If they were in a lawn, mowing them a couple times would probably finish them, as they would not be able to regenerate much after one or more removals of their only foliage and main stem. In garden beds, if carefully using a weed-whacker or some other trimming tool is not possible due to dense plantings, then they would either have to be hand-pulled or spot-treated with herbicide (not ideal, especially given the quantity, though an organic herbicide might be an option). A long-handled dandelion weeder type of tool might help to pop them out of the ground (enough to dry up the exposed roots to cause them to die) to save someone the trouble of bending over, and they could be left to compost in place after removal.

Is the ground mulched? If not, at least for the future, laying about 2-3 inches of mulch over any bare soil can help suppress most weed seed germination. Granted, wild animals like squirrels and blue jays might still bury a few that will bypass a mulch barrier and germinate later, but it would probably discourage them from burying a large number of acorns.

Miri

Thank you so much. The ground is mulched - I can’t imagine it could have been worse. I will weed whack and pull. Thanks again. 

On Monday, May 20, 2024, 5:01 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

You're welcome.