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Do you know which garden weeds are beneficial? Weeds can overwhelm even the most patient gardener. Increase the productivity of your permaculture garden by knowing how to harness the power of these five weeds.

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The Benefits of Garden Weeds

Recently, I wrote about the benefits of weeds. (See: When Weeds are Good.) I used to be so frustrated by weeds until I learned about their benefits. Now, I’m a much happier gardener!

Here are some of the things beneficial garden weeds do for us:

1: Weeds protect soil.

Weeds are fast growing, so they can quickly cover bare ground to protect it. Their roots hold soil together and keep it from eroding away in the wind or rain. Their presence can indicate the need for mulch to protect soil, i.e. more mulch can often mean fewer weeds.

See: Mulching in the Permaculture Garden

2: Weeds may fertilize soil.

Many weeds are said to accumulate vital nutrients from the subsoil and bring the nutrients into their leaves. As the weed leaves die back, they make a healing medicine (fertilizer) for damaged topsoil.

Their presence can indicate the need to enrich your soil with amendments such as worm castings or compost. That’s because each time you harvest vegetables, you extract nutrients from the soil.

Read more about making your own worm castings and building a compost bin.

3: Weeds condition soil.

Decaying roots—especially deep taproots—add organic matter to the soil. They provide channels for rain and air to penetrate. Decaying roots also create tunnels for worms and other beneficial soil microbes. They help improve the no-till garden.

See: Transitioning to a No-Till Garden

4: Weeds attract beneficial insects.

Weeds are usually quick to sprout, yet short-lived. For this reason, they flower frequently in order to set seed for the next generation. The flowering and their dense foliage can attract beneficial insects looking for habitat or nectar.

How I Chose the following Top 5 Garden Weeds

It was a challenge to narrow this list down to just five beneficial weeds, because there are so many plants that can benefit the garden and reduce maintenance!

However, for this article, I focused on some common weeds that fill two important roles:

#1: They are said to accumulate nutrients. Although there isn’t a ton of research on this subject, I think it helps to have the mindset that nature knows what it’s doing and is sending plants to the rescue!

If these weeds do, in fact, accumulate nutrients, then it would reduce the amount of time and money I need to dedicate to fertilizer. The presence of these weeds may indicate exactly what nutrients my soil is lacking.

#2: They attract beneficial insects. This reduces the amount of time and money I must dedicate to battling pests.

By fertilizing and reducing pest populations, these weeds increase the productivity of my gardens.

On top of that, these weeds have medicinal properties and are nutritious edibles. Many of them would make excellent healing oils or herbal salves. I’ve indicated medicinal properties below.

Would you like to learn more about improving the biodiversity of your garden, reducing maintenance, and increasing yield?

You’ll find loads of information just like this in my award-winning book, The Suburban Micro-Farm.

Top 5 Garden Weeds

1. Broadleaf Plantain (Plantago major)

Brought into North America by colonists, plantain often pops up where soil is compacted.

Nutrient Accumulator: Plantain is said to accumulate calcium, sulfur, magnesium, manganese, iron, and silicon.

Plantain has edible and medicinal properties.

How to use plantain in the garden:

Plantain benefits the soil if left to grow and die back on its own. For a tidier garden, cut the leaves back monthly and tuck them under the mulch, or lay them on top of the soil to naturally decompose.

Leave the roots intact—the plant will either regrow, or the roots will decay, enriching the soil and attracting beneficial soil organisms.

Photo by F.D. Richards via Flickr

2. Chickweed (Stellaria media)

Chickweed shows up in disturbed soil such as garden beds and highly tilled areas, indicating low fertility.

Nutrient Accumulator: Chickweed is said to accumulate potassium and phosphorus.

Beneficial Insects: Chickweed attracts pollinators searching for nectar in the spring and early summer.

Chickweed has edible, lettuce-like greens and medicinal properties

How to use Chickweed in the garden:

Chickweed will benefit the soil if left to grow and die back on its own. For a tidier garden, cut the plants back monthly and tuck them under the mulch, or lay them on top of the soil to naturally decompose.

Leave the roots intact—the plant will either regrow, or the roots will decay, enriching the soil and attracting beneficial soil organisms. Note: Cutting it back will reduce its availability to pollinators.

Photo by Simon via Flickr

3. Lamb’s Quarters (Chenopodium album)

The presence of lamb’s quarters is common in old farm fields, where chemical fertilizers were used in excess. Over time, these “weeds” will improve the soil quality.

Nutrient Accumulator: Lamb’s quarters’ deep roots are said to accumulate nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and manganese while loosening the soil.

Highly nutritious edible properties when found growing in safe environments. The leaves go for a high price to local chefs.

How to use lamb’s quarters in the garden:

Lamb’s quarters will benefit the soil if left to grow and die back on their own. However, one plant can set over 75,000 seeds!

For a tidier garden, cut the plants back monthly so they can’t flower, and tuck them under the mulch, or lay them on top of the soil to naturally decompose.

Leave the roots intact—the plant will either regrow, or the roots will decay, enriching the soil and attracting beneficial soil organisms.

Photo by Wendell Smith via Flickr

4. White Clover (Trifolium repens)

White clover voluntarily shows up in nitrogen-lacking, dry fields and lawns that cover hardpan clay soil. Lawns where grass clippings are routinely carted away over time become lacking in nitrogen.

Nitrogen fixer: Nitrogen is necessary for plant growth, and clover can help transfer airborne nitrogen into the soil to be used by neighboring crops.

Nutrient Accumulator: Clover is said to accumulate phosphorus.

Beneficial insects: Clover attracts ladybugs, minute pirate bugs, and pollinators looking for nectar. It provides shelter for parasitoid wasps, spiders, and ground beetles. Clover is a preferred egg-laying site for lacewings.

White clover has edible flowers.

How to use White Clover in the garden:

Permanent Ground Cover:

White clover is often used as a permanent ground cover in orchard areas. It covers and protects soil and the shallow fruit tree roots. In the vegetable garden, white clover is often used in pathways, fertilizing nearby garden soil.

Here are the seeds I purchase for seeding in garden paths.

When white clover voluntarily appears in my vegetable garden, I allow it to remain in the spaces between plants. Since it voluntarily shows up in areas that are low in nitrogen, I trust that it is needed there. Prune it away from individual plants so that it doesn’t smother them.

Photo by Hideyuki KAMON via Flickr

5. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

Dandelion is one of the most common and arguably the most beneficial of all weeds. It often shows up in hard-pan clay soils, whether in gardens, old fields, or lawns.

Nutrient Accumulator: Dandelion’s deep roots are said to accumulate potassium, phosphorus, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, and silicon while loosening the soil.

Beneficial insects: Dandelion attracts ladybugs and pollinators looking for nectar. It also attracts parasitoid wasps and lacewings.

Dandelion has edible leaves, roots, and flowers with highly medicinal properties.

How to use dandelion in the garden:

Dandelion will benefit the soil if left to grow and die back on its own. However, one flower seed head can set over 100 seeds!

For a tidier garden, cut the leaves back monthly and tuck them under the mulch, or lay them on top of the soil to naturally decompose. Leave the roots intact—the plant will either regrow, or the roots will decay, enriching the soil and attracting beneficial soil organisms.

Note: Cutting them back will reduce their availability to beneficial insects.

Photo by Toshiyuki IMAI via Flickr

Beyond these Five Garden Weeds

Weeds are nature’s way of healing itself. If you have a garden weed that isn’t listed here, check out the book Weeds – Guardians of the Soil by Joseph Cocannouer.

Consider the root structure of the weed in question: Are they shallow roots and grow thickly on the ground? Perhaps their role is to hold the soil in place to prevent wind and water erosion. Mulching might help to reduce their presence.

Do the weeds have deep taproots? Perhaps their role is to loosen and enrich soil. Adding organic matter and using a digging fork to loosen soil might help.

Note: Some weeds — like poison ivy — are better eradicated from garden areas, even if they perform important ecological functions.

READ NEXT:

Do you see these five weeds in your garden? Has this changed your perception of them?