Weeds in NZ - Information - What ways are there to control weeds?

	Weed Information
	Biodiversity \| Weed control \| Physical control \| Chemical control \| Biological control \| How long to control? \| Successful biocontrol \| 'Useful' weeds \| Finding biocontrol agents \| Biocontrol agents in NZ \| After control

What ways are there to control weeds?

Physical control

Physical control includes pulling the weeds out by hand (manual weed control) or by machine (mechanical weed control).

Chemical control

Chemical herbicides ("chemicals that are toxic to plants") are the most common form of weed control.

Biological Control

Biological control uses one living organism (biological control agent) to control another: natural enemies of the weed.

Integrated Weed Management (IWM)

Integrated Weed Management uses a combination of control methods to give the best control. Combining control methods can work to target different parts of the weed or different parts of the weed's life cycle.
For example, some fungal biological control agents may work better with mechanical control, such as mowing or pruning, which creates an entry wound that helps the fungus get into the plant.
Combining biological control agents that eat seeds with mechanical or chemical control might also be better than either control method by itself. BUT it is important to check whether chemical or mechanical control harms your biological control agent.
Over-planting with native plant species so that they eventually shade out weed species is a good long-term strategy to use with other weed control methods.