5 hand-weeding techniques that really work

Few gardening projects are as satisfying as removing every last weed from a row of vegetables or a bed of flowers. These five easy, natural hand-weeding techniques really work.

If you schedule the job so you can do it in nice weather, weeding can even be enjoyable.

• Be sure to wear gloves to protect your hands, and have a roomy pail or wheelbarrow handy to carry away the pulled plants.
• If the weeds you pull aren't holding seeds, you can leave them on the soil surface as mulch.

• Buy a dandelion digger, which has a sharp, notched end that will pry up stubborn weeds with taproots.

You can also buy weeding tools with hoe-like blades and short handles, which are good for slicing weeds off below the surface.

• Weeds are easier to pull with their root systems intact if the soil is moist. Also, neighbouring plants are less likely to be damaged when the soil is damp.
• Be sure to remove any part of the weed that can regenerate. Some weeds, such as quackgrass and bindweed, have buds on their roots that can grow into new plants.

• Sprinkle salt on weeds that sprout in paved areas or wild patches.

But don't use it around desirable plants, because it can injure their roots.

• Drench weeds growing up through the cracks in paving stones or bricks with boiling water.

Some old-time gardeners insist that water from boiled potatoes is even more effective. The safest way to carry boiling water is in a teakettle with a capped spout.

• For a quick and easy weed killer, mix at least 30 millilitres (one ounce) of vodka, a few drops of dishwashing liquid and 500 millilitres (two cups) of water in a spray bottle (the exact proportions aren't critical).
• Apply the mixture to the leaves of weeds until it runs off.

A couple of caveats: this will work only on plants growing in strong sun, and you should make applications at midday on a sunny day when the plant is actively growing.

Why does it work? Alcohol can break down the waxy cuticle covering of leaves, leaving them susceptible to dehydration in sunlight.