Weeds compete with the crop for soil moisture, sunlight, space, and plant nutrients. They compound disease problems and serve as hiding places for insects. Also, weeds may prevent dusts and sprays from thoroughly covering your garden plants, resulting in poor pest control. Grasses are multistemmed plants with fibrous root systems. Once grasses become established, they are difficult to control without injuring the vegetable crops.
Grasses are very competitive in gardens and make harvesting difficult.
Preventive Weed Control. New weed seed may be brought into a garden on plows or tillers that have been used in weedy areas. Compost and manures sometimes contain troublesome weed seed. Weedy hay used for mulch may bring an number of new weed problems. Occasionally, home-saved vegetable seed may also include some weed seed.