If you hoe the vegetable garden properly you lift off the weeds and they sit on the top of the soil where they dry out and die. I've never hoed in the ornamental part of the garden to much risk of damaging a precious seedling that is growing.

Depends on the weather - if you hoe weeds out and leave them on/in the ground and the weather is cool and damp/wet, particularly before mid June, there's a strong chance they'll reroot themselves and grow again. If its hot and dry, they can be left on the surface to be killed - and from July onwards, they're less like to reroot themselves. I'm assuming, though, you mean newly germinated weed seedlings rather than pernicious weeds like bindweed.

In my case, the more I seem to weed, the more the next lot of weeds appear. I can only assume the act of hoeing is bringing more seeds to the surface to germinate.

Good point, Scrumpy, I tend to agree - not a great lover of the hoe myself, only use it when I'm short of time.

If you hoe when the weather is hot and dry (I know that's not a reality this summer!) the hoe should slice through the seedlings and kill them. You need to ensure your hoe blade is nice and sharp and you have the angle right when using it - otherwise you can just push them around and they can survive. Also if you hoe monthly - especially veg beds - you tend to destroy the seedlings before you see them! It's a darn sight easier than having to dig them out as adult plants!! As with any part of the garden - deal with perennial weeds - like bindweed, dandelions, couch grass and docks - BEFORE you plant your nice border or veggies!

Totally agree Snoopdog!

Also if the weeds are left lying on top some will dry up and die and others will reroot themselves - buttercups are very good at this. Chopping the tops off dandelions doesn't work as they are very deep rooted and will sprout again from the root that's left. So in a way you are both right! But if you hoe regularly as the others say this won't get the chance to happen.