Ditch The Chemicals: The Simple Garden Tool For Removing Crabgrass

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Nothing tests a landscaper's patience quite like crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis). The irritating weed is persistent, unperturbed by lousy weather conditions, thrives in almost all USDA hardiness zones, and has the capability to produce up to 150,000 seeds per plant. Working with pre-emergent herbicides in the spring and fall or post-emergent herbicides during the growing season are the most effective ways to prevent crabgrass seeds from maturing, which ultimately helps kill off and control the common lawn weed. However, there's a simple gardening instrument on Amazon that can get rid of crabgrass without chemicals. 

The Sixcar weed remover tool — normally $22.99, but on sale for $19.99 at the time of publication — is an accessory that clocks in slightly over 1 foot long and weighs less than a pound. It sports a rubber handle and anti-rust steel teeth designed to uproot weedswhen positioned around the greens and scooped up towards you. The item has accumulated 4.4 out of 5 stars with almost 3,000 reviews, and customers claim that the little accessory actually proved to be sturdy and efficient. Other shoppers praise Sixcar's hand tool for helping to speed up the weeding process and making it feel less strenuous, which was particularly helpful for one gardener with arthritis and tendonitis. However, several people, including those who reviewed the tool favorably, noted that the handle came off during weeding — sometimes on the first or second use — and only some were able to reassemble it.

While crabgrass is difficult to combat, Sixcar's weed remover is one simple approach that requires no PPE or technical skills. It targets the root of the problem, literally and figuratively, without using herbicides that can potentially cause health issues or pose a risk to pets. Also unlike herbicides, which require specific seasonal timing to work properly, this tool is a year-round helper. While there are DIY remedies that kill crabgrass, these take time to apply and work. They can be messy, and they're likely not strong enough to make a longstanding impact. And while there are other easy-to-use tools to remove weeds, many, like a scuffle hoe, can cost $40 or more making this tool an economical choice.

One downside for many people is that this foot-long hand tool requires you to be down on the ground to use it properly. When purchased alongside a scuffle hoe or something like the Fiskars deluxe stand-up weed puller tool, Sixcar's tool acts as a sort of sedentary counterpart, providing multiple options for your weeding needs. Plus, both options get rid of weeds in the yard beyond crabgrass, including dandelions and thistles. Just make sure to get rid of those unwanted green pieces so seeds don't remain in the lawn, and don't place unwanted weeds (or let them fully dry out) in your compost.