Why can't weeds be controlled just by cutting their leaves off?

Question

Or can they, naturally, it seems they would die without leaves....
What is the best method to control weeds? Cover the area with newspaper so it doesnt get any light??

Answer 1

Get down on your knees and pull! There are no easy and sound solutions. Weeds are part of gardening life; like roaches in the city, at least one will always survive.

Answer 2

You can control some weeds in this way. If you have a weed that is growing through a crack in the sidewalk for instance. If you do not like to use chemicals and cannot pull the weed out by the root, you can cut off the top, it i will come back, so continue to cut the exposed part of the weed away, eventually the plants root system will start to die due to lack of sunlight. The top part being removed also removes the plants method of collecting sunlight. Eventually the weed will get smaller and smaller until it does not return. Takes a while, but it can be done

Answer 3

Because the roots are still in the ground and they will just sprout new leaves, no problem. They are survivors. Newspaper could help but would be a huge mess and probably wouldn't do much. I would spray weed killer directly onto the weeds and dig them out with a large shovel putting them into garbage bags. Then cover the area with a thick layer of soil, mulch and compost . that will be the end of your weeds.

Answer 4

Many weeds are INDUSTRIAL strength!! That means that the roots are strong enough to grow even if the leaves are cut off. More leaves will just come back.

Newspaper or cloth will keep light out and will certainly kill many weeds.

If you want to kill ALL seed sown weeds, use a weed killer made from corn. You sprinkle it on the ground and it forms a cover that keeps weed seeds from germinating. Do NOT dig in the area after sprinkling on the weed killer or you will disrupt the cover. After awhile, it just dissolves into the ground -- very organic! However, do not put this in an area where you want to grow things from seeds!!

Answer 5

If you don't have any other plants in that area, spray them with round up. Otherwise either covering them with newspaper or buying weed blocker, which is a plastic that lets water and air through and covering the area with that. The weed blocker will last about 5 years while the newspaper will only last one.

Answer 6

The leaves are only half the plant. They also have tenacious roots. You can cover with newspapers or other mulch to a thickness of about 4 inches. You can also use a chemical called glycosphate (Roundup) to control weeds, it's harmless to everything but plants but you have to be careful and always, always follow the directions. Too much or too little is a waste of energy. I don't recommend landscape fabrics or plastic as they just aren't effective and don't allow the mulch to decompose naturally.

Answer 7

Hailstorms are elementary right here interior the Dakota's and that i've got discovered over the the years is to not get too hasty. Wait a minimum of three days for each little thing to cool down or perk up slightly, i'm consistently surprised at how resilient nature might nicely be. After some days that's going to be extra obvious what can and can't be salvaged. RScott

Answer 8

I notice that weeds don't grow much on covered areas - like when plenty of dead leaves cover the ground, or when the area does not get any sunshine at all. Some farmers use chemicals to kill weeds.
In a small garden, unleash your inner tensions by pulling at the pesky things one by one - through the roots! You will later have the satisfaction of having a clean garden, spending all those extra calories, and doing things by yourself. Ahhh!

Answer 9

Weeds are challenging because they have the underground root. I noticed that weeds I pulled last fall with a broken root are coming up in my flower beds already this year.

The best method to kill weeds is to mulch, and newspaper is a good option. Wet it down or cover it with something to thwart weeds.

Answer 10

I have successfully killed larger patches of weeds just by covering them with a thick layer of newspapers. To control a few weeds, pull by hand. Around sidewalks can use Round-Up. There are products on the market that can weed and feed for lawns. What you use depends on where you are weeding.

Answer 11

You need to be careful because of the location; as to what to use. Weed-Be-Gone is good. Some kill weeds, grass and all.
Roundup is excellent, but you must have patience, it is slow working. Don't spray to close to the grass. If this is for weeds in grass, use weed and feed when the leaves are dry.

They continue to grow because the root system is still in tact. When you put the weed killer on the leaves, it systemically goes to the roots.