Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Weedless Gardening” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Weedless Gardening

Lee Reich,

Michael A. Hill (Illustrator)

3.91 · Rating details · 312 ratings · 47 reviews

Garden like Mother Nature, with an organic system that’s good for plants and good for people.

Say good-bye to backaches and weed problems! Lee Reich’s organic Weedless Gardening eschews the traditional yearly digging up and working over of the soil. It’s is an easy-to-follow, low-impact approach to planting and maintaining a flower garden, a vegetable patch, trees, ...more

Get A Copy

Paperback, 176 pages

Published January 8th 2000 by Workman Publishing Company

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Weedless Gardening, please sign up.

Be the first to ask a question about Weedless Gardening

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 3.91 ·

Rating details

· 312 ratings · 47 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Weedless Gardening

Jun 29, 2014 Janelle rated it did not like it

Great book, until Lee told me to use Round-Up. That chapter was like finding my new friend was a KKK leader.

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Mar 15, 2014 Josh rated it liked it

Recommended to Josh by: Jim Nayes

Probably better used as a reference book.

A few of the main takeaways are:
-You should almost never till or disturb the soil. If you are going to till the ground, it should be because you're starting your new garden and need to completely destroy what's growing there currently.
-You shouldn't be tilling, because you should be constantly (realistically seasonally and as needed in the summer) adding rich compost to the surface. Over time this will create a much healthier layer of dirt on the surface, ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Nov 16, 2011 Erin Caldwell rated it liked it

Although the concept is interesting, I was pretty disappointed that Reich didn't go into very much detail in this book. My husband asked me several questions while I was reading it that didn't get answered: How do you actually plant seeds, especially seeds like radishes and lettuce that are microscopic, using this technique? How often do you have to reapply newspapers? In addition, I felt that Reich kept mentioning that you might have to do some "maintenance weeding" at several different points ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Feb 25, 2013 Ellen Bell rated it did not like it

Shelves: gardening-farming

I found this book to be thoroughly aggravating for some reason. Maybe because I'm just one of those gardening fools that likes to till my soil? Not sure... If nothing else, I'd say that it was an awfully long book to make a pretty simple point. The author could have summed it up more succinctly like this: Don't till your soil, don't step on your soil, apply mulch. 'Nuf said. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Apr 28, 2008 Dan Moore rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Anyone gardening or farming on a small scale

I came across Lee Reich's book a few years ago in our local library. Since I was knee deep in weeds at the time the title intrigued me. At the time it was mid summer and my garden, as usual, was an example of spring time work gone awry.

Each year, I dilligently tilled and rowed my garden as my father and his father had done, arranged the sprinklers, planted the best plants, staked the beans, caged the tomatoes and planned how this year I was going to have a TV worthy garden. Then May turned to J I came across Lee Reich's book a few years ago in our local library. Since I was knee deep in weeds at the time the title intrigued me. At the time it was mid summer and my garden, as usual, was an example of spring time work gone awry.

Each year, I dilligently tilled and rowed my garden as my father and his father had done, arranged the sprinklers, planted the best plants, staked the beans, caged the tomatoes and planned how this year I was going to have a TV worthy garden. Then May turned to June, to July and 98 degrees and 98% humidity stopped my outdoor adventures. I only went to the garden to harvest the results, which were rapidly disappearing under a malaise of weeds, bugs, and diseases. So once again by summer time the garden had become an unsightly eye sore rather than the picture of pride I had foolishly envisioned while reading over the seed cataloge. If only I didn't have a real job, and kids, and a to do list a mile long, I could spend my days toiling away in the garden to get one of those "fake" TV gardens that obviously cannot be produced by mere mortals.

After skimming through the book I began to get excited. I really didn't expect much from the book but the concepts made a certain sense and if they worked, maybe I could actually improve my garden.

Three years into this experiment, I can say that I look forward to gardening more now than ever. What used to be a chore is now a pleasant break from my routine and a source of pride to visitors. While no garden is truly weedless, it is much easier to stay ahead of the weeds using Lee's approach. It also fits much better into the rest of what I do. I used to have to figure out where to get rid of the grass clippings all year, and the mulch/chips from tree removal and land clearing. Now, my 1000 square foot garden consumes as much material as I can throw at it. My grass, my neigbors grass, my mothers grass, leaves, kitchen scraps, etc, most of which people are glad to have a place to dump, all go into my garden.

I have not followed all the recommendations of Mr. Reich. I'm currently experimenting with composting in my overly large walkways (48 inch) rather than composting in a seperate compost bin. It cuts my yield but pleases the wife since there is no large ugly bin in the yard, and no turning of the compost. (My chickens turn it for me, while adding their own brand of nitrogen.)

As with most garden books, the first half is dedicated to the topic at hand, the second half is a glossary of gardening topics, plants, tools, techniques which are common to most any gardening book. This is often viewed as a "filler" in many books, a way to justify the price for the now larger book. This book has many such items in it's second half but all that I have read are specific to the no till, weedless method and are not simply added ad hoc from another source for filler. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 23, 2019 Lgordo rated it really liked it

This is a decent primer if you're not up-to-date on contemporary organic gardening methods. It covers quite a bit of ground, from the weedless stuff (as titled) to gardening know-how like season-extension (well beyond the topic of the title).

However, like many primer gardening books, it comes across as heavy in opinion and light on science. Reich appears to be arguing with the reader at times, trying to convince them to give up certain practices and adopt his preferences, but doesn't always pro This is a decent primer if you're not up-to-date on contemporary organic gardening methods. It covers quite a bit of ground, from the weedless stuff (as titled) to gardening know-how like season-extension (well beyond the topic of the title).

However, like many primer gardening books, it comes across as heavy in opinion and light on science. Reich appears to be arguing with the reader at times, trying to convince them to give up certain practices and adopt his preferences, but doesn't always provide a convincing reason why.

For example, he argues that you should throw your diseased plants and weed seeds on your compost pile because the heat will kill it all. However, elsewhere he admits that many smaller home compost piles don't get that hot and he doesn't think this should discourage you from composting because time is more important than heat in making compost. But he doesn't promise that time will kill your weed seeds or bacterial diseases (spoiler: it won't). So I'm left with the feeling that I just sat through a lecture by a grumpy old codger who does things how he does things dammit and don't argue. Also, soybean meal is the best fertilizer, okay?

One place where he does a decent job of presenting an argument is the discussion of drip-irrigation vs soaker hoses. He does water-flow testing on a few feet of soaker hose and found that it did not do a consistent job, and therefore does not recommend it. Not exactly high science, but at least a cogent argument.

The book's strong suite are its tables. Reich provides some good information on fertilizers and seed-starting dates, among other things, which are very helpful. I wasn't expecting this sort of info and it was a nice bonus. Although, given how quickly he covers the ground promised in the title, I guess it was necessary. I do think he could have done a more thorough job on the weedless section, and made it feel more textbook-y and less grumpy-lecture-y. That all said, I think the sheer quantity of info presented in this small volume makes up for the shortcoming in how it's presented. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

May 04, 2015 Robin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: gardening-reference-books, gardening

This is one of the best books I have read on garden maintenance. I would include it in my top five gardening books to recommend to beginners.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Sep 22, 2016 Maria Jansson rated it liked it

Good thoughts. Nothing revolutionary, but a receipt that I am on the right path with my garden.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Aug 18, 2020 Dani added it

This book was generally informative in its own right, and has a great premise: work smarter, not harder, by disturbing your soil as little as possible, and you'll be rewarded with far fewer weeds and fewer aching muscles!

However, I really didn't like the writing style or layout of this book. At a glance, I found the book's contents eye-catching and appealing, but in practice it was a mess to read. There was too much jumping around and it wasn't streamlined enough. There were many little aside This book was generally informative in its own right, and has a great premise: work smarter, not harder, by disturbing your soil as little as possible, and you'll be rewarded with far fewer weeds and fewer aching muscles!

However, I really didn't like the writing style or layout of this book. At a glance, I found the book's contents eye-catching and appealing, but in practice it was a mess to read. There was too much jumping around and it wasn't streamlined enough. There were many little asides and separate boxes of information interrupting the flow of the main text. Most all of it was quality information, but if it had been better organized it could have flown with the body of the text itself instead of existing in separate little boxes everywhere that seem to interrupt each other. I'm sure that part of the difficulty is that it is a physically small book: textbooks have larger pages and so can put sidenotes to the literal side, and they fit a table on one page instead of on one-and-half pages in the middle of a section. If that is the case, though, the layout designer should have considered how to better use the space of this book!

Besides the layout, I didn't like the writing style. It feels heavy on opinion and anecdote. Based on the author's credentials, he's surely done his research and knows his stuff, but he doesn't convey that through his writing. One issue could be that he doesn't cite his sources or even specific studies, though the back of the book contains chapter-specific sources for further reading. I'm sure some might say citing sources in the text reads too much like a dissertation or research paper, but even without in-text citations writing can still be authoritative and convincing. (And footnotes are an option, too!) Regardless, I wasn't convinced reading this book, and I wasn't as enlightened as I hoped to be, either. I mostly just felt rambled to.

Sometimes the author seems like he's arguing against the reader about... something? The way he assumes you must already be gardening? But he never quite lays out his assumptions, or even "common myths", in order to bolster his argument. If it's not an argument for something in particular, it could just be an informative book--after all, it does contain a lot of gardening basics, such as how to weed while disturbing the soil as little as possible, how to compost, and how to organize the vegetables within your vegetable garden. But, if it *is* just an informational book, why does the author so often sound like he's trying to tell me I'm wrong? And why can't he just lay out a straightforward, convincing point? Again, it feels anecdotal and rambling, like being trained in by a relative who is experienced in the garden but not in teaching. There are advantages to this, and it feels homey, but personally I found it not as helpful as it could be. I want a thoughtful teacher who knows how to guide and clearly display information--I can get ramblings and smatterings of loose info anywhere.

Overall, this book just wasn't for me. It wasn't what I'd hoped for, and I was disappointed by what it ended up being... as well as confused as to what exactly it was trying to say. Again, there's lots of information in this little book, but any old hand in the garden has plenty of personal stories to share and opinions on how best to do things. What I'm looking for is a thoughtful, well-laid out guide (big or small, specific or general) that oozes scientific proof and doesn't make me worry I'm following some redecorated version of an old-wives tale. Unfortunately, this book didn't do it for me. ...more

flag Like · see review

Feb 24, 2021 Maureen rated it liked it

Lee Reich, Ph.D is a soil researcher, avid gardener, and has worked for the USDA and Cornell University.

Lee wrote an article in the Columbus Dispatch a few months ago about raising lettuce during the wintertime in Buffalo, NY. I was intrigued by the article, because I love growing my own lettuce during the summer. I can't imagine fresh lettuce from the garden in the winter.

In this book, Lee provides an alternative to using the rototiller in the garden each spring to break up the soil. He also h ...more

flag Like · see review

Mar 20, 2018 Sue rated it really liked it

Shelves: gardening

A winner. I have implemented several of Lee's (and other author's - Ruth Stout for one) ideas. Mulching and feeding your gardens (vegetable, perennial beds, etc) from the top down to improve your soil works. I started with what I considered concrete with some wild grass on top. After about a years time, I am already able to dig into the earth with a shovel about 6-8". Many followers of this method report the same and it only gets better with time. I'm selling my rototiller. ...more

flag Like · see review

Apr 28, 2019 Carolyn Semple faucher rated it it was amazing

Shelves: owned, garden

This was a surprisingly helpful little book that I reference often. Much of the book is about building quality soil, and all that goes along with that. I have found the section on cover crops to be particularly helpful. He also touches on irrigation systems, how to properly transplant perennial plants and vertical gardening.
It was not expensive book but it is pretty comprehensive. I like that it’s smaller, so it’s easy to bring along with me.

flag Like · see review

May 07, 2020 Tally, The Chatty Introvert rated it really liked it

Pretty useful little book, definitely a different one than I had seen before on gardening practices. This one's mostly about sticking as close to what nature does after initially planning your garden. Sure, clean up what you've got, but don't mess with the soil too much. The topsoil all over the world has replaced itself year after year... unless we interfere too much. So, why not try it in your garden?

I like the ideas presented, so I'm gonna give them a whirl. ...more

flag Like · see review

May 05, 2017 Celest rated it liked it

I think this is a handy guide for gardening, it is easy to read with clear and consistent instruction on the methods used. I dislike the drawings to illustrate a "fact" presented, when a photo would demonstrate the real information. I will definitely consider the method and apply some of this style in my own yard. ...more

flag Like · see review

Aug 14, 2018 Eric rated it it was amazing

Shelves: gardening

Weedless Gardening is an excellent organic gardening resource, full of useful advice, informative tables, and additional resources. While I continue to not see a viable path between the current state of my garden and a weedless one that requires a few minutes of weeding a week, I can also dream, and at least I'll have good tips along the way! ...more

flag Like · see review

Jul 16, 2019 Kali rated it liked it

A lot of these concepts were not new to me, and there are some things in here I am just never going to do (like spray Roundup). But overall it was easy to read and there were some tips I might come back to, like establishing a wildflower meadow.

flag Like · see review

May 31, 2017 Chrissy Peterson rated it really liked it

a well done book with some great ideas for easier gardening. I will implement some of these ideas this year and see how it goes.

flag Like · see review

Sep 21, 2017 Margaret rated it really liked it

Great information on no-till gardening.

flag Like · see review

Mar 08, 2020 Wood Duck rated it really liked it

Useful, helped me rethink my practice.

flag Like · see review

Jun 05, 2020 Molly Moody rated it really liked it

Excellent & a huge help for making gardening a little easier & a little more fun!

flag Like · see review

Sep 09, 2014 John rated it liked it

Shelves: gardening

This was a very interesting gardening book. It presents an alternative to what most gardeners do. Especially what I was taught by my grandfather. However, the evidence for these methods is anecdotal. There are no rigorous studies to actually see if this method really results in less weeds than other methods. I tried this method in my own garden this year. Even though I didn't count the number of weeds, it didn't seem that there were less this year as the prior years. The experiment is really abo ...more

flag Like · see review

Jan 05, 2012 Richard rated it really liked it

An interesting and fast read. Mr. Reich's approach seems logical from a scientific viewpoint. I will apply his gardening methods this spring because I've been loosening soil in plant beds for years followed by an application of shredded bark - the result of which has been anything but weedless. Disturbing the soil surface as little as is practical, addition of only 1" of organic mulch per year, and drip irrigation delivered only to plants that are welcome in the garden are the three factors I'll ...more

flag Like · see review

Jul 29, 2008 Sarah Evan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, gardening

SO GOOD.

For a novice gardener, this book helps explain where weeds come from and how to avoid having them. It's really common sense stuff a lot of people know, but I did not! Also, it's the basics of composting and soil quality in making yourself a weedless garden, so it's great to get those basics under your belt as well.

I wish everyone read this book before buying posion to get rid of weeds! ...more

flag Like · see review

Mar 03, 2010 Jill rated it liked it

Shelves: gardening

I didn't actually read this book from cover to cover. I read the first few chapters that introduce his theory and the chapter on vegetable gardening because that was what I was especially interested in. We are going to do some version of weedless or less weeds gardening this year, so this was a good read. I guess I don't totally trust his approach to gardening, so I don't dare take the whole leap. It would be a fun experiment some year though. ...more

flag Like · see review

Apr 26, 2010 Anna rated it liked it

Shelves: gardening-homesteading

Very clear and easy to read, with a lot of good tips. But flawed because the system isn't really scalable about the backyard level, and half of the book is devoted to basic gardening information everyone knows. A good book for a beginning urban gardener to buy or for everyone else to check out of the library. Visit my blog to read the highlights of weedless gardening. ...more

flag Like · see review

Jan 30, 2017 Hope Gordon rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Excellent starter book for no-till.gardening

Reich makes the case for not turning over or digging large areas of soil. Written accessibly and accurately for someone to implement this. You will be using lots of compost and mulch at least for the first few years until you learn to work with cover crops and ground covers. Reich has practical suggestions for common issues: layout, what to do through the seasons,etc.,and good resource lists for equipment supplies and some seeds.

flag Like · see review

Apr 10, 2011 Blakely rated it really liked it

This book is short and to the point. Definitely worth reading and I plan on incorporating some of Reich's ideas in my yard. You could really just read the first half of the book and skip the second half as a lot of the material is either pretty basic (for example, how to plant a tree), or covers very specific situations such as growing a meadow. ...more

flag Like · see review

Jun 06, 2013 Nancy Peters rated it it was amazing

a paradigm-changing view of how to garden organically and with much less effort. weeds will emerge too frequently when soil gets opened to sunlight and water, so top down gardening is the weedless way to go.

flag Like · see review

Apr 03, 2016 Narariel rated it liked it

The book is a decent reference book, containing information and good ideas. It's not the most enjoyable read if you're just looking for gardening inspiration. The principles are laid out fairly clearly. Occasional illustrations and "sidebars" or "boxes" aid in presenting information. ...more

flag Like · see review

Jul 12, 2016 Andi rated it really liked it

I'm optimistic about putting the techniques in this book to work. I'm skeptical that they will be as miraculous as described, but the principles here make good sense. Recommend for vegetable gardeners. ...more

flag Like · see review

« previous 1 2 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend It | Stats | Recent Status Updates

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

About Lee Reich

Lee Reich

16 followers

Lee Reich, PhD is an avid farmdener (more than a gardener, less than a farmer) with graduate degrees in soil science and horticulture. After working in plant and soil research with the USDA and Cornell University, he shifted gears and turned to writing, lecturing, and consulting.

He writes regularly for a number of gardening magazines and his syndicated gardening column for Associated Press appears ...more