Not all weeds are bad, but they need to be controlled

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Eons ago, the first humans learned to deposit seeds in the soil to grow plants for food, beauty, and fiber. We have come a long way in developing what plants we grow and how we grow them. And all the while the weeds followed.

But what is a weed? It is nothing more than a plant that grows in the wrong place. Tomato seeds often survive the rigors of a compost heap, then germinate in large numbers wherever the compost is strewn. They are “weeds†if you don’t want them to grow where they choose to sprout.

The problem with weeds is that they are thieves. They deprive neighboring plants of water and nutrients. If they’re big enough, they steal sunlight by shading plants in the garden.

Some weeds secrete chemicals into the soil that inhibit the growth of neighboring plants. Lamb quarter is one of the many weeds that slow down the growth of nearby vegetables such as corn and tomato.

Another problem with weeds is that they can harbor pests that spread throughout your garden plants. Horse nettle, for example, is a relative of the potato that allows Colorado potato beetles to start early in the season before moving on to potatoes. Lamb’s quarters can also harbor Verticillium wilt, a disease that can also affect tomatoes.

They are not all bad

Before we rush outside to beat every weed wildly, let’s take a breath and stop to consider some benefits – yes, benefits! – weeds. Look at the bare ground. It is likely to be blown away or washed away by water. Fortunately, the soil isn’t bare long before lamb’s quarters, pigweed, knotweed, and other plants we normally call weeds rush to coat the soil and protect it from the elements.

Not only do weeds protect bare soil; over time they improve the soil all over the place. Their roots break up the soil to improve aeration and extract nutrients. As the roots of weeds die off, they, along with the dead leaves and stems of weeds, decompose to enrich the soil with humus.

Weeds probably correct mineral imbalances in the soil. Compare the diversity of plants in an uncultivated field with the uniformity of plants in a weed-free corn field. In the uncultivated field, each plant draws a different balance of nutrients from the soil; in the cultivated cornfield, the corn plants absorb only what they need. A few weeds there could take over and balance out the proportional excess of certain nutrients left in the soil after corn.

Weed control options

Given their dark side, weeds obviously cannot let loose in the garden. There are many ways to control them. Herbicides should be a last resort. All too easily, they could cause accidental damage to garden plants or other parts of the environment. Continued use also promotes the growth of herbicide resistant weeds.

The use of synthetic mulches such as landscaping fabrics or black plastic is also abusive for the environment. Over time, the fabrics of the landscape become entangled with the soil and roots, making it difficult to reconfigure a garden. Black plastic is a disposal nightmare, further contributing to the suffocation of our landfills. Neither is completely effective against weeds. Their ugliness is often hidden under a layer of wood chips, itself overgrown with weeds.

A simple and effective method of weeding, if practiced regularly, is to stir or break up the top layer of the soil. Use a hoe with a blade that can graze just below the surface, such as the collinear hoe or wire or winged weeder.

A layer of all weed-free organic matter enriches and improves the soil while controlling weeds. The possibilities here include arborist wood chips, sawdust, clippings, straw and pine needles.

One of the best ways to keep the weeds on top is to avoid turning the soil over – ever – with a tiller, plow, fork, or shovel. Buried in every soil are a myriad of dormant weed seeds. Turning the soil over exposes these seeds to light and air, waking them up.

Finally, there are many weeds that are good to eat. Enjoy sweet revenge by turning pigweed, quarter lamb, purslane and other edible weeds into your next meal.

Lee Reich writes regularly on gardening for the Associated Press. His books include “Weedless Gardening” and “The Pruning Book”. He blogs at http://www.leereich.com/blog. He can be contacted at [email protected].

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