Whilst weeds are technically just plants that grow somewhere you wouldn’t like them, some of them can be valuable to pollinators, such as dandelions, especially early on in the season when there are not many flowers about, there are plenty of reasons you may want to remove them from your garden, particularly your paved areas and garden beds. If you can, leave a wildlife area in the garden where you allow weeds and wildflowers to grow unchecked. However, in your carefully planted ornamentals, they compete for space and sunlight, which can be detrimental to tender young plants.

I choose to not use chemical treatments or weed killers for weeds in my garden. I remove them by hand, which is very effective when using some of the best tools to use to remove weeds from the garden.

How to remove weeds from paved areas

Making sure paved areas of your garden look as pristine as the day your paving was laid, can be a rewarding task, with the right equipment. Not only does removing these weeds help your paved areas look good, but it also makes walking over the paving safer.

You may not just see common weeds such as grass, dandelion, dock, or creeping buttercups emerging from the cracks and gaps between the slabs but also border plants from yours or other local gardens, where they have self-seeded and started growing where you probably don’t want them.

It is essential when removing these types of weeds, to take out all of the tap roots. These are present for perennial weeds, the root being essential to remove as these are what allow these weeds to keep coming back. Annual weeds, such as chickweed, and groundsel, are removed more easily, as their roots are less established, so cutting off the top of the plant should be enough to get rid of them.

Getting between the gaps in paving to remove these weeds doesn’t have to be a long and laborious task. Using patio weeders will save you a great deal of time and effort and will remove all the weeds in just a couple of seconds.

AMES Tools’ Patio Weeder made with Stainless Steel can make short work of large spaces, with its strong stainless-steel head effortlessly being able to penetrate deep between paving slabs to remove stubborn weeds. Plus, the long handle allows you to do so from standing, without straining your back.

For smaller areas, or perhaps gaps which require a more precise approach between paving slabs, AMES Tools Hand Patio Weeder made with Carbon Steel is the perfect tool for the job. Make sure you have your kneeler ready, and use the sharp, narrow carbon steel head to remove weeds and moss from tight gaps in your paving. Dig the sharp head into the soil of the gap you are clearing, and drag the weeder towards you, removing any weeds and taproots as you do.

How to weed garden beds

Making sure your garden beds and borders are weed-free is essential before carrying out any planting or sowing tasks in the spring. Preparing your soil for planting will give your plants the best chance of thriving, as it removes any competition for moisture and space. Plus, by removing them before sowing and planting, you give yourself a much easier job of garden maintenance for the rest of the growing season.

One of the best pieces of equipment you can use to clear weeds from an empty garden bed or border is a garden hoe. These are some of the oldest known agricultural tools, with the first one found to be at least very similar to a modern hoe being from over 4,000 years ago in ancient Egypt.

The AMES Tools Dutch Hoe made with Stainless Steel, which is identified by the distinctive ‘D-shape,’ can be used through a push-and-pull motion. This movement cuts through weeds easily, with the gap in the ‘D-shape’ acting as a filter to ensure any weed remains are deposited across the surface of the soil, to be quickly disposed of in your compost heap. Not only does this process remove weeds from your soil, but it also aerates, which is ideal ahead of planting as it allows young plants plenty of manoeuvrability with their roots, and adds ample oxygen into the soil too.

By manually removing weeds from your gardens or paved areas, you will be able to enjoy a seamless garden design, alongside healthier plants.