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  andy @Doughty Garden Maintenance July 6, 2011 at 9:43pm

  I do weeding but i have to admit i hate it, the only good thing is when it's finished and the border looks great (until the new weeds start growing and it all starts again)

  I find with this work, and at this time of year especially, i ache all the time. But weeding is very tough on my knees and back,
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  Claire Brown July 6, 2011 at 10:21pm

  I love weeding, - A good pair of knee pads, - A long handled hand fork, a hand rake to get leaves out from round shrub stems and tunes on the i-pod are a great way to spend a morning, and get a border looking great

   

  Tips to relieve aching knees and backs.

  Always stretch before starting, Wear trousers not shorts. Use knee pads, not a kneeling mat, so that you move to the weeds and don't get tempted to stretch too far. Never weed downhill, Take regular breaks to stand up- and stretch to counteract the hunched back (hold your hands out with your thumbs up and spread your arms stretch them backwards)
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  andy @Doughty Garden Maintenance July 6, 2011 at 10:29pm

  
  My work trousers are very thick material so i don't wear them in the heat, The shorts are a must.

   I'm not sure about the stretching either! pretty sure i'd pop a button if i tried that! lol
  Claire Brown said:

  I love weeding, - A good pair of knee pads, - A long handled hand fork, a hand rake to get leaves out from round shrub stems and tunes on the i-pod are a great way to spend a morning, and get a border looking great

   

  Tips to relieve aching knees and backs.

  Always stretch before starting, Wear trousers not shorts. Use knee pads, not a kneeling mat, so that you move to the weeds and don't get tempted to stretch too far. Never weed downhill, Take regular breaks to stand up- and stretch to counteract the hunched back (hold your hands out with your thumbs up and spread your arms stretch them backwards)
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  Claire Brown July 6, 2011 at 10:39pm

  simple answer, - get a thinner pair of trousers, - Knee pads are a must and if you have no material between velcro and skin, you will have circulation problems.

   

  Fraid you'll have to bust buttons unless you want to end up like the Hunchback of Notre Dame ! lol
  andrew doughty said:

  
  My work trousers are very thick material so i don't wear them in the heat, The shorts are a must.

   I'm not sure about the stretching either! pretty sure i'd pop a button if i tried that! lol
  Claire Brown said:

  I love weeding, - A good pair of knee pads, - A long handled hand fork, a hand rake to get leaves out from round shrub stems and tunes on the i-pod are a great way to spend a morning, and get a border looking great

   

  Tips to relieve aching knees and backs.

  Always stretch before starting, Wear trousers not shorts. Use knee pads, not a kneeling mat, so that you move to the weeds and don't get tempted to stretch too far. Never weed downhill, Take regular breaks to stand up- and stretch to counteract the hunched back (hold your hands out with your thumbs up and spread your arms stretch them backwards)
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  David Cox July 6, 2011 at 11:51pm

  I find standing with a straight back and using a Hoe to be perfectly effective. If done every visit there should never be more than the odd seedling weed appearing in any garden, ALthough I suppose it is down to personal technique as anything else!
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  Paul @ Ashgate Garden Care July 7, 2011 at 6:45am

  Thanks for your repilies. I think I'll have to (slightly) change the focus of my work as I do quite a bit of garden tidies / clearance work that can involve a whole day (or two) of weeding. I think it's just middle age creeping up on me.

   

  I've got trousers with built in kneepads. It's the action of going up and down that is doing the damage I think.
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  Dan Frazer Gardening July 7, 2011 at 7:16am

  I use my hoe to push me up when I stand up, takes a bit of the pressure off the joints. I am also often seen crawling along on my knees doing a kind of stumpy-man walk to save getting up for the sake of moving along 6ft!
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  Sarah Russell July 7, 2011 at 8:25am

  
  Yes, I do something similar Dan,  staying on my hands and knees saves on all the ups and downs.  I use a kneeling pad as I go. Alternatively, I use a garden claw to loosen up the soil and weeds first, then rake them up into a pile, using my long handled grabbers to pick it all up and put it in my big trug bucket.

  
  Dan Frazer Gardening said:

  I use my hoe to push me up when I stand up, takes a bit of the pressure off the joints. I am also often seen crawling along on my knees doing a kind of stumpy-man walk to save getting up for the sake of moving along 6ft!
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  Claire Brown July 7, 2011 at 12:12pm

  A hoe is very effective on annual weeds, but not on perennials.
  
  David Cox said:
  

  I find standing with a straight back and using a Hoe to be perfectly effective. If done every visit there should never be more than the odd seedling weed appearing in any garden, ALthough I suppose it is down to personal technique as anything else!
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  Geoff Norfolk July 7, 2011 at 4:41pm

  must agree with you there Paul......... any handweeding is an absolute last resort. I find a hoe/longhandled small fork, will handle most weeding jobs and leave a nice finish on the ground afterwards.   Even perenialweeds, providing they haven't been there for months, are successfully dealt with.

  
  
  Paul @ PPCH Services said:

  I always avoid weeding jobs for similar reasons, back and knee destroying work that personally I find boring, conversely though another reason for avoiding them is the fact that it can't be mechanized. With a van full of kit Id sooner be using it and making my life easier than slogging away with hand tools bent double.