De-weeding Sparks De-bate

As the world changes and events sometimes seem unbelievable, it is somehow reassuring to realize there will always be weeds.  I’m all for sitting back and letting weeds have their way in some places (my lawn is a botanical garden) but once control is relinquished in the vegetable garden or perennial border, you might as well throw in the trowel.

While nothing is better for mind or spirit than pulling and yanking, yet sometimes a tool is in order.  While I strive to remain impartial, I’ll mention two items some Master Gardeners favor:  the Cape Cod Weeder and the Cobra Head Weeder.  The former measures a little more than a foot long, has a contoured wooden handle with a right-angled slicing hook, and undercuts the weed.  The latter is shaped in a graceful curve terminating in a sharp, snake-shaped blade.  My personal favorite is a soil knife crafted from heavy stainless steel which can dig, uproot, scrape, slice and scratch with ease.  If available in Miss Marple’s day any of these would have been employed for mischief well beyond gardening.

Larger gizmos are also popping up like dandelions, many designed to remove these and similar tap-rooted species.  Many feature a long, straight handle with terminal claws and a foot brace to jam it into the soil.  The claws grab the weed, you pull back, and out it pops, if all goes well.  Using it on moist but not soggy soil and finding one that is well made with a handle proportional to your height seem to be the considerations here.  Other gadgets attach to a power drill and spin weeds out of the ground.  While this seems faster, perhaps the more violent force breaks roots rather than finessing them out, as you could do with human power.  Either tool might have enough novelty appeal to trick a non-gardening spouse or child into using it, for a half-hour at least.  Fixing the mulch or throwing some grass seed down after the weed is gone is critical, or else moves in – another weed!

Probes that give the weed a jolt of heat via electricity are also available.  The reviews run from wild success to dismal failure, and without a university trial (impartiality, again), it is difficult to judge their true efficacy.  All I can definitely say is you’ll need a long extension cord.

All this brings us to a hot topic, torches.  Fire can kill weeds, as well as most other forms of life, and devices that produce flames are used by some organic vegetable growers as well as landscapers to clear fence-lines and pavement cracks.  While mature, grassy or deep-rooted weeds may bounce back after one treatment, the growth of smaller annuals is usually effectively stopped.  Although thermal weeding is gaining popularity, extreme caution is needed.  Mulches, dried weeds or oily pavement can catch fire.  Desirable plants are easily fried (don’t use this on the lawn).  Only experienced, responsible adults should be involved.  Achieving a weed-free zone isn’t worth burning down the neighborhood.