ACNH’s November 2021 2.0 update came with many new features, one of them being Lief’s weeding service. However, most players know very little about what it is, how they can get it, and if it even works!
How many weeds do you need for Lief’s weeding service?
No one truly knows, however, there are theories that Lief will only complete the weeding service if your island has 300+ weeds.
The problem with this service is that it’s virtually redundant, as the only time your island will get anywhere near 300+ weeds is when you first move in at the beginning of the game.
At that point, you’re nowhere near unlocking Lief’s visit so the weeding service won’t do you much good.
If you take a break from playing Animal Crossing, or leave the weeds alone, you might stand a chance of using Lief’s weeding service, but the hit on your island rating isn’t worth the hassle for such a minor feature.
Equally, you can water weeds to help increase their numbers, but is it worth the effort for this service?
How does Leif’s weeding service work?
If he accepts the job, Lief will pluck all your weeds overnight so your island is weed-free (excluding glowing moss) from the beginning of the next day in ACNH.
You’ll find the weeds he collected in your recycle box within Resident Services.
TIP: Remember you can sell the weeds back to Lief for bells, so hold onto them for when you next see him.
We suggest taking any items out of your recycle box the night before Lief works his magic so that there are plenty of slots for the plucked weeds.
How do I get Leif’s weeding service?
For some players, Lief offers this service when he irregularly visits your island. In this case, the price for his service will depend on how many weeds you have.
Others have to wait until they’ve unlocked the plaza and Lief’s stall on Harv’s island. This route is a lot pricier though, weighing in at a hefty 100,00 bells for his professional weeding services.
There is no clear explanation why some players get one option rather than the other but, either way, players who’ve experienced both possibilities have reported a bug in Lief’s services.
Some say Lief tells them they never have enough weeds – even with 300+ fully grown weeds – and others say they managed to receive the service, but the weeds never appeared in their recycle box.
Is there a faster way to get rid of weeds in Animal Crossing?
There are two other options for de-weeding your island if you don’t want to gamble on Lief’s services.
Enact Beautiful Island Ordinance in Resident Services
Rather than carrying the brunt of the de-weeding responsibility on your shoulders, why not share it with your villagers?
The Beautiful Island Ordinance costs 20,000 bells to enact and encourages your islanders to pick up weeds, water flowers, and get rid of junk in surrounding island waters.
This means there’s less burden on you, and more of a community-minded approach to keeping your island clean and watered.
Keep in mind that if residents are picking up your weeds, you can’t sell them for bells to Timmy & Tommy or Lief during his next visit.
Ask friends for help
If your island is covered in weeds, why not use your dodo code and get some friends over to your island to help pick with you?
You can pay them in bells, duplicate DIYs, or ask if they’ll do it out of the kindness of their heart.
To make the work even lighter, why not gamify it? Use the timer from Nook’s Cranny to see how many weeds you can pull in 10 minutes and give the winner a special prize!
De-weed on your own
The process shouldn’t take long, and lots of players find it a relaxing part of their daily routine.
The more weeds you pick up, the better your island rating will be, and the more bells you can make from those super-spreading weeds.
Lief’s de-weeding service in Animal Crossing
It’s not all it’s cracked up to be; as players have consistently reported bugs with this feature, it’s hard to be positive about it!
If Lief does offer to pluck all of your island’s weeds, it’ll cost you 100,000 bells for the privilege. So, we suggest using the alternative options we’ve outlined to get rid of your weeds fast and save on bells!