Q: Are there some things I can do right now that can prevent weed problems with my vegetable garden this spring and summer?
Start out by making sure your planting beds are weed-free. After pulling out all existing weeds, rake out the soil and water thoroughly. In a week or so, any weed seeds still present will germinate. These should be relatively easy to hoe out and dispose of. At this point, you can spread compost over the beds and rake it in. Just in case there are any weed seeds in the compost, water and wait another few days so you can scrape those weed seedlings away. If weeds are especially persistent, you can place heavy plastic sheeting over the soil, weigh it down with rocks or bricks, and wait 2 weeks. The sheeting will trap heat and cause any remaining weed seeds to cook until they’re no longer viable.
If you’re using drip irrigation on your vegetables, now is a good time to inspect and test for leaks or blockages. Just lay out the drip lines where you want them, turn on the system, and make sure all the emitters are working and nothing is spewing water. Taking care of irrigation issues is much easier when you don’t have to disturb your plants. Testing during a quiet time of day (such as early morning) will enable you to hear any telltale “whooshing”, even if it’s not readily visible. Remove end caps or figure 8 fittings and allow each line to flush out any accumulated debris that may clog emitters. Don’t forget to replace them! If you have a pressure reducer/filter unit at the valve, they may need to be cleaned or replaced. This is much easier to do in the early spring before you have full beds of thirsty plants and the weather is 100 degrees.
Mulch heavily when setting out new plants. If you don’t use herbicides (including “weed and feed”) on your lawn, you can use grass clippings. If using fresh grass clippings, spread them in an even layer around the young plants. This should be done immediately after mowing because fresh clippings will start to melt and get icky really quickly. Dried grass clippings can be used as well. The advantage of this method is that the grass tends to form a continuous mat that is very effective at blocking weeds. The clippings will readily break down, further enriching the soil.
Los Angeles County
mglosangeleshelpline@ucdavis.edu; 626-586-1988; http://celosangeles.ucanr.edu/UC_Master_Gardener_Program/
Orange County
ucceocmghotline@ucanr.edu; http://mgorange.ucanr.edu/
Riverside County
anrmgriverside@ucanr.edu; 951-955-0170; https://ucanr.edu/sites/RiversideMG/
San Bernardino County
mgsanbern@ucanr.edu; 909-387-2182; http://mgsb.ucanr.edu
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