No Herbicide: The Budget-Friendly Tool For Removing Weeds From Gravel Driveways

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Gravel driveways offer a variety of benefits, which is one reason that they're a popular option for homes. They're budget-friendly while maintaining visual appeal, and you can easily customize a gravel driveway to your personal aesthetic. However, one of the biggest drawbacks is that this driveway isn't invincible when it comes to weeds. Although the proper gravel driveway depth can help prevent weeds, the occasional stubborn plant may push its way through. However, before you start shopping for herbicides, there's a tool that can make getting rid of gravel driveway weeds by hand a little bit easier.

The FISKARS 373600-1001 Weeder W-Ergo Handle is a simple steel handheld tool that looks similar to a screwdriver at first. However, rather than the usual flat or Phillips head, it has a forked tip, which is designed to penetrate the soil and remove unwanted plants and weeds from the root. This saves you the hassle of digging out every single plant by hand while also reducing the need for chemical herbicides that you may not want in your yard. It also has a rust-resistant coating to help it last longer, and the ergonomic grip is designed to reduce the burden on your hands, making hand weeding your gravel driveway more accessible. The FISKARS weeder lists its typical price as $12.99 on Amazon, and it currently has a 4.5-star rating across more than 500 reviews.

While manual weeding with a tool like the FISKARS weeder does require some elbow grease, there are many benefits to reap from skipping on herbicide, and a tool like this weeder can make it easier to take advantage of going low- or no-herbicide in your yard.

One of the most significant benefits of hand-pulling versus getting weeds sprayed in your yard is the control you have over what's being removed for your yard. Some herbicides may be indiscriminate, and vast applications could remove plants you otherwise wished to keep. There are also potential unwanted environmental drawbacks, as well as the need for personal protective equipment and familiarizing yourself with the instructions for each product. Some homeowners may also find manual weeding to be more cost-effective — with a tool like the FISKARS weeder, there's less of a need to repeatedly buy supplies to treat one or two pesky weeds that keep popping up. As a result, opting for a weeder like this over herbicide may make more sense when you're working in a spot that isn't heavily weeded (like a gravel driveway) and only needs more routine touch-ups and maintenance.