Organic Farming. Taming The Weeds

• What are the weeds
• How Weeds Can Benefit
• How to tame weeds

In the previous articles of the series: "Biological protection against pests and weeds", "Stop destroying the land by digging and weeding", "Intensive planting of plants", "Let's make the land good", we came to the conclusion that one of the main conditions for the success of organic farming is the creation of an area of ecological balance, when all plants and animals peacefully coexist with each other, while exerting a beneficial effect on the life and development of garden crops. Today we will find out what benefits weeds can bring to the garden.

From the very beginning, I would like to note that weeding is a thankless task. No matter how hard you try, the weeds will still creep into your garden, that's how they are arranged. Of course, if you have tiny flower beds and a lawn, then you can weed it once a week. And if the plot is large, say, for example, 30 acres !? With a weekly weeding of such a volume, you, at least, will earn yourself sciatica, as well as an extremely bad mood from a catastrophic lack of free time and the lack of the opportunity to fully enjoy the contemplation of the surrounding nature. Where is the exit?

For a useful coexistence with weeds, it is necessary to study their physiology and understand the reason for their appearance in such quantities in your dachas and vegetable gardens.

What are the weeds

Botanists have calculated that there are about 30 thousand species of weeds, which is much more than cultivated plants. Garden crops are divided into zones, for example, tomatoes and potatoes grow well in the middle climatic zone, but it will be much more difficult to grow watermelon and melon here. So, there are 25-30 species of cultivated plants per such zone, and there will be several hundred weeds, because one and the same weed perfectly adapts to both drought and wet conditions, both to high and relatively low temperatures … Among them there are true cosmopolitans who feel equally well under the trees and in the sun.

Weeds are annual, biennial and perennial. Annuals (quinoa, shepherd's purse, bindweed, bluegrass) and biennials (burdock, clover, thistle) reproduce only by seeds. Therefore, if you mow them before the seeds ripen, there is a hope that they will not appear on the site anymore.

But perennial weeds are real monsters, the fight against which is extremely difficult to win. The fact is that they reproduce not only by seeds, but also by stems and rhizomes. And the constant digging only benefits them. There was a plant with one root, they cut it up with a shovel - several pieces appeared, which will quickly release daughter buds and give wonderful shoots. Particularly harmful perennial weeds include the well-known creeping wheatgrass, as well as woodlice, bitterness, lynx, sow thistle and others. It is useless to fight these monsters, they will win anyway. Weeds need to be tamed and forced to work for the benefit of increasing soil fertility. Let's figure out how to do this.

How Weeds Can Benefit

It is difficult for most gardeners to overcome the aversion to weeds that has developed over many decades and to believe that they bring tangible benefits to our land. At the same time, due to their physiological characteristics, they can become wonderful helpers for the farmer in improving the structure and increasing soil fertility. What is their value:

1. First, most weeds have a strong root system that can penetrate into the deep layers, breaking the hard bed under the soil. In this way, they make it easier for the roots of cultivated plants, allowing them to penetrate deeper into the ground and get more nutrients. Garden crops are not able to plow the land like weeds do.
2. Secondly, growing in small quantities, weeds shade the area well and save the seedlings from heat and increased solar activity.
3. Third. The ability of weeds to penetrate deeply into the soil allows them to accumulate mineral substances inaccessible to cultivated plants in the leaves and stems, therefore their biomass is always richer. And if it is not burned and returned back to the ground (through compost or directly), the soil will be significantly enriched with the missing nutrients. Scientists have noted such a pattern - weeds accumulate precisely those minerals that are lacking in the place of their growth. For example, horse sorrel and plantain love acidic soil, and accumulate calcium and magnesium, which can deoxidize the earth.
4. Fourthly, the roots of dead weeds supply the earth with a large amount of organic matter, form channels in it for the penetration of water and air. The strong root system provides food and shelter for earthworms and soil-forming bacteria. At the same time, the structure of the earth is significantly improved, the humus layer increases. It should be noted that all this happens only if the soil is not subjected to deep cultivation, which destroys all soil living creatures and nullifies efforts to improve the land.

As you can see, weeds are not necessarily the enemies of the garden. They just need to be kept under control, not allowing competition with cultivated plants, and cut off in time before they are seeded.

How to tame weeds

The paradox, but "rushing" weed on our site from excessive diligence. Let's take a simple example. In the fall, most gardeners rake up the fallen leaves, pull out the tops and remnants of garden crops and, at best, lay it all on compost heaps, and at worst burn them. In the forest and in the meadow, nothing of the kind happens - the foliage has fallen out, the grass has withered and covered the ground with a dense carpet, which over the years turns into a thick litter.

What do we have in the spring. In our gardens, after such restoration of order, there is a green expanse, the weeds feel great, as we, having cleared the land of "unnecessary organic matter", provided them with air and excellent access to sunlight with our own hands. But in the forest, not every plant can break through a thick leafy pillow. Such labor can only be done by cereals, which have a sharp, pointed tip, but it is hardly possible to crawl through with its round small leaves.

From the above, it is clear that in order to limit the growth of weeds, it is necessary to close their path to light and air. To do this, cover the soil with a thick layer of organic or compost mulch. This will not only help in the fight against weeds, but also maintain the necessary moisture in the ground, and will significantly reduce the need for watering. Other benefits of mulching are discussed in the previous article in the Make the Earth Good series. Conduct an experiment, be too lazy to collect foliage under the trees in the fall - there will be no weeds in your garden in spring. A thick cushion of leaves can only be pierced by sharp little grass, resulting in a wonderful lawn.

Planting vigorously is an excellent way to tame weeds. Among the majority of gardeners, there is an opinion that cultivated plants need a lot of space for normal growth and fruiting. However, everything is good in moderation. We buy expensive seeds, pour them into the grooves, and then weed out the extra ones, thereby opening the way for the growth of the weed.

Try sowing lettuce and breaking through as needed (only when you need to make something out of it). You will get a densely overgrown garden bed. You can do the same with flowers - when a solid carpet of plants covers the ground, it is much more difficult for weeds to break through.

“But cultivated plants cannot exist like that,” you object. It's a delusion. Because if you cultivate the land according to the principles of organic farming, that is, do not dig it up, do not disturb the life of its inhabitants, then there will be enough nutrition in the soil and even densely planted crops will feel great.

There are some garden plants that you cannot plant densely, such as cucumbers. In this case, the land between the beds can be planted with some other crop that is well compatible with them. Radish or Chinese cabbage, thickly sown between cucumber holes, is great. Such a neighborhood will not only prevent weeds, but also protect the cucumbers from pests. We discussed the benefits of intensive planting in more detail in the article “Organic farming. Intensive planting of plants."

When talking about ways to control weeds, it is simply impossible not to mention siderates. Sideration is a real find for those who are sorely lacking organic matter for mulching or composting.

Legumes (peas, lupine, vetch), various honey plants (buckwheat, phacelia, comfrey), as well as almost all types of cereals can be used as green manure. These plants sprout quickly, form a powerful root system and cover the ground with a green carpet, preventing even sow thistle and wheatgrass from germinating.

Rye is especially helpful in inhibiting weed growth. In the area sown with this cereal, nothing will grow, and around the growth of weeds will be delayed for several weeks. By sowing rye before winter along the perimeter of the garden, you will close the road to the plot for the neighbor's wheatgrass.

If the site is very neglected, and you want to organize, for example, a lawn, then there is no better helper than rye. Scatter it densely in the fall, without sparing, and in the spring you get a dense green brush, cutting off with a flat cutter, you get a perfectly loose, weed-free soil. In sufficient detail about sideration, as one of the main ways to improve the structure and fertility of the soil, is described in the article “Organic farming. Let's make the land good."

So, let's summarize. Weeds are not the number one enemy of the garden. On the contrary, skillful use of their positive properties, mastering the ways to tame them will help you to improve the soil, increase the humus layer, and improve the structure. It is necessary to treat these plants intelligently, not to resort to an all-out war with them, but to study their useful qualities. After all, weeds can do something much better and more efficiently than the garden crops we planted. If you look closely at the issue of coexistence with weeds, you can achieve a pleasant balance of damage and benefit. And the most important thing is not to do unnecessary hard work, because labor on the ground should bring not only a harvest, but also provide maximum moral satisfaction.