Recently on the farm, we've spent a lot of effort eliminating competition for our beneficial perennials. Or, more simply put: we've pulled lots of weeds! Weeds have long been despised by many, due to their penchant for disturbing the aesthetics of otherwise pleasing gardens. What's worse though, is that they can also hinder the growth and prosperity of surrounding plants. Each plant's success is largely determined by the amount of sunlight, space for roots, nutrients, and water it receives; therefore, the more plants there are in one space, the less of each of these resources they have access to.
And so this is why, armed with spades, shovels and thick gloves, we set out to remove the weeds that are harming the plants that are ultimately most important to us: the edible ones!
The pesky plants we have our eyes on here at Love Apple Farms include scotch broom, invasive blackberry, bindweed, mallow, and nettle. Each of these is quite different both in appearance and in life strategy.
Scotch broom is an invasive species in the U.S. that grows in dense stands, and crowds out surrounding plants:
Blackberry plants grow low to the ground, with stems called "canes" coming from a root system that sends up new shoots all over its area. If left unmanaged, these canes can create a tangled (and painful) mess in the garden:
Bindweed can be especially problematic for neighboring plants, as it likes to wrap itself around and strangle them:
See how the bindweed is taking over this lavender:
Mallow is related to the plant that Egyptians first used to create the sugary treat that we know as marshmallows. Don't let its sweetness fool you though; when allowed to mature, mallow roots deeply and can be a nuisance to remove from the ground:
Thistle has shallow roots, making it one of the easier weeds to dig up. However, if it isn't removed early in its life cycle, it can get over 6 feet tall, very prickly, and will eventually flower and disperse seeds. Don't let that happen, as that will only cause you to be pulling out hundreds more next season.
As we continuously strive to create a biodynamic system, we dare not let these pulled weeds go to waste; their journey ends as lunch for our goats, Marty, Lupe and Totes:
Comments