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  • From: Jerome Rigot <rigot.3@osu.edu>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] Weed removal
  • Date: Tue, 04 Apr 2006 10:18:42 -0400

Yes, Amaranth, Lamb's Quarters, Chick Weed, those are the classic edible "weeds". You can add to that list a great deal more. But in my experience these are not too difficult to get rid of if you choose to do so instead of consuming them.

But Bermuda grass was introduced from Africa as a drought resistant lawn. It is a creeper that spread above ground by seeds, and with runners that grow roots at each nodes; it also grows underground by rhizomes, and if one breaks/cuts the rhizomes while attempting to get rid of the plant by digging it out, each piece of rhizome will form new roots and plants. So, it spreads forming a dense mat and hug tightly to the soil, it is very invasive, is resistant to a number of herbicides and will smother other plants, and thus is very difficult to get rid of. It is a nutritious forage for sheep and cattle, and is a great erosion control plant. So, if you have it in your pastures and can keep it there, that is fine, but as soon as it invade your vegetable garden, it becomes a persistent and invasive problem.

Johnson grass is similar to Bermuda grass in that it also spread rapidly and aggressively by rhizomes, and very effectively by seeds (one plant can produce over 5000 seeds per year and these seeds can lay dormant in the soil for over 20 years, so cutting the seed head before seed maturity is really important). The plant was introduced from the Mediterranean as a gift to a Mississipi plantation owner over 150 years ago to use as hay. A major problem is that under stress it will produce an acid that is poisonous to livestock. It also releases a natural toxin from its root system that prevent other plants from growing close to it, a natural herbicide, so to speak. It has a shallow root system that does not do anything to aerate the soil or to improve drainage as prairie grass does. It grows very tall, completely smother other plants and "it has literally destroyed millions of acres and bankrupted thousands of family farmers in its march across the land. Suffolk County in West Virginia has made it against the law to have even a single Johnson Grass plant on your land because it is so destructive to farmland." You can read more about it at http://www.seedsource.com/medicine/curse.htm.

I know that one of permaculture mantra is that "the problem is the solution", but I I don't think using Johnson grass as a natural herbicide to get rid of my other "weed" problem in my garden would be a very wise strategy. And both weeds are not that edible.

In any case, when LL mentioned that he got rid of Johnson grass and Bermuda grass, my ears perked up, because they are very serious non-native invasive pests that are surrounding and attempting to invade my garden.

I am still interested in hearing his approach as well as anybody else's practical suggestions.

Jerome


At 02:19 AM 4/4/2006, you wrote:
Hey, Jill, right on!
Yes Maureen and anyone else, it's true that harmony with nature and benefitting from all things, excellent for permaculture system mentality, is to learn the good of what's already there. A weed is only really a plant that is unwanted for not knowing of its goodness. Like Jill, I don't know of the other plants you speak of but I really needed to excitedly second the suggestion of Amaranth and Lambs Quarters as excellent edibles. The greens are great, super-tasty and totally nutritious...wasn't Amaranth a staple of the Aztecs? But additionally the seed they produce, is so abundant and rich and easy to harvest. And Lambs Quarters has this magical "bloom" of irredecent mineral crystals covering the leaves...probably some major secret nutrients in there. Surely, becuase these have "weed" status, it means they're widespread, tenacious and therefore grow easily, which to my mind is definitly a bonus. I've spent the last few summers regularly feeding on weeds, and it's wonder
ful to do this kind of thing everyday in a sandwich...fresh chickweed with an onion and tomato sandwich keeps you strong. I've only had a suburban sized plot of land to see this in...when I soon will be on my acreage, I've no doubt in my mind, and all kinds of positive enthusiam for the notion of actually encouraging fieldlets of these kinds of plants. And it's true that with just the slightest bit of nurture, like non-crowding and a touch of love, these once-was weeds will rise into magnificent beasts of plenty. You can get a tree out of a Lambs Quarter. It even works ornamentally, too.
The opposite of not seeing the beauty and usefullness of what naturally comes leads to poisons and petunias purchased from plastic boxes from store. This world and us has had quite enough of that.
This is my first post! This list rocks!

Brad aka EcoFreako.
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