Many kids have household chores: taking out the trash, dusting, and other simple projects. When I was a kid, my mom would put me to work pulling weeds in the garden. Why weed pulling? Simple: she didn’t want to do it. Getting rid of weeds can be painful and time consuming. There are many chemical products on the market today, but they can be hazardous and many of them simply don’t work. Here are a few other options to minimize the amount of back-break weed pulling you’ll have to do this year.

If you’re just starting a garden, or if you only grow annual plants, you can simply till the weeds under and into the soil. If you have perennial weeds that keep popping, kill them once and for all using solarization. First, pull or till under all the current weeds. Then, add a black plastic sheet over top of your soil. This will cause heat up the soil in your garden, killing any seeds that may be hiding under the surface. The disadvantage of this method is that it may kill beneficial bacteria as well. It also can’t be used if you have perennial plants in your garden because it will damage the root structure.

If you have perennials and don’t want to tear up your entire garden, keep weeds away by adding mulch. Mulch keeps sunlight from reaching the soil; which prevents weed seeds from germinating. You will have to get rid of weeds to start with, but it will control prevent them from coming back. As an added benefit, mulch helps keeps your soil moist and moderates the temperature, which improves the health of your plants. You can use yard clippings, tree bark, or most organic materials to mulch your garden.

Whatever method you use, it’s likely you’ll still have to pull a few weeds, but remember that you can always get the kids to help out!