Enriching the soil with organic matter before planting will encourage strong roots and produce hardier plants, which, in turn, will eventually crowd out bad weeds.

Completely cover all bare soil with mulch to stifle the germination of weed seeds. Apply to a depth of two to four inches.

How much mulch do you need for two inches of coverage? For bags that measure two cubic feet, divide the square footage of the planting area by 12; if the bags are three cubic feet, divide the square footage by 18. If you're buying in bulk, one cubic yard will cover 162 square feet of bed.

For information on which types of mulch will best suit your garden, visit www.gardenguides.com and type "mulch" into the search box.