"Norman Digger" wrote in message

Does anyone have strategies for minimising this arduous task in a veg
plot?

1. Use narrow beds about 3-4 ft across so that you can easily reach them
from both sides (less leaning and thus back strain).
2. Mulch fallow sections so that the weeds don't have a chance to sprout.
3. Do a little and often.
4. If they get away on you on fallow ground, let the weeds get high, let
the bed dry out completely for as long as you can (or cover the bed in clear
plastic so it can) then water well and the next day go through it and pull
out the weeds - they'll come out easily in great handfulls.
5. If you can, do it at the seedling weed stage when a mere ground
disturbance is enough to destroy their fragile roots - this is when I use an
old kitchen knife to do that job (I used to use an old concrete trowel till
I lost that)..
6. Get good knee pads and get down and dirty amongst the weeds. Hoes are
too distant for the job IMHO.
7. Dandelions can be killed with a tiny drop of weedkiller or otherwise
mulch them and each time you see even the tiniest bit of green poking
through, lift up the mulch and drop it back again to starve it of light,
it'll eventually die but the mulch must be thick and constantly watched.

HTH