All is quiet in the garden at the moment ― most flowers aren’t blooming, most veggies aren’t ripe, and even the slugs seem to have gone to sleep. 

That can be good news for the tired gardener. A lack of backyard pottering can feel like a small price to pay for the absence of pruning, picking, and weeding tasks. 

Except that expert gardener Niall McCauley recently shared a YouTube video stating that while many weeds are inactive this month, some need to be tackled ASAP (oh, good). 

“I’m holding my hands up ― this is a mistake that I am perpetually guilty of,” he said. So, what’s the advice?

Which weeds need removing in February, and why?

McCauley said that tackling weeds “and particularly perennial weeds”, is crucial in February. 

Perennial weeds are those which live for more than a single growing season. Some can die down in the winter and return in spring; perennial weeds include couch grass, bindweed, dandelions, oxalis, some nettles, creeping thistle, docks, and more. 

While the garden is still and largely lifeless, these weeds don’t seem much of a threat, as McCauley says: “At this time of year, annual weeds haven’t really kicked off yet ― it’s too cold, there’s not enough light, and any that are still clinging on aren’t really doing much.” 

Perennial weeds, however, are “using this quiet period to build up those root systems and gain strength”. 

Some weeds, like the aptly-named perennial horsetail, can take years to remove once established because of the enormous size of their root network.

Plants like these are “all quietly winning now... digging in deep while we look the other way”, the gardening pro says.

“And if you don’t deal with them now, they’re going to explode into life as soon as the growing season kicks in.” 

What can I do to tackle weeds now?

McCauley recommends what gardening experts at the Royal Horticultural Society swear by ― pulling or forking the plants up manually, ensuring you’ve got every last bit of their roots. 

Neither McCauley nor Gardener’s World recommend using weedkiller for perennials with big roots.

Not only can they regrow from a small sliver of root, which chemicals can’t always reach, but herbicides are also far less effective in the cold.

Once your weeds have been removed, mulch the bed to prevent further growth.