Easier Than Hand Pulling: The Garden Tool For Removing Weeds From Gravel Driveways

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Gravel driveways are cheap and easy to install, give your home a rustic look, and provide great drainage. What isn't so charming, though, is that weeds sprout easily between the stones. A poorly maintained gravel driveway can quickly kill your property's curb appeal. While you can certainly get down on your hands and knees and pull out all those weeds, it's going to take forever. Plus, some common garden weeds, like Canada thistle, dandelions, and field bindweed, have particularly deep, stubborn root systems. There's an easier way to get rid of this pesky greenery: you can use a garden knife.

Before we explain how to use a garden knife to get rid of weeds in gravel, here's a little background on these multipurpose tools. Garden knives originated in Japan, where they're commonly known as a hori-hori, which refers to the sound of digging in Japanese. You may also hear these nifty tools called weeding knives or soil knives. Aside from weed removal, this garden tool can do everything from planting bulbs to cutting twine — and that's just the start of its usefulness.

The designs of garden knives differ, but typically, the blade is wide and slightly concave, with one sharp edge and one serrated edge. Many knives also have measurement markings on the blade, similar to a ruler, so that the gardener can tell at a glance how deep they've sunk the knife into the soil. Some garden knives have pointy ends, while others are forked — the latter is ideal for weeding. You can find garden knives at hardware stores, such as this 8-inch Corona Stainless Steel Hori-Hori Knife at Lowe's for about $25, or online, such as this Fiskars Hori-Hori Garden Knife for about $20.

Like any gardening activity, it's important to take the proper precautions before weeding your driveway, especially when you're using sharp tools. This means putting on safety gear, including gardening gloves and possibly also eye protection; applying sunscreen; and wearing a hat and long-sleeved shirt to shield yourself from the sun, insects, and itch-causing plants. Now you can head outside and start hacking away safely at the unwelcome guests in your driveway.

You've got two options when using a hori-hori to get rid of weeds in your gravel driveway. First, you can simply cut them off at gravel or ground level with the sharp blade. This won't kill them since you're not pulling them up by the roots. But it's a good method if you're pressed for time and are happy with a short-term aesthetic improvement. The longer-lasting alternative is to use a forked garden knife to dig down underneath the gravel and yank the weeds out of the soil by their roots. Shake the soil off the roots. Sure, it's a more labor-intensive approach, but you'll also remove the weeds for longer — provided you remove all of the roots.

When you've finished the job, even out the gravel using a small rake. You can also add fresh stones as needed. If you have a gravel driveway, you need to rake it regularly anyway because the gravel disturbance slows future weed growth. There are other tricks to prevent weeds from growing in your gravel. For example, cars often pick up weed seeds as they travel along roads. Cleaning your vehicle regularly can reduce seed dispersal onto your driveway. Mowing your grass regularly also prevents weed seed heads from forming.