Organic Soil-Fertility and Weed Management by Steve Gilman

Author:Steve Gilman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
Published: 2011-12-08T00:00:00+00:00

Weeds as Indicators

The fact is, weeds possess ample positive attributes. Certain indicator weed species can by their very presence tell you a lot about specific soil conditions. The pigweeds and lamb’s-quarters indicate a cultivated, rich soil, for instance, so at least you know you’re doing a good job with fertility management! On the other hand, horsetail (Equisetum arvense) likes soggy soil—time to pay attention to drainage.

A primary source for weed indicator information is the booklet, Weeds and What They Tell, by Ehrenfried Pfeiffer, published by the Bio-Dynamic Farming and Gardening Association. In it, Pfeiffer details the underlying soil conditions many weeds prefer—including droughty, poorly drained, acid, highly acid, poorly cultivated, salty, hardpan, presence of potassium, absence of lime, and so on. Also presented are a number of “dynamic” plants. That same horsetail, for instance, has a high silica content with antifungal properties useful for controlling damp-off and other diseases in the greenhouse. Here is a list of weeds and what they indicate:

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