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Weeds are plants growing where gardeners don't want them to grow. They rob desirable plants of water, nutrients, and sunlight, they may harbor insects and diseases ― and beyond that, they are quite often unattractive to look at. Managing weeds, whether by removing them or preventing their growth in the first place, is an ongoing part of successful gardening.

In most situations, you can eventually eliminate weeds through physical management; methods range from the familiar hand pulling through mowing, mulching, and smothering. To deal with the toughest cases, though, you may need to consider using chemical controls.