Snakeroot Organic Farm discusses the importance of timely weeding to prevent crop competition from weeds. Photos show farm workers removing weeds by hand from crops like cucumbers, chickweed from greenhouse beds, and carrots. The document emphasizes removing weeds before they get too large, and also notes how mulching can avoid the need for weeding by preventing weed growth.

1. Snakeroot Organic Farm Weeds In the management of weeds, timing is everything . Below Deena is clearing weeds from a patch of cucumbers just before they begin to run, after which weeding would be next to impossible. Weeds will be removed to the compost pile to prevent them from recovering on this overcast day.

2. Sometimes even tiny weeds that will re-sprout if left on the ground need to be removed from the area and added to the compost pile. Here Josey is weeding chickweed out of one of our greenhouse beds in the spring. He removed about ten buckets of weeds from the greenhouse that day.

3. On-the-knees weeding is often necessary to remove between-the-plant weeds that earlier hoeing wasn't able to remove. Here Cecelia is partway down a 250 foot bed of carrots, four rows to the bed. And she's still smiling. . .

4. It is important to remove weeds before they get too big, otherwise they will compete with the crop for water, nutrients and sunlight. Here Coco is using a finger weeder hoe to cultivate spinach. Notice that she is standing upright holding the hoe with the correct “thumbs up” position to minimize fatigue.

5. Many crops are able to compete effectively with smaller weeds, such as the kale in the three beds on the left. Soon a light weeding to remove the largest of these weeds would help the kale grow better. The three mulched rows on the right demonstrate how weeding can be avoided by using mulches. Here the celery and celeriac also enjoy the moist soil under the mulch.