Gardening Methods

How can I get an early start on preventing weeds in my garden?

It’s March, and I can’t wait to get planting! Before I plant all of my cold weather veggies, what can I do to prevent weeds from coming up all summer long? (They’re already sprouting). Is there any other easy soil preparation I can do before I plant? I live in zone 6a, and I don’t plan on using compost or anything like that. Thanks in advance!

Tilling is the most effective way to prevent weed sprouting.

Take a spade and rough till, dont rake and smooth the soil. Weeds dont germinate in rough soil. So a rototiller pulverizing the soil does damage two ways, First, it allows the first rains to form a really tough clay pan type of empackment and second the pulverized soil is perfect atop for weed germination.

Mulch, not compost, added around small plants is the perfect way to stop weed germination. Even the plastic type mulch works well. I have even used old roofing shingles spread in a line, that too works well.

And dont till till a day or so before planting the seeds. Let the weeds germinate.

Useage of herbacides to prevent growth is ineffective and you need to till around the plants with a hoe and herbicides are surfact type of protection destroyed by hoeing.