EN For years we have been lead to believe that weeds are the bad guys. We have been taught to destroy every weed in sight because they are not aesthetically pleasing and harmful to our yards. They are the invaders coming to ruin our grass.
Even though this a partial truth they are not our enemies. To be fair weeds can choke out grass and they can look unsightly, but their benefits out weigh our desire for perfection when it comes to a natural, organic life.
What’s so special about them?
Weeds are the healers of our soil. They aid by giving minerals and nutrients back to the soil. Weeds grow where they are needed. For example if the soil is deficient in potassium you may see weeds such as dandelions, dock, and yarrow. If it is lacking nitrogen you may see clover and wild peas. The weeds will vary depending on your soil type and climate.
Letting an assortment of wild native weeds grow, even in just a small corner in your yard or container garden, will attract more and diverse species of pollinators, giving them shelter, green food, and flowers, and are great trap crops. Plant diversity works together also to exchange nutrients and energy. With the support of mycelium they create a healthy ecosystem independently.
Plants like sunflowers, alfalfa, and some varieties of mustards have the ability to extract heavy metals and toxins from the soil. These plants are called Phytoremediation plants. Some others are Willow trees, Indian grass, and Poplar trees.
Conclusion
Wild plants are so important to our environments and should be given more credit for what they can do. When you do need to remove them, you may do so by cutting or pulling them, but there are other ways to do so also.
Vinegar (Apple or White) or Boiling water
- Pro: Kills plant in one day
- Con: Kills everything else
I found it best to use vinegar on pavement and stone areas away from your grass or garden.
Boiling water of course burns the plant and the roots, I found that my grass recovered quicker from the water than the vinegar.
Chop and drop
- Pro: Dead plant material fertilizes your yard with all the good stuff they pulled up, fixing your soil deficiencies.
- Con: If the plants bolted, the seeds will come back later
If you don’t want to have more weeds come up, cut them before they bolt.
Liquid fertilizer and compost greens
Like the chop and drop method, you are using the plants to return nutrients, just in liquid form. You can use this liquid feed in your veg garden but make sure you do not use any weeds sprayed with chemicals or in the path of chemical run off.
Eat them
Some wild plants are edible. I have used wild dandelion in my salads and yarrow for tea. Just make sure you do your own thorough research on which are safe for you and which are not before touching or consuming anything.
In doing this research we have realized that nature is self healing, when allowed to do so.
So, after all of that what do you think? Are weeds really just nuisances? Are they something to be thrown away or poisoned, or do you think differently? Feel free to express your thoughts in the comments.
Photos by Essential Nartisans Photography.
