A gardener showed that you don't need fancy yard tools or chemicals to get rid of unwanted plants. An unexpected tool from home and an assist from Mother Nature can do all the work for you.
The scoop
Smith's Gardentown, a fourth-generation family-owned garden center from Wichita Falls in Texas, shared the tip on its popular TikTok account (@smithsgardentown).
@smithsgardentown I bet you never thought about using pliers in the garden until today. 🌱 #pliars #gardenhack #gardening #landscaping #saplings #gardensuperstore #gardening101 #HBDDashRemit #Regula503020 ♬ Countless - Official Sound Studio
All you need for this hack is a trusty pair of pliers — and a nice bit of rain, which came in clutch for the TikToker to put on the display.
The gardener takes us first to their catmint plant, which is beginning to bloom, where a pecan sampling is making an unwanted intrusion.
The goal is to find the base of the plant you want to remove. The first try is a miss, but on the second try, the gardener successfully pulls out the entire taproot.
Next, the uploader takes us to a more challenging plant by a stream. It's a deep-rooted hackberry tree sapling, which is quite the handful to remove. With the right amount of force and an assist from the rain, though, the whole root comes out.
TCD Picks » Upway Spotlight
💡Upway makes it easy to find discounts of up to 60% on premium e-bike brands
The creator shows the action several times and highlights that the approximately 18-inch root is still removable because the ground is rain-saturated.
How it's helping
This gardening hack comes with some major pluses. For one, it allows gardeners to avoid having to purchase a specific tool for pulling roots. It also saves gardeners from the painful process of literally getting their hands dirty to do it.
"Oh that's so smart," a viewer wrote on that note. "I try with my hands and just end up with sore fingers."
It's also better for other plants and the surrounding ecosystem than using weed-killers or other means to kill off plants. Using chemicals can impact plants you want to keep around, leak into soil or water, or be ingested by beneficial animals and bugs in the ecosystem.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
|
What's the hardest thing about taking care of your yard? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Mowing the lawn 🏡 The hack can also be a satisfying and effective tool for gardening. Gardening comes with physical and mental health benefits, so anything that reduces stress and avoids undesirable parts of the process is a win for gardeners.
What everyone's saying
The hack was very well-received among TikTokers.
"I'm going to try this on my 1000000000 maple seedlings in my bushes," a viewer wrote.
One incredulous TikTok user said: "WHY DID I NEVER THINK TO USE PLIERS?!?! Genius!"
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices — and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.
Cool Picks
