Weeding in St. Clair Shores, MI and across Metro Detroit: Weeds out, roots and all.
HD Landscape pulls beds by hand, roots out, so the plants you paid for get the room. It is slow work and hard on the knees, which is why it gets put off and why people call us.
- Pulled by hand
- Roots out
- Beds left clean
The root of it
A snapped weed comes right back.
HD Landscape weeds flower beds by hand in St. Clair Shores and across Metro Detroit, and the root is the part that counts. University of California pest guidelines say a section of dandelion root as short as an inch can grow a new plant, and Canada thistle comes back from cut roots too. So we take the root, which is slower than scraping a hoe over the top and holds up better.
Timing matters just as much. A weed left alone goes to seed, and one large purslane plant has been reported to set as many as 240,000 of them. That is how a strip along a foundation ends up like the one in this photo. Getting weeds out before that happens is how a bed gets easier each year instead of harder.
- Beds worked by hand, with the roots out
- In around shrubs, perennials and along the foundation
- The bed left clean, with pulled weeds out of it
- An honest word on any weed that will need repeat visits
Know what you have
Some weeds pull clean. Some fight back.
Six weeds Michigan homeowners run into, and what each one takes. Some need one good pull. Others need repeat visits, so it helps to know which you have.
Comes back from roots
Dandelion
A piece of root as short as an inch can grow a new plant, so snapping it off at the leaves does not count. It has to come out whole, taproot and all.
Comes back from roots
Canada thistle
It runs on a deep, creeping root system, and cut pieces of root can start new plants. A small patch can be dug out. A big one will take repeat visits, and Jake will say so when he sees it.
Comes back from roots
Field bindweed
Buds along the roots turn into new plants, and a two inch piece of root can start one. University of California guidance is to go after it about every two to three weeks, and it warns that one season will not finish it.
Spreads along the ground
Creeping Charlie
Also called ground ivy. Square stems creep along the ground and root as they go, and it likes shade and damp soil. Bits of stem left behind root again, so even small patches can resist repeat hand weeding. Plan on staying after it.
A sign of wet soil
Yellow nutsedge
It looks like grass, but the stem is triangular. It thrives in waterlogged soil, and finding it often means the drainage is poor, so the grade deserves a look as well as the weed.
Comes back from seed
Garlic mustard
It can keep setting seed after it is pulled, so University of Minnesota Extension says to bag or burn flowering plants. A loose pile only moves the problem.
Bed by bed
Get the root, then cover the ground.
Look
Jake walks the beds with you, sorts the weeds from the plants you want to stay and writes it up, itemized, so you can go through it line by line.
Pull
We work through each bed by hand and take the roots, in close around shrubs and perennials where a hoe would do damage.
Clear
Root pieces and ripening seed can stay alive in a pile, and the last thing a clean bed needs is a supply of weeds behind the garage. How the pulled weeds leave goes on your estimate.
Cover
A bare bed invites the next round. Fresh mulch at the right depth can smother annual weeds and some perennials, so the bed stays cleaner for longer.
If overgrown shrubs are part of the problem, they can come out at the same time with plant removal.
Real job
Same wall, weeds gone.
The strip from the top of the page, after the work. Drag the line to compare.
- Weeds pulled
- Bed line cut
- Fresh black mulch spread
Which one you need
One pull, a cleanup or monthly care.
Weeding can be a one-time job or part of something bigger. Here is how they differ, with more on cleanups and monthly maintenance.
One time weeding
- Good for
- Beds that got away from you
- What we do
- Pull the beds by hand, roots out
- How often
- When you need it
- Goes well with
- Fresh mulch
Spring or fall cleanup
- Good for
- Resetting the yard for the season
- What we do
- Clear beds, remove leaves, tidy shrubs
- How often
- Spring, fall or both
- Goes well with
- Fresh mulch and a hedge trim
Monthly maintenance
- Good for
- Keeping beds clean month to month
- What we do
- Set on your estimate: beds, weeding, edging, tidying
- How often
- Monthly
- Goes well with
- Nothing extra: weeds get caught early
Close to home
In St. Clair Shores, weeds point to the water.
St. Clair Shores is home for us. The city went from a resort community to a suburb quickly after World War II, so plenty of beds here have had decades to collect weeds and overgrown shrubs.
USDA soil data shows heavy, slow draining ground across most of the city, and that shows up in the weeds. Yellow nutsedge tends to mean a bed is too wet, and creeping Charlie likes shade and damp ground. If a bed here keeps filling back in, look at the water and the shade along with the weeds.
We also weed beds in Grosse Pointe, Clinton Township and towns across Macomb and Oakland counties.
What customers wrote
When the beds get to be too much.
Jake and his crew were very professional. They did a great job cleaning out the beds in front of our house. Over grown plants and weed which is getting too hard for this senior couple. We highly recommend!
Nancy G.Flower bed cleanout
This young man and his crew were nothing less than amazing. They just completed a big project for us.... his team of young men were so polite, professional, easy to get along with... They did a great job on our yard and flower beds. The owner gave us some great advice before they started, and we listened to him.. and we are so glad we did. …
Stephen D.Yard and flower beds
Questions
What people ask about weeding.
What homeowners ask us about weeds and beds. If yours is not here, call or text (586) 718-8762.
Do you do weeding in St. Clair Shores?
Yes. HD Landscape is based in St. Clair Shores and pulls weeds from beds here and across the Grosse Pointes, Macomb County and Oakland County. Call or text (586) 718-8762 and Jake will come see yours.
Do you pull weeds by hand or spray them?
Our weeding service is done by hand. We pull weeds from the beds and take the roots, because a weed cut off at the top can come back from what is left. If a bed has something hand pulling will not end, such as creeping Charlie, Jake will say so plainly.
Can you clean out a flower bed that has gotten away from us?
Yes. One couple wrote that their overgrown plants and weeds had gotten too hard for them, and the crew cleaned out the beds in front of the house. Plants that are past saving can come out with plant removal, and the bed can then be replanted or mulched.
How often should flower beds be weeded?
Often enough that nothing goes to seed. MSU Extension says the way to beat a weedy garden is to keep seeds from germinating, so catching weeds young matters more than one big pull. For a lot of people that makes monthly landscape maintenance the easy answer.
Why do weeds keep coming back after I pull them?
Usually one of two reasons. Roots left in the ground can regrow, and seeds already in the soil keep sprouting when they get light and moisture. Careful pulling handles the first problem, and a good layer of mulch helps with the second.
Will mulch keep weeds from coming back?
It cuts them down, but it does not end weeding. A layer of mulch two to three inches deep can smother annual weeds and some perennials, and a light refresh each year keeps new seeds from sprouting. Established perennial weeds still have to be pulled first, or they grow right up through it.
What happens to the weeds after you pull them?
They should not stay in a pile in the yard. Root pieces can regrow, and University of Minnesota Extension says pulled garlic mustard can keep setting seed. Your estimate spells out how they leave the property.
Can you get rid of weeds between pavers?
That is a different job. We clean out the joints and refill them with polymeric sand, so the surface locks up and weeds have a much harder time getting through.
How long does it take to weed a flower bed?
A few beds can often be done in one visit. Big or badly overgrown beds take longer, and Jake can give you a better idea once he has seen them.
How much does weeding cost?
The price comes down to how many beds there are and how far they have gone, and both are easier to judge in person. A photo by text is an easy way to start, and the estimate costs nothing and comes itemized.
Where we do this
- St. Clair Shores
- Grosse Pointe
- Grosse Pointe Park
- Grosse Pointe Farms
- Grosse Pointe Woods
- Grosse Pointe Shores
- Birmingham
- Bloomfield Hills
- Bloomfield Township
- Beverly Hills
- Franklin
- West Bloomfield
- Royal Oak
- Huntington Woods
- Troy
- Rochester
- Rochester Hills
- Oakland Township
- Lake Orion
- Clinton Township
- Harrison Township
- Macomb Township
- Shelby Township
- Sterling Heights
- Washington Township
- Warren
- Fraser
- Mount Clemens
- Chesterfield Township
- New Baltimore
Background: a finished job, relit for evening
Free estimate
Send us your worst bed.
Text Jake a photo or use the form. He will come see it and write up an itemized estimate, with no pressure either way.