If the size of the garden warrants herbicide use, check Clemson Extension's EC 670, Pest Management Handbook, for a list of herbicides labeled for use in home vegetable gardens. The difficulty with using herbicides in a vegetable garden is that there are few herbicides that are safe on the wide range of species grown in a garden. Herbicides may temporarily reduce early vigor and growth of some vegetable plants, particularly under cool, wet conditions which often occur in early spring. Timing of the herbicide application and seed planting sequence may vary and can determine whether or not a temporary reduction of plant vigor will occur. The greatest potential for vigor reduction occurs when cool, wet weather follows an application of either a preemergence or preplant incorporated herbicide.
Vigor reduction is minimized when a labeled herbicide is used according to label directions.
A combination of mulching and hand-weeding will probably be the best system for most home gardeners. Herbicides could be used for special situations, such as for the control of perennial weeds. Once vegetable plants are established, they will shade the soil if closely spaced together. This shading of the soil will suppress weed growth. Some gardeners experiment with various types of no-till gardening to prevent erosion and moisture loss.