3 Important Things I Have Learned About Weeds

1 – Weeds are not only edible but good for health as they are nutrient dense and mineral rich.

2 – From the Gardenwise Workshop I recently attended – Weeds should not be pulled out and thrown away because they bring to the surface valuable things like copper. So imagine the weed has done the beautiful work of bring up all that great stuff for the soil and plants but then we throw it away. What a waste!

3 – From Edible Weeds and Foraging in Perth by Terra Perma Design – Nature does not have weeds (it does not do weeding). Weeds are natures pioneers they are deliberately prolific, opportunistic, vigorous and short life cycled. To do them justice permies call weeds Pioneer plants (and dynamic accumulators). They are the first plant species to move into a damaged area of soil to ‘fix’ it for more complicated, sensitive plants and eventual succession to forests.

Shallow mat rooted weeds are for bare soil stabilization and shading bear ground. They stop the top soil blowing or washing away and allow time for deep rooted weeds and other dynamic accumulators to bring up minerals and trace elements deficient in the top soil (initial germination and growing zone). Once a few generations of weeds have grown, seeded, died, composted and provided habitat for a accumulating little ecosystem, more advanced but sensitive plants can start to germinate.

Related: Edible Weeds Forage Walk with Sparkles of Odd Fodder Cook Book 06/06/16