Beautiful, lush green lawns are what we all want. We despise weeds. Am I right? The moment we see them we want to rip them out. We’ve been programmed to think that common weeds are bad, because they take over our gardens and stop growth of our newly planted flowers, trees, etc.
Forget all you know! Common weeds growing in your yard may appear as an eyesore, but actually they grow because our ecosystem needs them for survival.
Reminder: an ecosystem is a community of living organisms interacting with each other and their non-living environment. When we remove weeds, we’re removing necessary food and shelter for all kinds of inhabitants! Don’t destroy habitats – common weeds are good! Don’t believe me? Let me explain further.
an empty yard serves no purpose
Ahhh. Look at this lawn. So picturesque. The lawn of our dreams! No – this yard is a habitat where all life has been removed. It is empty and serves no purpose
Sure, it looks beautiful and may feel soft and velvety under your feet, but it goes against nature. Unless a disaster has occurred, a yard would never look like this naturally.
Keep in mind, the harder we fight to keep a lawn weed-free, the harder the weeds will fight back. It’s an endless fight for survival, and nature always win.
natural habitat fighting to survive
Look at how many types of weeds and grasses are growing here. These weeds are hard at work. “Weeds” are a job and they have a simple one – provide shelter, attract wildlife, stop erosion, and get the soil ready for other plants. That’s it!
Tough, aggressive weeds show up when harsh conditions call them to action. They will completely take over your yard and reproduce overnight. But let them be. When you have all weeds and no grass, that means your yard is in “survival mode”.
Feel free to throw down some grass seeds, but the weeds are there to help – I promise!
are they common WEEDS?
First, double check that the common weeds in question are actually weeds.
Did you know many weeds we see growing are actually trees? Yes! Tiny, baby trees! When I first moved into my home, there were these thick weeds growing along my fence. Imagine my surprise when I learned they were actually baby plum trees!
So use an app (Plant.id or PictureThis are good) to identify your weeds and see if you too have baby trees springing up.
create a yard filled with native plants
Still anti weeds? Try planting native trees, flowers, and shrubs instead.
If weeds are something you just don’t want growing in your yard, consider planting trees or shrubs to provide shade rather than removing the weeds. More shade = less weeds. The harder your plants fight for sunlight, the more challenging it will be for weeds to take over the ground.
Additionally, planting more native plants to fill in spaces (find your planting zone here), such as flowers and bushes will also halt weed growth. This way your yard will remain beautiful, serve as a natural habitat, and be weed free. A win-win!
DO MORE OF THIS
AND LESS OF THIS
avoid using WEED KILLERS
Straight up – weed killers are harming our ecosystems. A study performed at McGill University explains how weed killers are harming biodiversity. Biodiversity refers to the variety of life on Earth at all its levels.
While their study shows ecosystems develop a resistance overtime, it comes with a cost. There was a significant loss in biodiversity in certain areas, and since the ecosystems are already struggling with climate change, scientists are concerned how ecosystems will adapt in the future with the continued use of weed killers.
Also, weed killers are killing bees and other pollinators worldwide, which we most certainly need for our survival. The main culprit here is Roundup. Let’s not forget Roundup is also linked to increasing YOUR risk of developing cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, atherosclerosis, and inflammation. Please, save yourself and our ecosystems – stop using using weed killers. Truth be told, more aggressive weeds will grow next season anyways.
spread the news!
Please share the knowledge with others! Many people don’t know the purpose of weeds or the harm we cause when removing them. Help save habitats and ecosystems – let those weeds grow!
As a fellow gardener, I am also obsessed with ways to reduce my carbon footprint. Discover how to start a zero waste lifestyle today!
