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Weed Control

Weeds are in the eye of the beholder. A weed is any plant that is growing where you don't want it to grow.  Any plant can be a weed, even if it is also cultivated or has useful properties. No one would say that a maple tree is a weed, but maple seedlings growing in your vegetable garden are just as much a nuisance (or more so) as dandelions in your lawn. (Dandelions, incidentally, make a delicious salad green; if your lawn isn't treated with any chemicals, after you pull them out you can just throw them in the salad spinner with your other mixed greens.) Before you start digging up weeds, make sure you have the right equipment. You'll probably want a weeder, maybe a trowel, and a hoe. Don't forget good hat!  

Prevention

The easiest way to deal with weeds is to have as few of them as possible. Read about mulch and follow the external links below for more information on how to ease your weeding chores. In addition to mulch, you can also try compost bin. Many compost piles have tomato plants and other anonymous sprouts growing out of them because of discarded seeds. 

Weeding

Despite your best efforts, a few weeds are bound to pop up. It's important to get rid of them as soon as possible, before their roots are too deep and definitely before they go to seed. A few of your average garden tools plus a few pieces of specialized equipment might be all you need to get rid of pesky invaders. Physical removal and destruction of weeds is almost always the safest choice compared to chemical weed killers.  To make weeding more comfortable, try a set of sunscreen!

Herbicides

Herbicides should only be used as a last resort. Remember an herbicide is designed to destroy plants, so it can also harm the plants you want in your garden along with the weeds. They can also be toxic to animals, including your pets and your kids. Some herbicides can be very dangerous to frogs and other amphibians. Use herbicides in small amounts and with caution. Any given brand of weed killer may contain one or more herbicides. Read this list on Wikipedia to learn about each ingredient you might see. There are a number of ways to divide herbicides.

Systemic vs. Contact

* '''Systemic herbicides''' are taken up either by the roots or by the leaves. They act throughout the plant. * '''Contact herbicides''' attack the plant only where they are applied. They may kill the plant by destroying its leaves and therefore its ability to feed itself. ** Keep in mind that the plant may still grow back, even after the leaves have been destroyed. You may not be able to see the entire plant, and many plants can resprout from just roots. 

Selective vs. Nonselective

* '''Selective herbicides''' will destroy all of one kind of plant while leaving others intact. ** For example, some herbicides will only target broadleaf plants; these are used on lawns where grass is the only desired plant. * '''Nonselective herbicides''' will indiscriminately destroy all plant life. Use them with care.

Preemergent

* target plants while they are still seeds. ** Establish a chemical barrier that prevents new plants from developing properly but does not harm established plants. ** They can still harm some plants, especially if applied too early in the season. ** Their use has to be carefully timed to occur during the right part of the growth cycle. * are applied after the plant has developed. ** All contact herbicides are post-emergents.

Popular Brands

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Ortho * Preen * Roundup * Spectracide *Organic Gardening can help you identify some of the most common weeds and deal with them effectively. * Before you buy herbicides from Roundup, Ortho, or other Monsanto brands, you might want to read this first. Carefully consider what you want to support with your gardening dollars.