Mechanical weed control is a physical activity that inhibits unwanted plant growth.
Other techniques may alter the growing environment by eliminating light, increasing the temperature of the soil, or depriving the plant of carbon dioxide or oxygen.
[2] Well established perennial weeds are much less effectively controlled because of the difficulty of removing all of the root system and perennating plant parts.
However, pulling is labor-intensive and time-consuming, making it a more suitable method to use for small weed infestations.
[5] Mulching smothers the weeds by excluding light and providing a physical barrier to impede their emergence.
Organic mulches consist of plant by products such as: pine straw, wood chips, green waste, compost, leaves, and grass clippings.
Synthetic mulches, also known as ground cover fabric, can be made from materials like polyethylene, polypropylene, or polyester.
[3] Tillage is able to control weeds because when the soil is overturned, the vegetative parts of the plants are damaged and the root systems are exposed causing desiccation.
By continually destroying new growth and damaging the root system, the weed's food stores are depleted until it can no longer re-sprout.
[4] Burning can be used to remove accumulated vegetation by destroying the dry, matured plant matter as well as killing the green new growth.
Flaming may be used to control weeds along fences and paved areas or places where the soil may be too wet to hoe, dig, or till.
[10] Their benefits may include "healthier crops and soil, decreased herbicide use, and reduced chemical and labor costs".
[10] Flooding is a method of control that requires the area being treated to be saturated at a depth of 15 to 30 cm for a period of 3 to 8 weeks.
The saturation of the soil reduces the availability of oxygen to the plant roots thereby killing the weed.