants are another fool-proof way to suppress the production and spread of weeds in an organic and visually pleasing way. We love to grow ground cover plants like aubretia and sedum to mitigate the appearance of pesky plants.


How to get rid of weeds: In the patio



Scrape them

Plants like dandelions like to pop up between paving stones. You can scrape these away with a weeding tool or blunt knife if you prefer a manual route. Just scrape at the plant, digging up all the roots that you can.

Use hot water

In a pinch, you can kill off weeds by pouring boiled water over them. Be careful when doing this, you don’t want to splash this on your toes.

The hot water shocks the plant, making it die back within a day or two. This is easier to do for patio weeds, as the boiling water can damage neighbouring plants in a border display.

Spray vinegar

Vinegar is full of acetic acid, which is a natural bacteria killer. It’s a great way of killing back any unwanted weeds that are siloed and not surrounded by wanted plants.

Fill a spray bottle with white vinegar and spritz them fully, trying to get as close to the roots as possible. Normal vinegar will also do the job, helping you to get rid of weeds permanently.

How to get rid of weeds: In grass and lawns



Mow them down

Frequent mowing will keep the weeds at bay. Mowing over the weeds will help weaken them. It will also stop them from setting seed, which in turn, will stop them from reappearing.

Pull them up

Digging up pesky weeds is a tried-and-true way of getting rid of them. You can keep it simple with a garden fork and some elbow grease or use a weed lifting tool for ease.

Weedkiller

As a final resort, weedkiller can be used on your lawn, preferably one that won’t kill the grass. Granular selective weed killers are easy to use and help feed the grass too!


Hopefully, with all these handy tips and tricks, you will overcome your pesky weed problem and help your garden flourish.