To Weed or Not to Weed, That is the Question! Discover the Benefits of Weeds

There are approximately 250,000 species of plants and only 3% are classified as weeds.

After all we spend much more time than we intended just weeding our garden patch or our carefully planned landscape just to find that weeds are stubborn, prolific growers. We can douse them with a natural herbicide (not Roundup) just to discover that 2 weeks later they are making a resurgence with a vengeance. Killing weeds is not a “one stop ‘sop’!” It takes diligence and dedication but the result will be well worth it and a hearty self-congratulations.

Some natural herbicides are all kinds of vinegar: white, malt, distilled and apple cider, will kill weeds permanently. You can buy a small hand sprayer inexpensively (99 cent store) or for larger jobs buy a tank sprayer at your local garden store ie: Home Depot or Lowe’s.

What Are the Benefits of Weeds in My Garden?

Weeds can also serve purposes that are largely not considered or even known and they are actually not all bad. In a natural setting, weeds don’t exist in the way we see them. Weeds in fact play a significant role in the balance of a natural plant environment.

Nutritional Benefits of Weeds

(Well, Some Weeds)

For instance, many weeds are edible. Now I’m not suggesting that when you extract weeds from the ground you should cut it up and throw it in a hot pan of olive oil or bake a dandelion pie but there are specific weeds that would qualify as lunch. Dandelions, Salsify, Purslance and Watercrest are a few and are actually nutritious – who would have guessed?

Benefits of Weeds on Soil

Weeds also have a beneficial effect on soil, appearing in depleted ecosystems when soil standards are out of proportion, in which case weeds have the capability to regenerate damaged ecosystems. Weeds also stabilize soil to help prevent landslides.
Additionally, weeds also assist in identifying soil conditions such as: 1)very moist soil 2) compacted soil 3) and alkaline soil.

RELATED: 5 Great Vegetables to Grow in Containers on Your Patio or Balcony

Benefits of Weeds on the Environment

Another important benefit of weeds is that they attract beneficial insects such as pollinators and insects that help plants survive by deterring the seemingly ever present pest. The beneficial insects attract birds helping to further diversify the environment and weeds can be considered the precursor to healthy woodlands.

Hopefully what we have discovered is that weeds serve not only as a big pain in our backs but can also play a very important role in our natural environment.

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