The old adage of 1 year’s seeding means 7 year’s weeding is not far from the truth. Some seeds, such as poppies, remain viable for decades and will germinate when moved to the top inch of soil.

To dig or not to dig?

Digging out weeds can therefore be a mixed blessing. On the positive side you finish the day with a clean surface and you have removed lots of weeds and roots. The action of digging with a fork will also aerate the soil and allow you to introduce organic matter.

On the other hand the soil movement will have brought new weed seeds to the surface where they will soon germinate. The digging action will also have chopped up the roots of perennial weeds such as couch grass, possibly spreading their coverage.

To hoe or not to hoe?

Hoeing is really only effective if the ground is already clear of weeds. Going through clean beds every week with a push or Dutch hoe is a good idea. The action will disturb the annual weeds just germinating and cut off any fresh growth from perennial weeds.

However, the physical cutting through the soil with a hoe can also damage the feeding roots of the flowers and vegetables you are trying to grow, so care is needed. If the ground is already weedy the traditional answer is a chemical weedkiller such as Weedol 2.

There are many weedkillers to choose from depending on the area where your weed is growing. Follow using weedkillers to learn how modern weedkillers can take the backache out of weeding.

Roundup Gel is a new way of controlling weeds, especially in awkward places or where there are wanted plants growing very close by. The gel is touched onto the weed’s foliage.