October 2024
Wisdom from Xwe’etay Gardeners
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Weeds and What They Have to Say
This year, for the first time, my lawn and garden have been taken over by plantain. I have always loved plantain as a medicinal plant but now that it is growing everywhere, I am starting to feel a little differently. Then I remembered something I had learned long ago about how specific weeds can be an indicator of soil health and I grew curious. What was my plantain trying to tell me?
Weeds thrive because of their deep taproots or root nodules, which help them to bring from deep within the soil, or fix from the air, the exact minerals and nutrients which are deficient in the soil they are growing in. The good news is, if you compost these weeds, you can recycle the nutrients they extract from the soil and put them back in. So the weeds themselves help to address the issue they were indicating. Cool, right?
Here are some plants, their indicators and the minerals and nutrients they accumulate:
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Plantain indicates that the soil is compacted, acidic and low in nitrogen. Plantain accumulates calcium and magnesium as well as silicon, manganese and iron. Composting plantain will help to balance soil pH and improve soil structure.
Dandelion grow in heavy, compacted and acidic soils. Dandelions accumulate calcium, and when composted, they return calcium to the soil, helping to balance soil pH.
Buttercup indicates acidic soil that is too wet due to poor drainage. Buttercup draws potassium from the soil, which helps with many plant functions including drought and pest resistance.
Horsetail likes to grow in light, sandy, slightly acidic soil, with access to water. It accumulates silicon, calcium, magnesium, and iron, which it releases back into the soil as it decomposes. Silicon helps with mineral absorption and photosynthesis.
Wood sorrel likes soil which is high in magnesium and low in calcium. It accumulates iron and zinc.
Thistles are indicators of low soil fertility and poor drainage. They have deep roots which can break up compacted soil and bring up minerals, such as potassium and silica, and when composted, they help to restore soil fertility, and reduce the likelihood that they will return.
Chickweed and nettles can indicate soil which is rich in humus and nitrogen but possibly lacking in other essential nutrients. They both accumulate potassium and phosphorus which help with flowering and disease resistance.
To harvest the nutrients from your weeds pull them out when they reach their full height, but before they go to seed. Let them wilt for a few days, then turn them under into the garden bed or add them to your compost pile. Let me know how it goes! – Anna Dodds