Do these 5 weird weeding hacks really work?

For every unwanted weed popping up in your borders, there’s an online hack claiming to eradicate them forever. We took a look at 5 of the most popular ideas, to find the ones worth trying, as well as the ones that should be weeded out for good.

1: Landscape fabric to ‘permanently’ wipe out weeds

How it works: Lay thick sheets of heavy-duty weed membrane to suffocate existing weeds, prevent new ones from growing and keep the area ‘neat and tidy’.

The big problem: In the short term, this method will certainly hide and possibly kill whatever is underneath – a great option for keeping an allotment bed free of weeds for a couple of months. But plants have clever ways of getting around even so-called ‘permanent’ plastic. From below, deep-rooted weeds like creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense) or field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) will find their way through to cracks or the outer edge of the membrane. From above, tiny weed seeds carried on the wind, like those of the dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), will germinate on the surface, plunging thick tap roots through the membrane into the ground below. Any gardener who has tried to get a dandelion out when its deep roots are entangled in these plastic fibres will tell you it is almost impossible without tearing holes, snapping the root, which will then regrow or both. For any period longer than a few months, the weeds will find a way.

2: Stale seedbed

How it works: Rake your empty seedbed, allow weed seeds to germinate, then swoop in and destroy them.

The big problem: This is an excellent way of removing annual weeds before they become a real problem and start competing with your precious vegetable crops. The big question is how you remove those weed seedlings. Some influencers recommend using a herbicide, but it’s safer for your future crops to invest in a simple garden hoe and cut them off at the root. A little more effort, but much better for soil and plant life. Before you begin, make sure to dig out any deep-rooted weeds with a sturdy garden fork.

3: Solarisation using sunlight and clear plastic to heat soil and kill weed seeds

How it works: Lay a sheet of transparent plastic on a prepared seedbed and allow dormant weed seeds to germinate, dry out and die.

The big problem: Aside from the cost, faff and environmental impact of bringing yet more unrecyclable plastic into the garden, British springs in recent years have been relatively cold. This method relies on predictable spells of hot weather – and that may well not arrive before you want to get your beds growing. Save the effort (and plastic) and opt for the stale bed technique instead.

4: Boiling water

How it works: Pour boiling water on pesky weeds.

The big problem: For the right weed in the right place, it’s worth a try. Annual weeds in tricky spots like paving cracks may be killed off with this quick, cheap method. It’s far less effective on deep-rooted perennials like green alkanet (Pentaglottis sempervirens) because the roots may escape damage and will grow again. Plus, you’ll feel a bit silly running back and forth to the kitchen to boil the kettle – not practical for a big driveway.

5: Vodka

How it works: Spray a vodka/water mixture directly onto weeds to dehydrate them, causing them to wither and die.

The big problem: This method is really an attempt to replace chemical herbicides with something less harmful (but in this case, quite a lot more expensive). The problem is, as herbicides go, this one is very weak, indiscriminate and not very effective. As it's a contact herbicide (as opposed to a systemic one), it only damages the part of the plant it touches, so it won’t get to the root of those dandelions and actually kill them. Mixing your own herbicides or using household products is not advisable because they can damage soil, soil organisms and the environment. Better to mix yourself a nice Espresso Martini instead.