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Most people look at weeds and see a problem. But experienced gardeners know that weeds are a source of information. Before you pull anything up, take a look at what’s growing. Weeds don’t show up randomly; they grow where conditions suit them. And those conditions say a lot about what’s going on under the surface.
You can pull weeds every week for the rest of your life, or you can figure out why they’re there and fix that instead. The fix is almost always the same: better drainage, looser soil, more organic matter, the right pH. When you get those things right, the weeds that do well in bad conditions will have less reason to show up. You’ll still get weeds because everyone does, but there will be fewer of them, and easier to manage.
Dandelions
The presence of dandelions means your soil is compacted. Dandelions have long taproots for a reason. They’re drilling down through hard, compacted soil in a determined effort to reach water and nutrients. If you’ve got a lawn or garden bed full of dandelions, your soil is probably too dense for most vegetables and flowers to do well.
What to do: Aerate the soil and then work in some compost. The dandelions will back off once the soil loosens up. You can pull them up by hand, but that rarely works. The stem will snap at the root, and the root ball underground will remain healthy and will continue to grow new dandelions.
Clover
Clover pulls nitrogen from the air and fixes it in the soil. It shows up in the yard and garden when nitrogen levels drop. It’s not wrecking your garden — it’s actually trying to fix it.
Nitrogen is essential to vegetable growth. It is what makes plants green and leafy — without enough of it, your vegetables grow slowly and look pale yellow. Nitrogen is especially important for leaf crops like lettuce, spinach, and kale. If your garden soil is low on nitrogen, your plants will tell you: small leaves, weak stems, washed-out color.
What to do: If clover is taking over, your soil is hungry. Add a nitrogen-rich fertilizer or work in aged compost. Some gardeners leave the clover alone and let it do its job, and that’s a great option, too. Leave it be to do its nitrogen-fixing work, but it also doesn’t hurt to add some fertilizer or compost.
Chickweed
Chickweed loves cool, moist, rich soil. It usually comes up in early spring or late fall. If you’ve got a lot of it, your soil is actually in decent shape — chickweed isn’t interested in poor, nutrient-lacking ground.
What to do: Pull it before it goes to seed. While it isn’t harming your garden at all nutrient-wise, it can quickly become invasive and try to take over the whole area. Chickweed pulls out easily, thankfully.
This weed is also edible and quite good. The flavor is mild, and it’s great for salads.
Plantain (the weed, not the banana)
Broadleaf plantain is another indicator of compacted soil. It is extremely common to see in paths, around patios, and anywhere that gets walked on. It’s tough because it has to be, and it has very long taproots that are difficult to fully remove.
What to do: Do the same fix as with dandelions. Break up the soil, add organic matter, and it’ll retreat. Pull up any growing plants before they go to seed; their seeds are tiny and appear in the thousands, and they will spread everywhere.
Plantain is also edible and has been used medicinally for centuries.
Nettles
Nettles are the opposite signal from clover. They go where nitrogen is high — often near compost piles, old manure, or spots where animals hang out. If nettles are taking over a bed, that area may actually have too much nitrogen for some plants.
Even though, as we mentioned earlier, all plants need nitrogen, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Too much nitrogen signals the plants to use it all to grow huge leafy foliage, and that’s what they’ll spend their energy on instead of producing the vegetables or fruits you want to eat.
What to do: Wear gloves for this one. Seriously! And, pull them up in spring if at all possible. They also have strong roots, which get stronger with age. Younger nettles are easier to pull out.
Nettles are a great addition to the compost pile. They break down fast and make excellent compost activators. After you’ve pulled up the nettles, ease up on fertilizing that garden bed for a season - it doesn’t need it.
Horsetail
Horsetail (the prehistoric-looking one with hollow stems) is a warning sign. It only really thrives in wet, acidic, compacted ground. It’s one of the harder weeds to get rid of because it spreads underground.
What to do: Fix the drainage issue first. The ground should not be so wet that horsetails grow there if you plan to grow vegetables there, too. Next, add lime to raise the pH. Be patient — horsetail doesn’t disappear overnight. Pulling it without fixing the soil conditions is a losing battle.
Oxalis
The little low-growing shamrock-looking plants with yellow flowers are oxalis. They love moist, fertile soils but will also do well in low-nutrient soil. This weed is very adaptable.
It isn’t saying anything in particular about the health of your garden. The primary problem is that oxalis spreads fast — the seeds pop out of the pods when you touch them, spreading everywhere. They can easily and quickly take over a garden bed.
What to do: The best control for these is to pull them up before they seed. This is best done right after it rains because the underground roots will be easier to get. They’re pretty shallow growing and easy to remove.
Check your soil, too, for other weeds and signs of potential issues. Oxalis is hard to keep out, so it might just be a matter of making sure they don’t go to seed, and keeping them to a minimum.