Hi, Marvin,

First of all, thank you for being a long-time reader of the Almanac! It’s great to hear.

To answer your question, we would define “destroy pests and weeds” as encompassing things like using insecticides or insect traps and deterrents, using herbicides for weeds, or simply pulling weeds by hand. Mowing would include mowing the grass and weed-whacking; pruning includes cutting back dead branches, stems, or flowers, as well as pruning for shape or plant health.

We hope that helps!