On 07 Aug 2003 11:36:13 GMT, (Guppy21014)
wrote:

My roommate says weeding is not a requirement of a good garden. I on the other
hand can't find the plants due to the very healthy weeds surrounding everything
else. I am not much of a gardener (but I am the designated harvester) and I
thought I would check out my possible incorrect thoughts about weeds. 1)
Weeds take needed rain away from the vegetble plants. 2) Weeds will steal the
nutriants in the soil away from the vegetable plants. 3) Just mowing between
the rows does not benefit the vegetble plants as much as pulling the weeds. 4)
Mulching with newspaper or something like that would be beneficial. Anyway
any opinions regarding the Zen of weeding your vegetable garden would be
appreciated.

I prefer mulching to weeding, so I mulch. Mulching also
conserves water and (if you mulch with organic materials)
improves the soil.

You only need to mulch heavily once, conceivably twice, but
you need to weed many times.

In raised beds using intensive planting, often the plants
themselves will grow so thickly that they'll shade out
weeds, without mulch being used.

I usually mulch with grass clippings, or straw, or autumn
leaves: whatever I can get, really. I'd use newspaper if I
had it (removing colored portions first).

Pat