Weeds in the summer garden seem to appear overnight. Warm days and soil moisture propel weed growth that competes with food crops. The purslane pictured above is an unexpected treat for some but in my gardens it shows up and grows very fast. I call it a weed.

Barbara Pleasant at GrowVeg has a useful overview of organic weed control in the garden. Her suggestions and rationale are compelling. You can read that article here:

Organic Weed Control in the Summer Garden

At GrowVeg, Barbara discusses growing green canopies for the natural shading and mulch to control weeds.

The article introduced me to the concept of short term nurse crops for weed control which “keep the soil busy and provide organic weed control until the space is needed.” With some bare ground I planted more ‘Provider’ bush beans which have done so well this summer. They will finish up by the time I need the space for fall-winter crops.

You can read about my favorite weeding tools too.