Weed Pullers and Weed Wands: What Are They?

As the name suggests, a weed puller is a mechanical device that helps gardeners physically remove unwanted plants, roots and all.

There’s a number of different types, from small handheld weed pullers to stand up versions that can save the gardener from having to bend and kneel on the ground.

Some have serrated edges on the claws, making them easier to use in different soil types.

Most are manual but if money is no object, you could splurge on an electric model.

As is the case with hand weeding or using a small fork, it’s best to start by moistening the soil around the offending weed.

Wearing gardening gloves and using a kneeling pad, you can poke a hand weeder into the ground a few times around the plant to loosen the soil.

Push the tines down into the soil and then wiggle it a bit while holding the plant stem as you lift the roots out of the ground, taking care not to leave any pieces behind that can resprout.

A stand-up weed puller has a long handle and a platform that you step on to push it into the ground.

Some have claws that you can use to grab the plant and an ejector handle that releases the weed once it’s been removed.

There’s a guide to what you need to know about pulling weeds from your lawn here.

Advantages

• Using a weed puller eliminates the need to use expensive, potentially harmful herbicides, which is particularly useful for organic gardeners.
• It’s a quick and easy way of removing weeds from your lawn without the risk of accidentally killing it.
• Used properly, the right tool will remove the plant and all its roots.
• A stand-up weed puller is kinder on sore backs, hips and knees.

Disadvantages

• Some weed pullers won’t be able to lift the entire root system.
• It can be time consuming if there’s a lot of weeds to tackle.
• Using a hand-held weed puller can be hard on backs, hips and knees because you’ll need to get down to ground level to use it.

Some weeds shouldn’t be removed with a weed puller because they leave behind nuts, tubers or rhizomes that can spread underground and develop new plants. This includes Nutgrass, Onion Weed and Soursob, which are best removed by using a spade. Read our guide to what you need to know about pulling weeds from your lawn here.

Also known as a weed wiper, weeding brush or weed wicker, weed wands are used to apply a small quantity of herbicide to weeds in a specific area of lawn.

The wands can be about 1m long with a sponge, felt pad or brush on the end that dispenses the herbicide when it touches a plant.

They’re especially useful for controlling weeds that aren’t responsive to selective herbicides, when using conventional methods to spray a non-selective chemical such as Roundup, which contains the active ingredient glyphosate and will damage or kill your lawn as well.

This includes weeds such as Nutgrass and Onion Weed.

Tip: It’s best to use a dabbing motion rather than wiping or swiping it across plants.

Advantages

• Accurate application of small amounts of non-selective herbicides that kill everything they touch.
• Handy for weeds that you’ve been unable to identify or haven’t responded to a selective herbicide.
• The applicator is at the end of the weed wands, eliminating the need to bend or kneel.

Disadvantages

• Because of their length, it can be tricky to wield a weed wand carefully enough to avoid wiping herbicide on your lawn as well as weeds.

When weeds are small in size or few in number, it can make more sense to use a weed puller or a weed wand instead of dirtying a knapsack or spray unit to mix up a small amount of herbicide.

Weed pullers are not recommended for use on some plants, while weed wands are great for applying non-selective herbicides (containing glysophate) to weeds. Be careful to apply the non-selective herbicide ONLY to the weed not the surrounding lawn or garden.

There’s more information about removing specific weeds from your lawn here and you can browse the range of products from leading lawn care brands in myhomeTURF’s online store here.

Non-Selective Herbicide – TUFFWEED Liquid Glyphosate 1L

Selective Herbicide – Bow and Arrow