What a weed is to one person may be a wildflower to another.  Dandelions, Crabgrass, Queen Anne's Lace--with so many varieties around us, how can you tell the weeds from the "real" plants and flowers?  A little knowledge goes a long way.  Gain the expertise and the decision to pull that so-called pesky weed can be made easier.

Weeds are generally misunderstood.  American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson once stated a weed is "a plant whose virtues (good points) have not yet been discovered."  But a weed may not be what you think--it is just a plant in the wrong place at teh wrong time.  Some weeds are "good" and are actually very helpful in the garden, while others are just down right "bad."  A few even make it to the dinner table!  To weed or not to weed?  That is the question.  Take a closer look at the world of weeds and you can decide for yourself.

IS THERE ONLY ONE KIND OF WEED?

There are three types of weeds:

• An Annual goes from seed (baby) to mature (adult) seed producing plant, then dies all in one season.  Those seeds it made ensure a new generation of weeds will live on the next season to start the process all over again.  Example:  Crabgrass
• A Biennial weed grows only leaves and stems its first year.  Those die back to the roots.  In spring, it grows again, this time to a mature plant, sets seeds, then dies.  Example:  Queen Ann'es Lace
• A Perennial can have fleshy or woody roots, tubers (a potato is a tuber, but not a weed, unless of course, it's in the wrong place at the wrong time!) or bulbs.  Even though the green part dies at the end of the season, underground they sort of hibernate until spring when they start to grow again.  The root systems usually travel very deep into the ground making them hard to get rid of.  Example:  Morning Glory or Poison Ivy.   Some perennials also produce seed for extra weed staying power.  Example:  Dandelions.

WHERE DID THEY COME FROM?

Many weeds are actually foreigners (immigrants) to North America who have permanently planted their roots here.  They came from Africa, Asia, Europe, Mexico and South America.  Some hid, mixed amongst imported garden seed and grain, while others were brought by settlers as food plants.  Migrating birds are also responsible for spreading weed seeds.  While they travel from state to state or country to country (some birds migrate many thousands of miles) they carry or relieve out many different types of seed.  Mix the seeds with soil and water and you get WEEDS!

HOW ARE THEY SPREAD?

Weeds are easily spread.  Seeds can be carried by the wind on fluffy parachutes over a hundred miles away.  Some hitch a ride on your pant leg or dog's fur coat.  Some simply fall to the ground and germinate (start to grow) where they land.  Ants store seeds underground as nesting material and let's not forget those migrating birds.  Think about this--a single poppy can turn into 20,000. Some weeds produce between 100,000 to 200,000 seeds per plant.  The common garden weed Groundsel can produce 1,000 seeds and re-grows every five weeks!  One Native Tumbleweed can make 2 million to 4 million seeds.   Wow, now that's a population explosion.  When you pull up some types of weeds, if any part of the root remains in the soil, you'll have another weed.  This is how weeds survive, multiply and travel from one area to another.

WHERE DO THEY GROW?

Weeds are selective about where they will grow.  This let's us know a few things about the place they call home.  Moss loves wet, shady and nutriet por soil.  The solution, improve drainage, fertilize and spread lime.  Soon that moss will be looking for a new place to live.  Your garden and lawn attracts Chickweed and Buttercup where their fast spreading roots can take hold quickly.  Nutrients are usually easily available close to the surface because you've been adding compost and things like Garden and Grass vitamins to feed your vegetables, flowers and lawn.  Sandy, well-drained soil is the type of accommodation Broom Bush loves to occupy.  Some weeds are even at home in the water taking up residence at incredible rates such as Duckweed and Milfoil.  There are weeds that grow in every type of soil.  Some even grow on the surface of another plant like Mistletoe.  Who knew a weed could be so picky?

WHEN IS A WEED "GOOD?"

Some types of weeds can actually help to shade the ground when seedlings are growing and also hold moisture in the dirt.  But those same weeds can choke your plants if they are allowed to grow out of control.  For example:  Chickweed.  The extensive root growth of weeds go deep into the soil loosening it uup making it much easier for your plants to seek out water and nutrients further into the dirt.  Weeds with tap roots (a long, narrow hard root, like a skinny carrot) actually suck moisture and nutrients up towards the surface so young plants can feed on them.  Another example:  Dandelions and Queen Anne's Lace.  When these root systems die, the space left by the dead root becomes an irrigation network and tunnels where earthworms travel leaving their castings as they go.  Your plants love that!  Other weeds with very deep roots like Thistle and Lamb's Quarter's drink minerals into their stalks and leaves.  When mixed into the garden, the minerals leak back into the dirt where your veggies can eat them up.  Make sure you remove the roots and any seeds first or you know what will happen.

WHAT ABOUT WEEDS FOR DINNER?

Did you ever think you could or would eat a weed?  Well, you can and you might!  BUT WAIT!  Don't rush out to your garden to pick tonight's dinner salad.  Not all weeds are safe for you to eat.  You know the pretty yellow dandelion flower?  Eight cups of those flowers can be turned into one gallon of wine and the iron and Vitamin C packed leaves can be added to your salad or cooked.  Chickweed is a healthy addition to your diet.  remember the roots that attract minerals.  Johnny JumpUps, a pretty little pansy that spread quickly and thickly in rock and stone crevices, make a pretty addition to a green or fruit salad or edible decoration on cakes.  The dried root of Wild Chicory can be ground into a coffee substitute.  Commonly used during the World War II, many people still drink Chicory coffee today.  The bitter young leaves can also be eaten. Common garden Purslane is very much like spinach and can be eaten raw or cooked.  In fact, Pursiane has been used as food in India for over 2000 years!

Wild Blackberries may be the tastiest weed ever and make wonderful jam and pie.  NEVER eat weeds that have been treated with chemicals.  Always know what you are eating.

WHEN IS A WEED "BAD"?

There is, of course, a darkside to weeds.  They fight with plants you want to grow over water, nutrients and light.  Weeds can also be insect and disease condos that attract, garden or greenhouse plants.  Sometimes these pests stay on, rent free, from season to season.  Ragweed causes annual hay fever for many people and a brush with Poison Oak or Ivy during summertime fun can be a painful and itchy experience.  Remember that sof Moss that likes to grow in your lawn?  That same Moss loves the shady side of your roof and stonewalls.  It may look pretty, but it is actually destroying the surface underneath it.  Ivy that attaches itself to the mortar in stonewalls will eventually bring the wall crashing down with its weight.  Waterweeds too can be a real problem.  Milfoil in lakes spreads really fast, robbing the water of oxygen and blocking sunlight from entering the water, which encourages Algae growth.  All of these things affect other water plants and fish.  Algae are the same green, slimy stuff that can "bloom" in your swimming pool.

HOW TO SAY "GOODBYE" TO WEEDS?

It's been said that your garden can be weed free if you remove your weeds faithfully for seven years.  Unfortunately, this has not worked in my garden.  If left unchecked, weeds can easily grow out of control.  The trick of working with weeds is getting rid of them before they go to seed. The greens of weeds can go into the compost or be turned into the soil, only make sure you've picked off the seeds and roots first or you'll have more weeds than you know what to do with.  The safest way to remove weeds is to do it by hand.  Remove seeds as they appear and try to dig up all the roots.  You can also keep pulling or picking new weeds as they appear.  Sometimes smothering seed free weeds with dirt will kill them.  You can try covering the entire garden with a sheet of black plastic when weeds first start to break through the ground.  Weight the edges with rocks and let the sun bake those weeds!

WARNING!!   Weed killers are poisonous and dangerous.  To keep our Mother Earth happy and preserve our environment, we always encourage a "natural" way of getting rid of these pests.

Be sure to leave a few weeds.  After all, we need to make a wish or two on ripe for blowing dandelions and what about checking to see if your friends like butter by holding a Buttercup under their chins to find a golden glow or not?  To weed or not to weed?  It's up to you.