Controlling Weeds by Cultivating and Mulching Consider your weed control strategy prior to establishing a vegetable garden in the spring.
Weeds compete with vegetables for water, nutrients and light.
They also harbor insects and diseases, which may then spread to vegetables. Efforts made early in the growing season will reduce the time required for hand-weeding later in the season. The weed control program may require a combination of methods to manage all weed species. The most common weeds found in the garden can be divided into summer annuals, winter annuals and perennials. There are a few biennial weeds in South Carolina, but these are generally not a problem in gardens.