Mechanical programs include:
- Tillage - Enables the farmer to attack many weed survival mechanisms, preventing seed production in annual plants and destroying the underground parts of perennial plants.
- Hand weeding - Destroys annual, biennial, and non-creeping perennials.
- Mowing - Cutting as close to the ground as possible can destroy weeds in areas where cultivation or hand weeding are impractical or impossible.
- Grazing - Repeated removal of top growth prevents seed formation and gradually weakens underground parts if grazing is properly managed.