Soil Erosion and Exposed Roots
If rainwater runoff is washing topsoil away and leaving plant roots bare, those bare patches invite opportunistic weeds to move in. Bare soil warms faster, encouraging weed germination before your crops have a chance to sprout.
I remedy this by mulching exposed areas immediately, then weeding out any intruders. Mulch conserves soil moisture and shields the ground from erosion—plus, it blocks light that would otherwise awaken dormant weed seeds!