In a TikTok video, gardener Joey (@joeyplantstrees) shared a simple but surprising hack: instead of tossing pulled weeds into the compost or trash, lay them back down as a kind of mulch.
The idea is that those old weeds can help prevent new weeds while also enriching the soil and neighboring plants. The concept may sound counterintuitive, but it taps into traditional gardening wisdom.
@joeyplantstrees Replying to @Joey to the problem into the solution #homesteading #permaculture #gardenhacks #sustainability #selfsufficient #foodnotlawns ♬ original sound – Joey
The scoop
Joey pushes back against “conventional” methods for getting rid of weeds, including using pesticides, tarps, and even disposing of the weeds. Instead, he layers the very weeds he just pulled thickly around his garden.
According to Joey, studies show four to six inches of mulch is equivalent to putting down an inch of compost. While compost directly adds nutrients into the soil, the nutrients from mulch are released slowly over time as the material breaks down. This “weed mulch” hack is less about quick fixes and more about using what you already have to build healthier soil.
“When you start viewing your weeds as a resource, it won’t be long before you don’t have enough of them,” Joey says in the video.
How it’s helping
This method works because those old weeds, once uprooted, form a protective barrier that blocks sunlight from reaching fresh weed seeds. Without light, many of those seeds never germinate, saving you the backache from pulling them up later.
As the weeds decompose, they also release valuable nutrients back into the soil, enriching it without the need for synthetic fertilizers.
It’s gardening that runs on what you already have, cutting costs and also helping the environment. Weed control without chemicals preserves soil health, protects beneficial insects and microbes, and reduces runoff pollution.
What everyone’s saying
“Love this! Same goes for leaves [in] fall,” one person wrote. “Work with the land not against it.”
“Also, it’s super useful to learn under what conditions each type of weed thrives,” another commenter noted. “Then you can use that as a simple soil test.”
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So, the next time you finish tugging up a handful of pesky weeds; don’t toss them, drop them right back where they came from.
When everything seems to require more tools, time, and money, this gardener’s hack is a nice reminder that sometimes the smartest solution could be already growing under your feet.
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