What is most effective way to control weeds in my vegetable garden?

Mary: I think old fashioned pulling (while they are still small) is the bet way to go

Put down black weed material first

Are you growing a traditional row garden? If so, cardboard with mulch on top for between rows will work well. Straw can be effective around your plants, but you have to be really careful that you aren't getting old and weed infested straw.

I clean up all the weeds in my veggie garden in the spring. Once it is planted, I put down Preen Weed Preventer, it really does the trick for seed born weeds that get blown or dropped into the garden. It does not cover tree seeds since they are not a weed until they get into the garden. They also do not control root born weeds such as creeping charlie and some grasses. Those you clean out by digging them up to at least six inches outside the garden and that makes it easy to pull when they get to the garden edge. I don't use any kind of plastic or fabric for weed control, I use shredded leaves covering the garden well in the fall and till it in in the spring after removing the really thick areas to save for after planting. When I plant I spread the leftover leaves as mulch. They will break down and nourish the soil. Once we start mowing the grass I use the flipping for mulch and replace as it breaks down into the soil. I spend about five minutes a week pulling mostly root born weeds and sprouting trees seeds. The only weeds that I leave alone is the clover as it is very nourishing for the soil and I pull it when it gets a decent size and leave it on the garden to break down around the plants. I even use the leaves from dandelions I pull in the yard to break down in the garden. I have been doing my garden like this for years with excellent results. Good luck with your weed control Mary! You can do it!

I put down 4-8 sheets of newspaper and cover with mulch. If it Wendy I place pots are rocks on the paper to keep it in place. Ink is said to be a natural herbicide. Be very careful with herbicides anywhere esp around vegetables. A few weeds want hurt you but herbicides like Roundup are proven to cause breast cancer. I’ve seen too many women die from Brest cancer and have to speak up about their use.

I use Preen. It helps but won't completely keep weeds out as it is not a big "poison". You need to mix it in the soil down about 4" and I use a bit more than they recommend but I've got old soil lol!