How to Control Weeds Without Herbicides (Sustainable Garden Tips)

As organic gardeners we want to get rid of weeds without harming the ecosystem. Once you identify the weed and know how it reproduces, you can come up with a smart weed control system that stays a few steps ahead.

For more time and money-saving tips also see 10 Common Garden Mistakes you will regret.

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Organic Weed Removal Tips

Whether it’s garlic mustard, morning glory, or an invasive ivy sprawling all over your yard, just about every gardener struggles with a variety of unwanted plants that invite themselves into our gardens, sometimes outcompeting the plants we do want.

Every so often I ask Empress of Dirt readers to name the unwanted plants in their gardens—weeds or invasives—that drive them nuts. The list is long and varied but there are about a dozen or so that get mentioned over and over again including Creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederacea).

Whether you call it “weeding” or “deweeding,” the goal is the same. We want to get rid of weeds “organically” without causing other harm.

The word “organic” can have many meanings. Here we’re using it to mean garden methods based on what’s best for the local ecosystem. For weeding, this means avoiding harmful sprays while growing a garden that supports and sustains local wildlife.

While some aggressive weed infestations may only be managed, not cured, there are several practical ways for organic gardeners to reduce, eliminate, and prevent many common weeds.

The most invasive weeds that cause the most serious problems are often introduced species that, free from the checks and balances of a native growing environment, creep, and sprawl like there’s no tomorrow, gradually choking out the rest of the plants in their midst.

Other less harmful weeds may appear year after year in our gardens but can be managed with routine weeding.

The key is to identify the species, understand how it spreads, and prevent future propagation wherever possible.

7 Weeding Tips Every Gardener Should Know

We call it “weed control” for a reason: most weeds can—at best—be managed ongoing, not eradicated.

But, by understanding which weeds are in your garden and how they reproduce, you can come up with a weed management system that stays a few steps ahead and avoids greater issues.

1Know your plants

Before taking action, find out the identification of the plant(s).

You need to know if a plant is dangerous to touch, a known invasive, or perhaps an endangered species or essential habitat for some other animal, bird, or insect species.

Here in Ontario, Canada, I rely on Ontario’s Invading Species Awareness Program at www.invadingspecies.com.

Check your local extension office or conservation authority for tips for your area.

It’s also important to learn about truly dangerous plants like Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum). Scary stuff!

I also use phone apps like Google Lens or INaturalist. Snap a pic and ask the app to identify it. I get the answer about 3/5 of the time.

Uncommon plants may take more time, but once I’ve identified them, I keep a file with the photo and helpful info for future reference.

If you prefer a book, Weeds of North America is another good resource.

2Understand how the plants spread

If you know how a plant propagates, you have key information for stopping it.

For most plants, propagation is by roots or rhizomes, on-ground runners, or by seed.

Once you know the reproduction method, you also know when to stop it.

If a plant spreads by seed, you need to remove it before the flowers die off and seeds form.
Forget-me-nots are a perfect example. They are so beautiful in the spring until those sweet blue flowers dry up and turn to seed. The following year there will be thousands and thousands popping up wherever the wind carried them.

If a plant spreads by runners, you’ve got to cut off its pathways or block all light and water using heavy sheeting for an extended period of time.

I have invasive English ivy that should probably wear a Fitbit for how far it can spread on any given day. Because the plant is intentionally growing in my neighbor’s yard and trying to sneak into mine, I use a Billhook (more on this below) to severe the roots at the fence line and cut back any runners that are reaching out to new destinations. This

Some common weeds produce enormous tap roots or rhizomes. Digging up deeply-rooted weeds often seems like a logical solution but it can backfire. Sometimes the loosening of the soil actually encourages further growth of any roots left in the ground.

Again, this is where plant identification helps. Read up on how the plant spreads and the recommended ways to beat it at its own game.

My best years for staying on top of weeding are the ones where I patrol my garden beds daily. Catching problems from the start is a huge time-saver.

3Protect your skin and clothing

We have a lot to think about out there! Sun protection, ticks, mosquitoes, poison ivy and oak, are just a few. Beware of possible allergic reactions as well.

When weeding or clearing brush, wear gloves, long sleeves and pants, a garden apron to cover your clothes, and wash them (including your shoes) in separate loads as soon as soon as you’re done. Even if poison ivy doesn’t touch your skin, you might pass the oil along with your clothing.

Also, take off your gloves before scratching your nose! Been there, forgot to do that, got the rash to show for it!

4Pull roots after it rains

If the weed is one best removed by pulling it out of the ground with its roots intact, do your weeding when the soil is moist, not dry. That’s your best chance to get the whole plant out.

5Use the right tools for the job

Which tools work best will depend entirely on the weeds you have to deal with. These ones work for plants you uproot (remove roots and all).

I have about 10 different weeds and invasive plants that routinely haunt my garden and I have a couple of favorite tools for managing all of them.

The Softtouch Weeder is ideal for long, narrow roots.

The Billhook works beautifully for uprooting bulbous roots and rhizomes. I push it into the soil, alongside the roots, and then leverage it gently until I can feel the roots release from the soil. Pop! Good-bye, annoying weed! You can see it in action in the video (above).

If there is a mass of tall weeds to pull, I lop off the growth with PowerGear2 Pruners (they are very easy on the hands) or shears, making it easier to access the roots with the Billhook.

In some cases, I will dig out entire patches with a shovel, place everything on a tarp, and then chop out the weeds (cowabunga!) and bag them for disposal.

I also always wear gardening knee pads to avoid painful mishaps with stones and keep my pant knees dry.

On my driveway, I remove weeds with a steam cleaner:

6If pulling doesn’t work, you may need to smother

This sounds so sinister, and it’s not a quick solution, but, when weeds are invasive and the problem is widespread, you may need to smother the entire growing area.

The entire garden bed—plus a few feet of the surrounding garden bed— is covered in thick layers of UV-stabilized plastic and weighted down with heavy weights, bricks, or rocks, cutting off everything a plant needs for survival—water, air, and light.

Depending on how feisty the plant is, it can take months or even years for the smothered plants to die off. The key is to wait it out and never give up! You can win this.

7Dispose of weeds carefully

So, you’ve pulled the weeds out of the ground. Now what?

If there’s any chance there is life left in the plants, be careful how you dispose of them. You don’t want them regrowing or depositing seeds in your yard waste pile or compost bin.

Disposal options will depend on what’s permitted in your area and the resources available. The goal is to isolate the plants until they are truly toast and unable to regrow.

You might place them in their own waste pile, bag and “cook”’ them, also called solarizing, for a few months in the hot sun, burn them, or haul them to a yard waste depot.

Again, find out what is allowed in your region.

Bonus Tip

8If all else fails, rent a goat

Did you know goats are immune to the harmful oils of poison ivy and have a fondness for the taste of these nasty vines?

While you would never want hungry goats in your garden (they eat everything), this may be an option for a rural property with an infestation. And—bonus—in some areas you can rent a herd to come in and get the job done.

Resources

Listen

Happy weeding,

~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛