Pull 'em while they're young :o) Sorry I don't have any tips really, I just try to get them when they're first coming up with a handheld hoe. I also have a lil' tool for the taproot ones. I don't care for using any chemicals myself.

I started to fertilize our lawn in the fall. It really does seem to help especially if you use a weed killing fertilizer. I also try to pick them when they are young. But, that is near impossible for every weed. I pick the dandelion heads off before they seed, or try to get the whole root. Also cutting the grass before the weeds seed prevents them from getting tossed around by the mower. If you have a neighbor with a weed problem, like me, mine has dandelions, the seeds blow into our yard. If you do fertilize use a spreader. The first time I tried it I was impatient and thought if I just spread a little fertilizer around it would be okay but I ended up with patches of black burnt grass that summer! lol--live and learn!

i guess ill be seeding the whole neighborhood with weeds then lol
the grass isnt as bad as the flower beds. the flower beds are really bad. i should just give up and have a thistle garden :(
a hand hoe? is that the flat looking tool?? ill head out to lowes and pick up some stuff.
with a hoe i just wack the weed? do i have to throw away the weeds or can i just leave them in the garden to dry out the sun?
we used something in the fall but im not sure what it was
i have preen but that doesnt seem to do anything
i need a good tool lol

Do you have mulch covering the bare ground in your flower beds? It not, mulch does help keep the weed population under control. I am a huge fan of Cedar Mulch (which is all we used in Texas). Experienced gardeners, from this area, might suggest something else.

Here I use a hoop hoe to take out the few weeds that crop up through the mulch.

Where I come from (Texas) Bermuda grass is a HUGE problem for flower beds. I found that lining my beds with landscaping plastic (black with lots of little holes -- the holes are a must), carefully cutting out little spots for my plants, and then putting a deep layer on mulch on top of the landscaping plastic kept weeds to nearly zero and even Bermuda runners to a minimum. The only thing is that you'll have to pull your weeds by hand, a hoe would tear your landscaping plastic to shreds.

One summer I planted a hedge all around my fence line (which was quite a long distance). The ground was so dry and tough that I had to rent a gas powered auger to dig the holes for the little 1 gallon plants (no kidding). And it was July, in Dallas. I was so frickin' tired (and hot) that after I installed the plants I literally placed the black landscape plastic on top of very well established bermuda grass, with a very heavy layer of mulch, just as described above. Same result, nearly no weeds, and very little bermuda made their way through the plastic to the top of the mulch layer. Eventually, the hedge grew so large and shaded the area so well that I was able to remove the plastic and keep the mulch in place, with the same result.

Personally, I don't mind weeds in the grassy area of my yard. I pull what I can and over seed with grass seed, often. Healthy thick grass is your best defense against weeds. I NEVER use chemicals on my lawn (or in my garden) either against weeds or bugs. I worry about what the chemicals will do to the birds and squirrels and other wildlife as well as my own precious Boxer, Bouvier, and Lab.

i had just a tiny bit of mulch, a thin layer.
last night hubby laid down some weed mat and about 4" of mulch...this has got to work now lol
i also got the hoe and a small fork like tool, i guess its for picking and loosening weeds.
thnx so much
next fall i know to fertalize my lawn lol...and keep a weed barrier down with thick mulch
:)