Now that the garden is planted and growing well, it’s time to notice that the vegetables aren’t the only plants thriving in that plot.  It’s quite likely that there are at least a few weeds popping up here and there.  Now it is time to talk about the menace these invaders are, and why they are so detrimental to your garden.

Sometimes it is easy to think that a few weeds aren’t going to make a lot of difference in the growth of the plants, but I have found the opposite to be true.  Just last summer we planted two rows of carrots.  They were still small when we went on a two-week vacation.  When we returned, those poor carrots were desperately vying for sunlight against the taller invaders.  As I found time, I would gradually weed my way through the rows, and it was interesting to see what happened.  As I did so, the carrots that were released from their entanglements seemed to grow two inches almost overnight.  The others stayed puny.  Within a few days, the row had several different heights surging upward.  It was almost as if they had been anxious to grow, but were halted in their progress.

This is really true for any plant, even trees.  Although trees are much taller than the grass surrounding them, the trees grow much faster if that grass is removed for 2-4 feet all around the trunk.  Why is this so?  It is all about competition.

Any plants that are crowded together compete for sunlight.  Trees that are close together grow taller more quickly, trying to reach for the canopy so that the sun can be available to its own leaves.  Houseplants that don’t receive enough sunlight grow tall and spindly in an effort to reach more light.  Their leaves even turn flat to the window, trying to maximize the light coming in.  Because sunlight is necessary for photosynthesis, their survival depends on it. A lack of sunlight may cause taller growth, but it is weak growth.

For instance, tomato plants that are grown under full-spectrum lights are stockier, with thicker stems.  Those grown with minimal light are tall and spindly, and the leaves are lighter.  They are not as healthy as the others.  They are more prone to breakage and insect invasions, as well as diseases.

In the garden, removing the weeds that crowd the vegetables will benefit them greatly.  They will grow faster and healthier, with stockier growth.  There will be more leaves, and the plant will be denser.  There will be a higher resistance to pests and diseases.

Weeds also rob the garden of moisture.  What moisture is in the soil evaporates more quickly through leaves, and more weeds exacerbates this problem.  This can cause the plants to shrivel and become weak.  It is interesting to see that in most gardens, the growth of the weeds tends to outpace the growth of the vegetables.  This could be because they tend to be hardier.  Weeds have evolved in such a way that they can grow in somewhat forbidding circumstances.  In a garden, where heat, light and moisture are in abundance, they can be almost as invasive as kudzu.

Nutrients in the soil are also depleted by those weeds.  Although they don’t need as rich a soil as most vegetables, they still take their share, and grow even faster in the process.  Some plants can be grown as a cover crop for a while, then tilled in as green manure, but it’s really not a good idea to do this with weeds.  They come with baggage - namely, seeds.  Weeds have also evolved in such a way that they produce many, many seeds that can hitchhike from place to place very easily, and lie dormant until growing conditions are met.  Don’t give them a free ride to the fertile soil of your garden.  Burn them, or get them off your property in a dumpster.  Leave those valuable nutrients for your pumpkins and corn.

So what is the best way to handle this problem?  First of all, try really hard not to let them get out of hand in the first place.  Hoeing them out when they are small is one of the best ways to keep on top of it.  Some things will need hand weeding, especially at first.  But after that, when the plants are taller, the job is easier.  In fact, once the plants are nearing harvesting stage, weeding can be suspended, because by then the plants themselves are crowding out the weeds.

Be especially vigilant removing quack grass.  Its roots are incredibly tenacious, and can choke out a garden in short order.  When working with this menace, as well as other weeds, be very sure to dig or pull out the roots, and not just the top of the weed.  This will ensure that it will not just start growing again.  With quack grass, remember to dig up all of the roots, following them along wherever they go.  It grows quickly, and leaving even an inch of root is asking for more problems.

Corn can usually be weeded quickly by hilling them up when they are about a foot tall.  This is done by hoeing up the dirt on each side of them, burying more of the stalk.  This helps strengthen them anyway, and buries the weeds.  By the time the weeds are growing again, they are shaded by the much-taller corn plants, and grow more slowly.

Once the garden is weeded, consider mulching to keep the weeds down for a longer time.  Also, plan to weed the garden regularly, especially early in the season, to ensure the healthiest plants and fastest growth.

Perhaps the best thing to keep in mind is the Santa Claus principle: Hoe, hoe, hoe!