A weed is a plant growing where we don’t want it to grow. The fact is, what we often call weeds are just plants doing exactly what they’ve evolved to do: take advantage of available space to colonize. In the process, many prevent erosion and weathering of the soil. But they also compete with our garden plants for light, moisture, and nutrients, so we need to keep them in check. It is important for students to learn how to identify weeds and distinguish them from the seedlings they have planted so they can remove the correct plants.
The old adage “A stitch in time saves nine” definitely applies when it comes to weed control. Weeding doesn’t have to be a time consuming chore if it is done regularly when weeds are still small. Weeds can be removed by hand or with tools. You can use a hoe to scrape the tops off masses of small weed seedlings or use a cultivating tool to turn them under the soil. It’s important to get rid of weeds before they blossom and go to seed, or they’ll end up sowing a lot more weeds for you to pull next year. Also, try to completely remove the roots of perennial weeds, as many reproduce readily from sections of roots or underground stems that have been left behind.
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