Based on “When Weeds Talk”, by Jay L. McCaman
The basis of weed, insect and disease control begins with soil. Some essential soil scientists follow the premise that healthy soils support a minimum of weeds. As soils degenerate, different species of weed occur and when the soil improves, the occurrence of the weeds changes again.
According to Dr. Wm. A. Albrecht: “weeds are plants making scarcely more than vegetative growth on soils too low in fertility for other kinds of plants growth”.
Weeds can be indicators of ground water and its presence. They may also signal locations of deposits like selenium of copper. Fredrick Clements (1920) said: “Each plant is an indicator. This is an inevitable conclusion from the fact that each plant is the product of conditions under which it grows and is thereby a measure of these conditions. Therefore, any response made by a plant furnishes a clue to the factors at work upon it.”
As such, weeds should not be viewed as a problem, but rather indicators of actual problems within soil health. You can use weeds as indicators, that are addressing actual problems with soil health. Weeds may help you to understand your soil better and grant you with valuable information that helps you to optimize your soil health.
