Weeding is quite possibly the most tedious task, especially when you're trying to pull them out of nooks and crannies. The whole exercise is fiddly, hard on the knees and somehow the weeds always seem to grow back even stronger than before, making the effort feel even more thankless.
After one too many battles with dandelions and other such stubborn weeds in the cracks between my patio slabs, steps and driveway, I decided I needed to invest in a weeding set that could potentially make my life easier. Enter Workpro's weed remover tools, £18.99 at Amazon.
After all, I'm always on the lookout for tips on how to get rid of weeds from a patio that doesn't make me want to pull my hair out, and these bad boys did not disappoint.
The set comes with a 7-shaped joint scraper for clearing weeds and moss from between paving slabs, and a V-shaped hand weeder that gets under the roots of stubborn plants like dandelions, thistles and other stubborn warts of weeds.
They are super sturdy, and the handles are really ergonomic to use, making them the perfect weight to get enough control to get them by the root.
The first thing I tackled was the worst area for tricky weeds: our front door steps, path and driveway. Over time, they'd become home to an array of weeds, tiny grass shoots and other mystery plants I know I didn't plant.
I cheated a tad as I'd already given them a spray down with Resolva Path and Drive weed killer, £5 from Amazon, before bringing out the big guns in the form of these hand tools. Once I'd given that a few days to do its magic, it was time to tackle the stragglers who always seem immune to whatever I try to eliminate them with.
The joint scraper was a revelation. Its sharp, angled edge slides along the cracks, slicing through the weed roots without me having to make much of an effort at all.
Saying that, though, there were a few stubborn guys that would not take the hint, so I used the V-shaped weeder to pull them from the roots.
I slotted the pointed tip around the lower part of the weeds, twisted them and pulled them clean from the cracks. It was an extremely satisfying task, which is surprising for someone who has avoided this task for a good 6 months.
Now I'm not going to pretend I love weeding my path and drive, but the Workpro tools have definitely taken the frustration out of it. They've made a visible difference, and that's no small feat, as those weeds have been annoying me for far too long.
For a small, affordable set of hand tools, they've earned a permanent spot in my gardening kit. However, if you're looking for something even less hands-on than these tools, these alternatives might just be your ticket to a weed-free path, patio and driveway.
Weeding tool alternatives
This weeding tool's tall handle lets you uproot the weeds without having to bend over or go down to your knees. It has a handy foot pedal that lets you put enough force to penetrate the ground and grab the whole weed, including the roots, so it doesn’t grow back.
Equipped with V-shaped brass bristles, this weed brush is the ideal weeding tool for removing weeds and moss in corners, gaps and other hard-to-reach places in between the driveway and block paving.
This Lazy-Weeder tool is light and portable, and it's designed to clear weeds, moss and other debris from in-between patio slabs. The bonus is you don't need to get on your hands and knees when tackling them.
Have you got a favourite weeding tool? Let me know in the comments so I can give it a whirl.
