Eli5 Why are weeds so hard to kill while desirable plants so hard to keep alive?

Question

Weeds grow, well, like weeds, out of the cracks of the pavement with nothing but municipal runoff to keep them alive. Meanwhile I have to work tirelessly to keep my tomato and pepper plants happy and fruitful. Why do weeds dominate a garden?

In: 61

Answer 1

Weeds are by definition plants growing where you don’t want them to grow. Since you are actively trying to kill them, only the hardiest ones will survive.