I noticed how rapidly the weeds grow, even with very little water. Whenever my drip system turns on, the initial burst of pressure causes the hoses to spray a small stream of water about 3' long, for about a second. I frequently find tracks of weeds growing along this little path that got dribbled on.
And they're incredibly robust. I'll cut them off with the stirrup hoe, and they'll re-root themselves where they land.
Weeds are like the perfect plants.
And then it occurred to me--why don't we just eat the weeds?!?!?
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- TheWaterbug
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Funny you mention that. Yes, they do! Well, some of them, anyway. Most are very easy to cultivate and grow without any help, whatsoever. Others act finicky like most vegetables.TheWaterbug wrote:Just curious--if you start eating the weeds from your garden, do they figure out that they're "vegetables" now and get all temperamental, fragile, and demanding?orgoveg wrote:Actually, I do eat the weeds (and many others do, as well).
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Speaking of weeds...we had a weed that popped up all over the place and when you touched it it pretty much fired it's seeds out! I stepped into a bunch of them having no idea what they were and they almost put my eye out! Anyone know what this weed is?
Once one of them popped, it typically hit another...and another....and so on until there was a miniature seed firework show going in. They flew EVERYWHERE! Happened to me twice around that time...once in Maryland and once in Virginia in my backyard. I didn't take the time to go back and find out what it was. I was too busy digging seeds out of my eyes.
Once one of them popped, it typically hit another...and another....and so on until there was a miniature seed firework show going in. They flew EVERYWHERE! Happened to me twice around that time...once in Maryland and once in Virginia in my backyard. I didn't take the time to go back and find out what it was. I was too busy digging seeds out of my eyes.
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Weeds are only "free" if they are outside the garden. Otherwise, they are taking up space, sunlight, water, and nutrients that could go to other plants . . . like, the ones in the catalog pictures you spent all those winter months admiring.
Outside the garden, I like how the dandelions grow nice and lush where the neighbor's sprinkler hits them! I've made good coffee with roasted dandelion roots on a 1:1 ratio with the standard grind. And, at the price for a better quality decaf that I've been mixing in, why I haven't gone back to roasting roots, I can only see as a personal failing!
The volunteer purple orache that I encourage is almost a weed and its similarity to spinach, makes it a desirable one. The similarity of orache to lambs quarters just means that I have more unconventional choices just a few feet in most any direction.
Redroot pigweed is real tasty as a potherb, too.
Steve
Outside the garden, I like how the dandelions grow nice and lush where the neighbor's sprinkler hits them! I've made good coffee with roasted dandelion roots on a 1:1 ratio with the standard grind. And, at the price for a better quality decaf that I've been mixing in, why I haven't gone back to roasting roots, I can only see as a personal failing!
The volunteer purple orache that I encourage is almost a weed and its similarity to spinach, makes it a desirable one. The similarity of orache to lambs quarters just means that I have more unconventional choices just a few feet in most any direction.
Redroot pigweed is real tasty as a potherb, too.
Steve
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Unless it's labeled the "Field Greens Salad" at a swanky restaurant. Then it's $15.00orgoveg wrote:Actually, I do eat the weeds (and many others do, as well). Purslane, dandelion, sow thistle, lamb's quarters, garlic mustard, amaranth, black mustard, stinging nettle, etc, etc. They're tasty, nutritious, and free!
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