Weeds, I've come to suspect, feed on scorn. All it takes to propel them into a frenzied flourish is a look of disdain! Weeds will aggressively compete for available nutrients, stressing out your desired plants and shelter pests and pathogens that can spread plant diseases. Some carry natural poisons and irritants that can bring physical discomfort to people and animals they contact.
Non-chemical weed controls
Not all weeds are alike. Some grow from previous season's seeds (and are classified as annuals) while others (the perennials) tend to regrow from pre established roots, dormant rhizomes and previously dropped seeds. End of season clean up and prevention of seed accumulation go a long way in minimizing your weed woes. Spotted early, weeds can be dealt with by hand digging and hoeing which, though a bit tedious, happen to be pretty efficient. Be sure you're wearing quality gardening gloves to safeguard your hands and prevent transfer of seeds to other parts of the garden.
Pouring boiling water on the crowns of the undesirable plants is another simple way of killing them and keeping them from returning. Even the most resilient of weeds will give up in 2-3 applications. Mulch covers weed seeds that are already in the ground, prohibiting their growth by cutting off the sunlight and keeps falling seeds from taking root by ensuring they don't come into contact with the soil. Covering the weeds with old newspapers before mulching is a wonderful way of recycling old paper and attracting beneficial earthworms. Simply wet the soil before and after laying down the newspaper and cover it up with mulch. Commercially available weed barrier mats are easy, time saving alternatives for traditional mulching that get the job done effortlessly.