Pulling Weeds

Did you ever have a job that you just hated? Well, pulling weeds might be one of those jobs. I have pulled weeds as long as I can remember. When I grew up, we had a quarter-acre truck garden, meaning that the produce my family didn’t eat, we sold from the truck. Dad would send us out to the garden to pull weeds for chores and punishment and Mom would send us out for time alone.

In this garden, Dad never planted tomatoes. This was a result of being in the garden pulling weeds. When pulling weeds became boring, the four of us boys would have tomato fights. By throwing tomatoes, we distributed enough seed for the next year’s crop that planting seed was not necessary. Each spring, tomatoes volunteered all over the garden.

Weed pulling is a science and an art. For a weed to be pulled properly, the root must be pulled from the ground. Otherwise the weed returns sometimes more aggressively than before. This is the science part. To get the root out, the plant should be pulled directly from above if it has a taproot. Grasses could be pulled opposite from the direction of growth.This is an art form. My younger brothers and I would each take a row and weed. In a few days, we would swap rows and weed. I could always tell when my brothers were being lazy, because I would get a row with a lot of weeds. They simply broke the weeds off at ground level and rarely got the roots. We never chopped weeds, we always pulled them. But breaking a weed off at ground level is no better than chopping. When I employed people to work in my nursery, I always trained them on how to pull weeds. This was the very first task I gave them. I would assign them a row to weed and tell them I would be back in half an hour. Most would leave before the half hour was over. This was my method for discovering whether an employee would be a hard worker or was just looking for a paycheck. Because they quit, it saved me from firing them later.

I once told a feller I would be gone for half an hour, but I was actually gone for forty-five minutes. Usually when this happened, the employee would be sitting at the end of the row waiting for his/ her next assignment. This feller was still pulling weeds, but on the next row. He told me he noticed that the row needed weeding so he got to work. I gave him an immediate raise and knew I had found a great employee.

I pull weeds today when I walk into the pasture to “gentle cattle.” On consulting jobs, I often walk through a pasture to view the owner’s herd. Cattle do not see me as a threat when I pull weeds as I walk. Bending down and pulling weeds is similar to a cow eating.The up and down motion is familiar to the herd. Cattle that are spooked as I weed are considered culls.

The more I study weed science, the more I realize that weeds play an important role in the health of the landscape. Weeds are often the herbs that make us well. Cattle eat weeds for the same reason, preventative and curative medicine. So I only pull weeds that fall into certain categories.

Plants in a pasture that are not bitten or eaten by livestock are considered weeds. Those I pull with gusto. Weeds that make my lawn unattractive, I pull with appreciation for the beauty of the lawn. Tree species that come up along fence lines I yank with the ferocity of lion killing an antelope. I don’t want a tree to damage the fence as it grows.

I do not pull weeds that help diversify the landscape and those that are wildflowers. Butterflies and bees need the nectar and pollen. Unless I am wearing gloves, I do not pull weeds that have thorns. Most weeds do not give me cause to go crazy and use an herbicide. I taught a class once and challenged people not to use herbicides on their lawns. I told them they probably could have a weed free lawn with just a few minutes of weed pulling and some expert lawn care.Years later, people would tell me they had done just that and now they have the prettiest lawn in the neighborhood.

The main reason for pulling a weed today is because it makes me feel good. Heck, I occasionally pull weeds when visiting a neighbor’s home. But before you call and ask me to pull weeds in your lawn, just know that I am a very expensive weed puller-all joy set aside.

David E. Will of Schulenburg is a farmer, rancher, nurseryman, landscaper, and consultant. He can be reached at (830) 6299876 or by email at dwill207@ satx.rr.com.