‘Surprisingly effective’ way to banish weeds at ‘zero cost’ – and it takes five minutes

Gardening expert on how to keep your garden free of weeds

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Hours of work in the garden can quickly be destroyed by weeds which can take over outdoor spaces very quickly. Weeds can grow anywhere there is space, including on lawns as well as patios. One expert has shared top tips on getting rid of weeds as well as how gardeners can prevent them from coming back.

William Mitchell, resident gardening expert at Sutton Manor Nursery, said: “A brilliant and cheap way of getting rid of weeds is by using mulch.

“Mulch is a mixture of shredded leaves, brown cardboard, straw or wood chips and is used to cover the soil around your plants.”

The expert said mulch will block weeds from any sunlight which helps them germinate and grow.

Mulch is relatively cheap to purchase but homemade options can be used too.

The gardening expert continued: “The cheapest way to get rid of weeds is to simply pull them out or dig them up.

“This will come at zero cost and is surprisingly effective.

“Normally the weed will not grow back once removed.

“However, if it does, you know that you have a persistent root that needs a more drastic removal process.”

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It is best to hand weed after rain has softened the soil.

This will help gardeners to pull up complete root systems.

The job will only take around five minutes a day, and it is recommended to remove them while they are small.

William continued: “Another effective way of getting rid of weeds is by cutting off their heads before they have the ability to flower.

“Removing the head means that they cannot produce seeds and therefore spread throughout your garden.

“Aerating your soil is also a good way to prevent the growth of weeds.

“Aerating your grass and allowing it to breathe will make sure that the potential of deep rooted weeds is significantly reduced.”

Gardeners should also avoid watering weeds as this will help them to continue to grow.

The expert said: “Watering weeds is a very easy mistake to make as you are watering the other plants in your garden.

“Watering weeds can be detrimental to your garden as they compete the surrounding plants for the important water, sunlight and nutrients in the soil.

“If they are not welcomed in that area, do not water them.”

This is also why it is important to identify where weeds are in the gardening to help avoid them becoming a bigger issue.

Common weeds found in the UK include dandelions, crabgrass, pigweed and purslane.

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