Expert shares a natural hack to remove weeds from a large area

It's very easy to do and helps keep things looking neat

They say a weed is just a plant in the wrong place, but in the areas of our garden we're most proud of, dandelions and thistles are not welcome. Daisy Payne has shared a natural tip for removing weeds - so you can keep them under control without harming the environment.

In a recent episode of This Morning on ITV, the gardening expert gave Eamonn, Ruth, and the viewers an easy garden idea to keep things weed-free.

garden with flowers in pots and grey round table with chairs

(Image credit: Future PLC)

'It’s really important that you don’t use pesticides in your garden,' says Daisy. 'It’s bad for the environment, it’s bad for the wildlife, and the eco-systems you’re supporting in your garden.

'One of my preferred options [to remove weeds] is a really organic way, which is the no-dig method,' she continues. 'This is perfect for if you’ve got a really big space or a veg patch, and there are lots of weeds popping up.'

As the name implies, there’s no digging involved with this garden idea. 'You get yourself some layers of cardboard, place it down over the weedy area, make sure it’s firm down, plenty of layers,' Daisy adds.

sloping roof house with white door and grass lawn

(Image credit: Future PLC)

She explains that the layers of cardboard will see off any weeds. It kills them by depriving them of light and nutrients. 'So that is a fantastic way of getting rid of a big space of weeds.' By laying down cardboard and placing some soil on top, you're effectively starting from scratch, as the cardboard will eventually decompose.

Daisy also gave some recommendations on the best gardening tools for getting rid of unwanted weeds. She says a hoe will remove weeds from the root, which is the ideal way to make sure they don't keep come back.

These are inexpensive tools available at your local garden centre. Daisy goes on to say that you can use a hoe for getting rid of perennial weeds, which she says are the 'ones you really want to get rid of.'

hand spade and shovel gardening tool

(Image credit: Getty)

For help identifying which weeds you're dealing with, head to the RHS guide to common weeds. There are lots of wildlife garden ideas that you can try while keeping on top of weeds - like leaving a small patch of grass to grow wild and sowing some wildflower seeds.

You can also put a bin bag down on your lawn over a patch of weeds, and this will kill them off in a similar way.

Millie Hurst
Senior Content Editor

Millie Hurst was Senior Content Editor at Ideal Home from 2020-2022, and is now Section Editor at Homes & Gardens. Before stepping into the world of interiors, she worked as a Senior SEO Editor for News UK in both London and New York. You can usually find her looking up trending terms and finding real-life budget makeovers our readers love. Millie came up with the website's daily dupes article which gives readers ways to curate a stylish home for less.