Who divided all plants into useful and harmful (i.e. weeds)? Most likely, they were summer residents who were not satisfied that some “green comrades” did not obey the master’s will and grow up where they were not invited. But in nature, absolutely useless plants do not exist, and the most vicious weed, which we finish off from year to year in our own beds, can be used profitably. “Sterile” gardens are not in vogue these days, because many owners have learned the benefits of weeds for garden crops, and are trying to use the riotous vegetation for their own good. Let’s figure out which weeds are worth continuing to fight, and whom it is advisable to leave in moderation in the beds.
When summer residents start a war with weeds, their only desire is to completely surrender the green enemy and eradicate him from their own garden. But the problem is that there are millions of weed seeds in the soil, and they remain viable for many decades. So the weeded ones are replaced by new grasses, awakened by the stirring of the soil. And they are awakened by the person himself, carrying out loosening and weeding.
The harmful effect of weeds on garden crops
If you ask a summer resident what harm the weeds do, then the first thing he will say is that they suppress the growth of cultivated plants. This fact really takes place, but only at the stage of vegetable germination, when the sprouts are frail and have not gained strength. In the struggle for sun and light, weeds can easily drive the weaker ones out of the garden. But when the same tomatoes or peppers gained thickness and grew so that they had to be tied up, no weeds would drown them out.
In potato beds, wheatgrass is the worst enemy. He not only interferes with the development of potatoes, but also gnaws the tubers with his roots, taking food from them for himself. Wheatgrass is able to lift the concrete blind area, breaking through cracks, spoil the tile joints on the paths, etc. If you choose among the most harmful weeds, then the palm should be given to him. It is impossible to come to an agreement with wheatgrass and a merciless struggle must be waged. In large fields, this grass is destroyed by herbicides and constant tillage (disking, harrowing, etc.), and in flower beds the only option to etch roots out of the ground is to mulch. But not with sawdust or bark, but first cover the ground with black spunbond, which will block sunlight for the weed, and pour some kind of decorative material on top. And such a coating will not be removed for a couple of years.
If a bindweed, or in a folk way a birch, is out of control, it is destroyed with kerosene, which does not harm garden crops
All other weeds – dandelions, nettles, chamomile, runny, tansy, wood lice, etc. – can and should be used to improve the growth of garden crops.
How are weeds useful for gardeners?
Let’s make a reservation right away that everything is good in moderation. Therefore, we can only talk about the benefits of weeds when their numbers are kept within certain limits, and uncontrolled seeding and blocking of the beds are not allowed.
In such thickets of weeds, the garden, of course, will not survive, but how much green fertilizer can be obtained if all this is mowed and chopped
Weeds signal soil deficiencies. Each weed has its own needs for soil acidity and its mineral composition. Therefore, by the plants that breed annually on your site and are not going to leave it, you can understand what your soil is missing:
- So, horsetail and plantain signal that your soil is acidified. And if you take measures to neutralize it, then these herbs will disappear by themselves, without any maintenance.
- Wood lice, coltsfoot, wheatgrass, sow thistle are indicators of healthy acidity. They live in slightly acidic and neutral soils.
- If a lot of quinoa began to appear among the potato furrows, this is a hint that it is time to change the place for the potatoes. This soil is too tired of this culture.
- The appearance of a large number of weeds blooming in late summer and autumn indicates poor soil fertility and a lack of humus.
Weeds help plants grow… Botanists have long noticed that some nearby plants can have a positive effect on each other. In the process of growth, they secrete phytoncides, remove enzymes and ions through the pores, which are washed off by rains into the soil and get to the roots of other crops, enhancing their immunity and resistance to diseases.
Cutting dandelions to create mulch is carried out while the flower buds have not yet opened, otherwise they will ripen in the garden and scatter over all the beds
So, dandelions in cucumber beds contribute to the accelerated ripening of fruits, because during flowering they release a special gas – ethylene. If the aerial part of the dandelion is mowed and ground into mulch, then the soil will receive almost the entire set of mineral elements.
Umbrella crops that are sown with self-sowing (dill, caraway seeds), as well as wormwood, repel insect pests. It is useful to leave them in the near-trunk circles of trees, among the cabbage, so that the white butterflies do not spoil the vegetable. And the nettle will not let slugs and snails into the garden.
The pungent smell of dill scares away pests from the cucumber patch, and the aromatic substances released into the air improve photosynthesis and the health of the whips
Nettles growing in cabbage beds or between strawberry bushes will become a serious blockage for snails and slugs, especially in wet summers
Weeds provide protection from the scorching sun. Many crops experience extreme stress during hot summer, especially if summer residents do not have time to water them on time. Melons suffer the most: zucchini, pumpkins and the same cucumbers, because wide leaves evaporate moisture at an accelerated rate. If such a season is coming, it is worth leaving these beds unfilled. Weeds are taller in growth than creeping crops, so they will create the necessary shade. But the existing version that if you do not weed the tomatoes, then the weeds will protect the fruits from fog, is wrong. Tomatoes are affected by late blight not because of fog, but because of high humidity, lack of ventilation between the bushes. And if you don’t weed the weeds, then the air simply won’t be able to circulate through the garden. Accordingly, tomatoes will start to hurt more often.
Tomatoes require good ventilation of the bushes, so they are weeded out carefully and not mulched with green mass, so that there is no excess fumes
All weeds, harvested before the seeds are ripe, are an excellent environmentally friendly fertilizer. They are laid in compost, beds and paths are mulched. Many plants can be infused and used as foliar feeding. Such spraying at the same time kills aphids and enriches crops with useful elements.
In order for the greens to decompose more actively, it is recommended to pre-grind it. You can make a grass chopper with your own hands, read about it:
An interesting way of using weeds was invented by Kaliningrad summer residents. They mow all harmful vegetation, chop it, mix it with the lawn grass and lay it out in rows on a plowed bed, where potatoes are planned to be planted in spring. Layer – at least 30 cm. With the arrival of spring, no more earthworks are carried out. And seed potatoes are simply placed under the mulch and sprouts are expected to appear. The tubers in the rotting grass are warm, they are not attacked by the Colorado potato beetle, which is frightened off by the smell of decaying plant debris. It is not necessary to weed such beds, you can only carry out hilling from the sides, raise the rows. Productivity is slightly lower than usual when potatoes grow in the ground, but leaving is a minimum.
If you approach weeds wisely, then the harm caused by them can be turned to your advantage and you can achieve greater yields without the use of chemical fertilizers.
