Remove weeds using these effective methods | Gardening 101 | Gardening Australia

Jerry faces that most perennial of gardening problems; weeds in his vegie garden. Taking viewers through some tips to tackle them.
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Weeds are plants that you don’t want in your garden, but hang around anyway. They could be germinating from seeds blown in by the wind or dropped by birds. They might be emerging from underground bulbs left over from a previous gardener. They can even be plants you deliberately introduced into your garden that are popping up in the wrong spots, or have long overstayed their welcome. Weeds have often evolved to be ultra-competitive, quickly outpacing other garden plants.
CURE:
Jerry is a big proponent of weeding by hand. He finds the dexterity allows an opportunity to identify weeds and distinguish them from welcome self-sown vegetables. He uses kitchen scissors to cut weed seedlings off at the base. Disturbing soil can bring more weeds to the surface.
Hand weeding is best done when it’s slightly wet, “as the roots come out of the soil easier”.
But sometimes the scale and size of the weeds require a bigger approach. For this Jerry uses a dutch hoe, a simple tool that works to sever weeds from their roots.
Jerry says that weeding in the right weather can also help make a hard job a little easier. “When using the dutch hoe it’s best done when the soil is slightly dry, to allow the weeds you pull out to dry and die. Chickweed is a classic one where if it’s not dry all you’re doing with the hoe is moving it around the garden; it just resettles”.
But not everything should be hand-weeded. Bulbs in particular can scatter and spread if pulled out of the soil. To treat bulbous oxalis, Jerry recommends:
Pouring boiling water over large clumps. This will cook and kill the bulbs where they lay
Using a vet’s syringe, injecting cheap cooking oil at the base of the plant, to smother the roots and tubers
If you think you can excavate the plant carefully, Jerry recommends keeping a bucket nearby to deposit the plant in and contain it, to avoid scattering bulbils over your lawn. Removed plants should go in the bin.
PREVENTION:
As always, prevention is better than cure. Jerry has a bed with Dai gai choi growing. These young seedlings are stout, strong and upright. Their robust nature means Jerry can mulch thickly with sugarcane mulch, which suppresses any weed seeds from germinating at all. This means little to no weeding as the plants mature. It won’t work with all seedlings, but if you’re planting more robust things (like Asian greens, tomatoes, cucurbits or eggplants) or seedlings at a mature stage, consider thicker mulch like sugarcane to keep the weeds from even starting.
Another way to turn the tap off on weeds is to think about where they’re coming from and if there’s anything you can do about stopping it. If they’re blowing in from next door, have a polite chat with a neighbour. Or perhaps the caller is coming from inside the house? Jerry says one of the worst weeds in his garden is the tomato. This quickly growing, adventitious plant is looking for exactly the warm and fertile conditions his garden provides, and will often come up en-masse in compost. It’s hugely annoying when you like tomatoes but you’re trying to grow other things too. Many people will face a similar problem with rogue pumpkin seeds in their compost. The solution was simple; Jerry no longer composts tomato fruit.
COMFORT:
Jerry says the key to a successful long-term weeding habit is to think about your own comfort. Jerry has a simple, affordable toolkit:
Handlebar kneeler-to help get up and down from a kneeling position easily
A sponge mat knee cushion to save your knees if you’re going to be on them for long periods
A small plastic mat to stop his knees and legs getting wet in damp soil
Another comfort tip is Jerry lays down long wooden boards through the centre of his beds. These not only provide a designated pathway and stop the soil being compacted by spreading the load, they act as a perfect platform to stage weeding from without having to overstretch like you would if you were weeding from the outside.
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[@Micko350]

Jerry It's funny that you say don't weed if you're in a bad mood, but that's precisely when I usually prefer to go outside into the Garden 🤣

[@ivyclark70]

Me too! 😂

[@mufclad2]

Didn’t ask

[@claudiaceleste777]

Love a good weeding session. I completely zone out, but when it’s time to stand up things are not good

[@GardeningAustralia]

Very relatable Claudia!

[@issism9229]

I’m a beginner in the backyard so this video is really helpful:))) !

[@Steven-jn2cw]

I hope you are meaning your garden

[@davidfajardop]

@@Steven-jn2cwLOL

[@lindavernon8051]

Lovely video. I find weeding quite relaxing and satisfying . . .if you’re in the right mood.

[@SeminarioMAE]

you are the most good natured person i have ever seen

[@richgarden]

I use vinegar, dish soap and salt mixed and sprayed . Next line of defence for 3 corner jacks is a "flame thrower" to burn them . In areas where pets don't go I use organic weeders. Great video

[@Captain_Eggnog]

Does it affect seedlings after plucking weed?

[@Captain_Eggnog]

Also howich of each?

[@tim_peaky]

This does affect the soil life and the acidity level of the soil…

[@pistolcrystal2]

Still new to gardening. Thank you for this video. Straight to the point and you explained each point perfectly. I was feeling a little overwhelmed lately with how to get this weeding process started but you've helped me feel ready to conquer them. And your voice is so calming!

[@GardeningAustralia]

Thanks for watching! 🌻 We've got plenty of videos for beginners on our channel! Take a look and subscribe🌺😃

[@bethany08able]

Last year I wet my soil to help pull the weeds out more easily. 😅 no wonder they began taking over immediately!

[@Spotofgardening]

Nice video for when my garden is under control 😂😂 I have working on clearing a large garden in UK that hasn't been properly maintained for years. The Ivy and bramble bushes are something from a horror film!

[@Captain_Eggnog]

Same with me

[@gardenshappen]

I'm going to have to try that cooking oil trick for the palm bulbs I can't dig up.

[@tonyu8065]

i love this man 😭

[@chrischapman8122]

Sir,Thank you for your expertise

[@prubroughton2327]

with oxalis if you have a lot hens love it and if you can contain youngsters ( pullets) over the patch this is an excellent control

[@GardeningAustralia]

Great tip Pru!

[@rawrevelations2002]

Oooh, I saw plantain and dandelions… those are good medicine!

[@andrewsnow1933]

Weeding is meditative. I’m ridding my lawn of clover by hand. I drown the grass with water and reach down and remove long stems by the root. I go into aglow state and before I know it one hour has gone by. I try not to use chemicals. First of all, they hardly work or they’re really slow. I like the look of the immediate improvement. Is black eyed Susan’s a WEED?

[@GardeningAustralia]

Yep! Depending where you live. The vine 'thunbergia alata' (Black-eyed Susan) is an environmental weed in Queensland, NSW, and likely to be an issue in parts of WA & NT. It's a pain as the seeds and any part of the stems can spread and form new plants, so it's also a great idea to hand-weed if you can to get every little bit in the bin!

[@mr.armstrong7440]

Love your passion!

[@chongseitmooi2593]

Garden weeding is good fr fingers exercises

[@mynameisdotdot]

Wonderful thank you 💚😊

[@sujimartens6757]

Thank u for this video! We have cedar beds and have grass walkways but the torpedo grass w rhizomes are coming up from under the beds and it’s costing me so much time and money having to completely dig the beds up! Did u have that problem and did the gravel work? Any other ideas? Thank u

[@GardeningAustralia]

Argh that's a tough challenge! The tricky thing with removing torpedo grass is that unless you get the entire rhizome, small piececs can break off leading to even more plants so be careful when digging it up. Perhaps a deeper physical barrier could help, such as recycled plastic edging dug down between the garden bed and walkway? Check with your local environment authority as they may have advice specific to controlling weeds in your area.

[@theytwatcher950]

I prefer the newspaper approach, as I'm lazy and just want to prevent weeds from growing. I think Sophie had a podcast of using newspaper to massacre weeds.

[@mufclad2]

O to the M to the G ❤ this is sooooooooo coool thank you 😊

[@gryphc3860]

There are many medicinal and edible weeds so perhaps look upon them as friends rather than foes. Dandelion, Cleavers, Chickweed, Plantain for example are all edible and medicinal 😊

[@rafaelfigfigueiredo2988]

Thank you so much.

[@GardeningAustralia]

Glad it was helpful and thanks for watching!

[@ivyclark70]

Hi Jerry, I'm never sure about just using scissors because I wonder if the weed will come back stronger 😮 after a prune like when we prune some of our plants and bushes back. 😂

[@potapotapotapotapotapota]

When it comes to weeding - I give up

[@KimaniJane-bt5bl]

😊😊😊😊😊😊😊 thankyou

[@ausblue1]

some good tips

[@GardeningAustralia]

Thanks! Hope they’re helpful 😊

[@Yashhaa]

i’m getting paid to do weeding for a guy and he wants me to pick out all the little sprouts ALL OVER HIS PROPERTY it’s absolutely back breaking just to get rid of these weeds that don’t even look bad and i feel like there has to be a better way

[@jamiepeterson4466]

I try to weed it when I see it.

[@-opus]

Yes, the best way is to pull them out when they are first noticed.

[@hendofromthebush2450]

Only proper way! 😊

[@SENZOVA_OP]

❤

[@Colors.TF1]

They will grow again even if you take them out with the roots.

[@Toby220]

Pulling weeds is not my favorite thing to do

[@christinasanders5625]

Hoe when the soil is dry

[@berlyn0409]

I liked everything except your anti Christian propaganda at the end. I don’t believe in Zen sorry. I believe in God.

[@MorganRambo723]

Most people aren’t Christian. Get over it.

[@MotocrossRider155]

Oh shut up. Your religion isnt any more special than anyone else.

[@monchugee9647]

So what he did here was he weeded out all the useless and infectious weeds, leaving room for the good ones to have a job here in this beautiful garden. Now these good plants are free to work in this garden starting tomorrow

[@ALHEALY9110]

❤️