I just use straw mulch.. well technically it's hay (because we don't get straw in this area according to my local feed store).

I'm actually doing some experiments with stone mulch this year. Dark (clay tile remnants) where I want things warmer, marble where I want less heat and a bit more reflection. I use small pieces (averaging 20 square inches) with gaps to allow rain to get into the soil. I'll cover with straw after plants are well established. I have no idea how this will turn out. I read about stone mulches in a book about polynesian island agriculture, and thought it sounded interesting.

The other thing I do that's a bit different is sharpen my hoe (almost knife sharp) before every use. I bought an ancient, cylindrical sharpening stone with handle at an estate sale that works great with a few passes over the hoe edge. Now I just drift the hoe at the soil surface, easily slicing weeds.

I try for interplanting/living mulch. Basil between tomatoes and peppers, parsleys, etc. Also like purslane, we eat a lot of that.

Going to try some cardboard with last fall leaves on it too this year. I'm having a terrible problem with that morning glory weed...bindweed....hoping to smother is a bit more. With the living mulches, sometimes it gets lost in there.

@nova does straw/hay cause more weeds during the off season? Our hay around here seems to cause more weeds, my only experience with it is starting grass tho....

@eric what do you have to do in off season? Pick out all stones? Or just till em up? Thanks for the helps guys....

And I'm not disciplined enough to pull daily.

Then make it at least a weekly chore. :) A good hoe is a wonderful tool.

Weeding is part of gardening and serves multiple purposes other than just getting rid of the weeds. As someone said in the "biggest mistakes" thread here - gardening is never plant and forget and then expect to get food.

For example, if I hadn't been pulling weeds in the potatoes yesterday I would have missed completely the early arrival of the potato beetles so I could intervene before all the damage was done.

I use heavy layers of hay as mulch. IMO the secret to using hay is to lay it on thickly - most don't use enough. Or get it the year before, break the bales open some and let it compost and weather to kill any weed seeds. Or you can just buy what is called "spoiled hay" - bales from the previous year that is no good for feeding or 3rd mowing hay as it has few weed seeds in it.

Either way you will get a few weeds but nothing like you would get without it and you improve your soil at the same time. Plastic doesn't do that and in much of the country still has to have mulch on top of it in the summer or it cooks the plant roots.

Dave

This is only my first year, but I haven't seen a problem yet (been using it months). No surge in weed seedlings popping up or anything.. Actually I have a bed that hasn't ever been mulched and it has 2-3x the weeds that my beds with the mulch have. All the beds were built at the same time and filled with the same materials. I don't plan to till it in or anything.

The hay I get, the seed heads are so small you literally almost can't see them.. You really have to stare hard at them to find them. Doesn't seem to have a bunch of weed seeds mixed up in the bale, either.

@jameswv
I plan to remove the rock mulch each season, except in areas I don't till (strawberries, raspberries, asperagus, hazel nuts, etc.). It may turn out to be too much work for areas that get tilled each season.

WEED CONTROL METHODS:
1- just pull them up by two fingers.
2- use a hoe (short or long handle)
3- mulch, mulch, mulch.

Mulching serves often more than one purpose: it helps reduce weeds grow : It helps to retain moisture . It helps to keep plants root system coolER in hot days.

Hand weeding is therapeutic. Just like fishing in a stream. And like Dave said, you can find out more what is going on.

MULCHING MATERIALS: Down south, I used pine straw(needles), that I collected for free. Also used wheat straw and tree leaves(Oak, maple). I never entartained the idea of using plasic, cardboards, newspapers. The last two would get just mushy and sticky when wet. I don't like walking on them. Plastics in the garden ? against my gardening religion . heh