Seeing Weeds From an Environmental Angle

We’ve got into the habit of calling a plant that’s foreign to the crop we’re growing a “weed”. Since it’s an unwanted plant, we call it “bad”, but is it really so bad in itself?

When it comes to the environment, nothing is left to chance! If a plant establishes itself in a given place, there’s a reason. And that reason is always the same: it’s because it responds to a great environmental law that I call “The clothes of the earth”.

Clothes of the Earth

Nature never leaves soil bare. Nor will she leave your garden on bare earth. The law of the “Clothes of the Earth” has made me realize that if I don’t protect my soil with plants of my choice, nature will inevitably do so with plants of her choice, which are unfortunately not the ones I want and which we call “weeds”. So, can I blame nature for doing its job and protecting the land as it has done for thousands of years? Its aim is simple: to protect the soil ecosystem so that the soil remains fertile for plants to thrive. Nature doesn’t do this to make us work up a sweat! On the contrary, it shows us what we need to do to keep the soil fertile so that the plants that grow in it can be self-sufficient.

Nothing is left to chance in nature! Just as plants need fertile soil to grow well, so the soil needs plants to remain fertile! Isn’t that a fine example of altruism?

Soil Insurance

Nature has wonderfully endowed the soil with innumerable seeds, just waiting to germinate where and when they’re needed. Every season, plants produce seeds and entrust them to nature. These seeds are scattered randomly wherever the wind, rain, birds and other animals carry them. The vast majority of these seeds will nourish the lives that feed on them. In its generosity, nature has produced plenty of seeds to germinate where and when they are needed, in order to comply with the great soil protection law “The clothes of the earth” and thus ensure the survival of the species from which they originate.

Seen from an environmental angle, “weed” seeds are therefore a form of soil protection insurance. But having insurance doesn’t mean you have to use it at all costs! We pay fire insurance on our house, but do we really want to use it one day? We hope not! So we take steps to avoid having to use it. It’s the same thing with soil protection insurance!

If we don’t understand the law of the “Clothes of the earth”, we’re playing with fire! Fire breaks out in our gardens, and nature must use the seeds and plants it has available to extinguish the fire, i.e. protect the soil ecosystem so that life can continue.

Free Yourself From Weed Control

That’s all well and good, but what can we do about the immutable law of the earth’s clothes? First of all, I’ve realized that fighting nature is a losing battle. Working with nature, understanding its laws and using them to our advantage, that’s a winner! So here’s how I go about harmonizing myself with this law and freeing myself from the arduous task of weeding.

First of all, you need to differentiate between a weed that has already taken root and a seed that is germinating. If the space you wish to cultivate is already occupied by perennial plants, they will always compete with your plantings and even have the upper hand over them, since this is nature’s judicious choice to protect its soil. Don’t forget that nature’s sole aim is to protect its soil as quickly and sustainably as possible. It’s rarely the plants we choose that can do this, at least when we plant them.

Start Without Weeds

This means completely eliminating perennial weeds that have already taken root, and making sure they can’t return to the growing area. I suggest these two complementary actions in the same order:

1. Install what I call vertical barriers to block weed rhizomes that might come from outside the area to be cultivated;
2. Apply the occultation method to the area to be cultivated, by covering it with a blackout fabric. It takes 4 months in the growing season for most weed rhizomes to die off. The weeds that were a nuisance will have composted and the soil ecosystem will have improved.

This is the simplest, most effective, least strenuous and longest-lasting method. If you take the time to do these two steps properly, and if what follows is done correctly, you’ll never have to repeat it again in the life of your garden or flowerbed!

Continue Without “Weeds”

Having eliminated the undesirable plants that were present, the soil will be bare and nature will once again want to protect it. All that’s left for her to do is to protect the soil from seeds, both present and future. It’s to counteract this massive germination that the use of mulch comes into play, because you’ll never be able to plant anything fast enough to hide the soil adequately before nature gets involved. Whether in a vegetable garden or a landscaped area, using the right mulch will ensure almost total weed control.

Since I’ve understood this great law and adapted my gardening practices accordingly, weeding is a thing of the past! What’s more, by using the right mulch – and not just any mulch – I get even more out of less effort!

De la paresse? Plus que ça! De la sagesse!