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

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Weeds love paths made of gravel, which keeps the soil underneath damp and dark. Hand-pulling might stop weeds from growing in gravel if one or two plants are the problem, but if they start spreading, you'll need something much more effective. That's where a European tool comes into play: the Dutch hoe.

There are many different types of garden hoes, but the Dutch hoe, also called the push hoe, is especially suited for weeding in gravel because of its shape. It has a long wooden handle and a steel head that's flat, sharp, and rectangular. The steel head is attached to the handle by two metal pieces with a hole in the middle, for gravel to pass through. While standard hoes have a sharp 90-degree angle between the handle and the blade, the Dutch one is straight, save for a slight forward bend of its blade, which is perfect for creating the "lever" motion that helps remove weeds from the ground. A Dutch hoe has a long handle and is used standing up, which is much better for your back than crouching over and hand-pulling weeds. 

As the name implies, this tool comes from the Netherlands, though it is now used by gardeners in many other countries, and you can find one on Amazon, like this Haliaeetus Dutch hoe weeder. If you decide to invest in one of those handy tools, you can use it for tasks other than weeding in gravel. It's a great way to get rid of shallow weeds in your garden, and you can also use it to make shallow trenches for seeding. 

The Dutch hoe detaches weeds from their roots underneath the gravel, which is why it's so useful. Hold it with the angled blade parallel to the ground, and push through the gravel, raking back and forth, sort of like using a spatula. The hole above the blade allows you to do a push-and-pull motion without displacing the gravel. No need to pick up the leaves once they're detached — ideally, the rocks will smother them, where they'll decompose. It's truly a great option for anyone with back issues: you don't even need to bend over to pick up the mess! 

You can also use this type of hoe for weeding in soil by pushing the blade downward to lift the rootball out of the ground. Whether in gravel or soil, this solution is best used with annual weeds whose roots are right below the surface. Some perennial weeds like dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) and bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) have much deeper roots, and they're better tackled with weeding tools that pull an entire plant and its roots out of the ground. Annuals like chickweed (Stellaria media) or henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) are better targets for a Dutch hoe because you can remove their shallow root systems when they're still young. Ultimately, a Dutch hoe is a great addition to your toolkit that's much more effective and convenient than hand-pulling in gravel.