How to Reclaim a Weedy Garden

Well, this didn't turn out as planned.  This garden was going to be the best one yet, spilling forth baskets of vibrantly colored produce and floral bouquets worthy of a magazine cover.  But then life happened.  There were baseball games, birthday parties, and home improvement projects, that trip to go help Mom and Dad, and then a weeklong vacation with the family.  Suddenly, it's July and that winter dream has evolved into a hot, weedy jungle.  What's a gardener to do?  If you've found yourself in this situation, don't worry.  We've all been there.  In this article, we're going to put together a game plan to get that garden back under control and bring your dream back into view.  It's not too late to fix this and in this post, we're going to show you how.

First Things First

If you're reading this, you aren't the pity party type.  You're ready to work, you just need a plan.  But just in case you have one of those little voices in your head telling you that you jumped in too deep, that you don't have a green thumb, that this was a failure, I want to assure you that these statements simply aren't true.  In reality, weedy gardens happen to everyone, and I do mean everyone.

Gardening is my family's livelihood.  Our gardens feed our children, both literally and in terms of the income they generate via seed production.  And yet, even with so much riding on the outcome of my garden, I can sincerely admit that I've had more than one get away from me.  Enter my first piece of evidence:

This photo was taken a few years ago in late spring.  It was 2020 and in the midst of the pandemic and all the chaos that came with it I, like everyone else, committed myself to growing my biggest and most productive garden yet.

But all that ambition couldn't overcome reality.  I had a 7-month-old, and this meant that weeding duties were going to be relegated to short stretches of time between nursing, diaper changes, and caring for our other child.  By June, it was apparent that this garden was going to take some serious intervention if I wanted to salvage it.  

Over the next few weeks, I worked diligently and strategically to bring it back under control.  I chopped, yanked, and plucked at weeds until I had something resembling a garden.  It was a lot of work, but I succeeded.  By fall, I had my garden back and it wasn't just a good garden, it was one of my best yet.

Yes, that is the same garden and no, I didn't just till it up and start over.  I hacked and yanked and pulled at weeds until my fingers hurt.  And the end result was worth every bit of that effort.  We had buckets of beans, freezer bags full of peas, and jars upon jars of canned tomatoes.  All from a garden that at one point, seemed like it couldn't be saved.

How to Attack an Out of Control Garden

And now that the pep talk is over, let's get down to business.  Whether you've got a carpet of small weeds or a jungle of waist-high behemoths, there's always hope so long as there's a plan.  So without further ado, here is the strategy I use to claw back a garden from the brink of disaster.

Assess the Situation

First off, is it really as bad as you think?  A few large weeds here and there can make a garden look way worse than it really is.  Purslane for example, can get two feet wide at maturity.  But when you pull that plant, you'll probably find a large weed-free area beneath.  Before you condemn your garden or set about to reclaim it, make a few observations and ask yourself these questions regarding the vegetables buried beneath the weeds.

1. How far off is harvest for this vegetable?  If harvest is very near, it may be better to just harvest what you can and clear the area once the harvest period is over.
2. Will it be bothered when I pull the weeds?  Certain vegetables like onions and young carrots, for example, are easily uprooted when large weeds are pulled from within their rows.
3. Is there time to sow again?  In some cases, it may be easier to clean the area and re-sow.  Radishes, for example, mature very quickly and can be sown throughout much of the year.  Tomatoes, on the other hand, require a much longer growing season.

The answers to these questions will help you triage the situation and determine the best options for moving forward.  By looking at the number and size of the weeds as well as the condition of the underlying vegetables you can equip yourself to make the best decision regarding the fate of your garden.

Devise a Plan

Now that you've spent a little time out there getting acquainted with the conditions on the ground, you're ready to make a battle plan.  This plan might apply to the entire garden or just part of it.  In fact, you might develop different strategies for different areas of the garden, depending on your priorities and the conditions you're facing.  Depending on the scenario, I usually arrive at one of three action plans.

Option 1: Attack it

More often than not, this is my favored solution.  If there are a lot of weeds, but they are fairly small, or if the weeds are large but harvest is far off, your best bet is to just get after it.  It's time to roll up those sleeves, sharpen your hoe, and get to work.  Remember what's at stake: that garden you've been dreaming of.  A little determination and effort now will pay big dividends in the coming months.

Option 2: Mow It Off and Start Over

Sometimes the weeds are just too big and unruly to be worth the effort to remove them by hand. In these cases, it's best to get a fresh start.  This is especially true for shorter season crops like radishes or leaf lettuce.  You could spend several hours bringing it back or you could mow, re-till, and sow again.  Even in the worst-case scenario, you'll have a fresh crop in a few weeks.

Option 3: Do Nothing

According to one of my favorite sayings, sometimes it's better to do nothing for nothing than something for nothing.  If you have a crop that's nearing maturity, you don't want to do anything now that might jeopardize the harvest that's just around the corner.  Better to weed these crops sparingly between the rows and leave the weeds within the row alone.  Before long, you'll be able to harvest the vegetables and clean up the bed for the next crop.

Gather Your Tools

As with any big job, having the right tools can make all the difference.  In the coming section, I'm going to discuss a few tools that will make life easier when you're trying to bring an out-of-control garden back under control.

Gloves and Long Sleeves

When it comes to pulling weeds, the most valuable tools you have are your hands.  You're going to be chopping, tugging and pulling at those weedy monsters until at last they surrender.  Better protect your hands with some good gloves.  I've found that the thin stretchy ones with rubberized palms work the best.  They allow me to maintain my dexterity and grip, while protecting my hands from blisters and scrapes.  Long sleeves are also essential as they will protect your arms from being cut by sharp leaves and irritated by the dust that has accumulated in the weed canopy. 

Roguing Hoe

Any sharp hoe will do for routine weeding, but knocking down large weeds takes a bit more effort.  For those big jobs, I like to use a roguing hoe like the one here (no commission earned).  Sometimes called a field hoe, these hoes are often used by plant breeders to cull off-type plants that may be present in nurseries and production fields.  In my previous work, I used a roguing hoe to topple full-grown corn plants in a breeding nursery.  As you might guess, they also do wonders on large grasses and weeds, particularly those with tough or woody stems. Just be sure to wear closed toe shoes when using one.

Mower

It's the tool of last resort, but sometimes it's the right one for the job.  Whether it be a push type or a rider, a mower is a real blessing for reclaiming an out-of-control garden.  Once the weeds are knocked down, it's much easier to get at them with a hoe because their tops don't get in the way of your swing.  If you have a tiller, chopping up the tops beforehand with a mower will make for a smoother till and will prevent the tines from becoming clogged with plant material.  Finally, mowing off the tops of weeds makes it harder for them to regrow should you get a rain soon after you've weeded or tilled the garden.

Mantis Tiller

If you're starting over, a regular tiller will do a fine job, but for getting in between rows or reworking beds, a little tiller like a mantis is a life saver.  They are also great for digging into soils that are so compacted that the hoe just seems to bounce off.  I find that walking backwards with the mantis works best in these situations because it forces the tines to dig down rather than skipping across the top of the soil.  Lastly, these little tillers are great for getting in and around larger, widely spaced plants like tomatoes and hills of cucumbers.  Be careful not to catch a tomato cage or your wire fencing, though.  I've learned that the hard way.

Adopt the Right Mindset

I once had a friend who, as part of his groundskeeper job, was tasked with maintaining a 200-foot bed of unique irises and daylilies that had been collected by the business owner.  Every summer he would spend weeks working his way from one end to the other, pulling weeds from between the priceless bulbs.  Once I asked him how maintained his sanity while staring down the barrel of that much weeding.  He said he had two tricks.  First, he always faced in the direction that he had already finished so that he could admire his work.  And second, that he never thought about the work that was yet to be done.  He just put in his hours, went home and came back the next day to tackle that day's work. 

I've really tried to adopt this philosophy when it comes to weeding my own garden and while it doesn't come naturally to me, I think it works well when applied.  Try to stay focused on what you've accomplished and not on what has yet to be done.  Download an audio book, listen to a podcast, or jam out to your favorite playlist.  The hours will pass much more quickly when weeding isn't the only thing on your mind.

How to Attack a Weedy Garden

Now that we've discussed how to assess your garden and what tools you'll need, it's time to devise a plan of attack.  There are different schools of thought when it comes to getting control of a weedy garden.  Which one is most appropriate for you will depend on your personality and the condition of your garden.  Here are some options I consider when planning my assault on garden weeds.

Option 1: Shock and Awe

If my garden suddenly develops quite a few unsightly monsters, but is overall in decent shape, I'll hit the entire garden all at once, working quickly to get the garden back under control before my precious vegetables are impacted.  This usually happens when I've had pretty good control of the garden for much of the season but was not able to weed for some time due to a wet period or brief vacation. 

In these cases, removing the larger weeds first is a good strategy.  The vegetables are all equally likely to survive unscathed, so it makes sense to work around the garden eliminating the largest weeds, progressively moving to smaller and smaller ones.  Sometimes you can make a lot of visual progress in a short period using this approach, all the while gaining a much-needed boost in confidence.

This of course assumes that you'll be able to remove most of the larger weeds before they've had an effect on the vegetables.  If your garden is to the point where you fear losing some or all of your crops, it doesn't make sense to bounce around the garden removing weeds here and there.  As my husband likes to say, this is akin to swatting flies in a feed lot.

Option 2: Divide and Conquer

In cases where I've totally lost control, I find that it is best for my sanity if I focus on recovering one section at a time.  Historically, I've used raised beds with a target size of 100 square feet to divide out my garden.  This is because 1. It's easy to calculate soil amendments on 100 square feet and 2. I know that I can weed a bed of that size in 20-30 minutes, maybe a little longer if it has gotten out of hand.  Understanding how much time I will need to invest is important because it keeps me from becoming overwhelmed when things get a little out of control.

The other benefit to segmenting your garden and focusing on sections is that it gives you a clear sense of accomplishment, and therefore motivation to continue the effort.  In contrast, running around and trying to save the whole thing all at once may have you dizzy and discouraged.

Tips for Pulling Weeds

I'm not going to tell you how to pull weeds.  You probably already know, and if not, you're about to become an expert through your own experience.  But nevertheless, I do have a few tips for pulling large, tricky, or inconveniently placed weeds from vegetable gardens.

Stabilize the Vegetable

When pulling a weed that is very close to the vegetable you're trying to save, it's a good idea to protect the vegetable from getting dislodged.  To accomplish this, I place my hand palm down on the soil, interlacing the stem of the vegetable between two of my fingers.  Next, I place firm downward pressure on that hand while I pull the weed with my other hand.  This protects the vegetable from being inadvertently damaged while pulling the weed.

Twist and Pull

This is not a tip on weed pulling posture.  Obviously, you should use proper lifting technique when pulling large weeds.  However, in reference to the weed you are pulling, you are going to have better luck in many cases if you twist the stem of the weed before or while you are pulling.  This twisting action breaks many of the weed's fine, lateral roots which in turn makes pulling it easier.  It also minimizes the size of the crater that is left in the weed's absence.

Be precise

There are times for brute force and there are times when a precise attack is more prudent.  When dealing with segmented or fragile weeds, like purslane for example, which can re-grow from tiny segments of stem, it is better to use a more delicate approach.  For these weeds, I will slide my hand under the plant, palm up, interlacing the plant's stem between my fingers.  I then pull up, leaving my hand somewhat flat to evenly distribute pressure across the plant's aerial parts.  Using this approach ensures that the entire weed is removed intact.

How to Dispose of Garden Weeds

Smaller weeds can be left in place in the garden.  They will decompose and provide valuable organic material for the vegetables later in the season.  Larger weeds, however, are prone to re-rooting, especially if there is rain soon after you've finished weeding. If you have a lot of larger weeds to remove, it's a good idea to place them on a tarp or piece of cardboard to allow them to dry before adding them back to the garden or composting.

If, on the other hand, you just have a few larger weeds to pull, it's okay to just shake off the dirt and toss them outside the garden.  They're unlikely to re-root out in the lawn and before long, they dry up and get mulched in by the mower.

It's important to note that while some nutrients like carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen can be captured from the atmosphere, others are exclusively absorbed from the soil.  This means that the weeds you just pulled from your garden are carrying a portion of its fertility.  Unless you return them to the garden (in the form of compost or mulch) that fertility will be lost forever.  Just something to think about before you shove them in a yard waste bag and send them down the road.

When All Else Fails

If after reading this article and assessing your garden, you decide that it isn't worth saving, take heart.  The gardening season isn't over yet.  Just mow it off and enjoy your newfound freedom for a bit.  A few weeks later or whenever you're ready, rework a section of garden that seems appropriate for your schedule and energy level.  Go ahead and till under your cover crop.  Yes, that's what your last attempt was: a soil-building exercise that enriched your garden soil with fresh nutrients and organic matter.  Well done!  Now it's time to get back to work sowing your fall garden.

Fall gardening is so much easier than spring gardening.  Many weeds aren't germinating this late in the season, others are growing more slowly, bugs are becoming less of an issue, and the fast pace of summer is beginning to slow down.  This could be a great opportunity to give it another go.  What's more, fall grown vegetables are even more flavorful than those grown in the spring.  If you want to see what options are still on the table for a fall garden, be sure to check out our selection of fall vegetable seeds.

Conclusions

Hey, life (and weedy gardens) happens to all of us.  In fact, the struggle of man and nature is one as old as time.  Certainly, you and I are not the first to have found ourselves the underdogs in this great battle.  But the good news is that it isn't over yet.  With a little determination and some hard work, you can succeed in turning that weedy jungle into the garden of your dreams.  So, formulate your plan, gather your tools, and let's get to work!