Be climate smart - let the weeds be useful

Do you hate everything called weeds? Then maybe it's time to think differently. Removed weeds like nettle, ground elder, and dandelion are an incredible resource. Many types of weeds are pure delicacies, and almost all can become fantastic plant fertilizer.

Written by: Liselotte Roll

Swedish garden inspirer, journalist and author of books about nature, cultivation and animals, such as "Soil", "Grow for insects" and "Chickens as a hobby".

This is the flatworm – and this is what you do if you find it

In recent months, flatworms have been discovered in plant deliveries from other countries. The Norwegian Environment Agency is urging all gardening and plant enthusiasts to help prevent its spread. The flatworm poses a threat to biodiversity and food chains if it establishes itself in the natural environment.

Pests and weeds

Ants in the garden - for better and for worse

If you look closely, they are there - the ants. Even though they can sometimes cause trouble, they are also very useful. Here we tell you more about how to live together with ants in the garden and how to get rid of them if they are in the way.

Pests and weeds

Slugs - how to get rid of them

It's just 'slurp' – and then the brown slugs have eaten the entire crop. For a couple of decades, brown slugs (also called the Spanish slug or Iberian slug) have become a major problem in our gardens. They spread rapidly and eat almost everything, but there are good opportunities to get rid of them. Here's how to do it.

Pests and weeds

This is how you weed the most common weeds

Ground elder, dandelion or moss? Weeds come in many forms. If you want to take control of your garden, it's important to take good care of the plants you want to keep - and not so much with the weeds. Shape your garden by weeding out the most common types of weeds with our tips!

Aphids - the hobby gardener's pest

Aphids are found in all gardens. They suck nutrients from the plants' leaves and make them weaker. If they become numerous, they can damage both flowering and crops. Here you will learn how to keep them in check in a sustainable way.

Pests and weeds

The cabbage grower's nightmare - cabbage butterflies, cabbage moths, and cabbage flies

It's not just us humans who appreciate cabbage – unfortunately, it's a favorite of many insects. Cabbage moths, sedge moths, rape moths and cabbage flies are some of those that like to munch on the leaves. To win the battle for your crops, they need to be fought early and aggressively. Here are some tricks that will help.

Pests and weeds

Eating weeds

Maybe the feeling about weeds is so-so in our garden, but if we start looking at the weeds with new eyes, there is a lot to gain - above all, we will find weeding more fun. In the past, it was common to eat weeds like ground elder and stinging nettle, and it's easy to understand why - it can be both useful and delicious. Many restaurants have recently taken up the tradition, and in larger food markets, edible weeds are sold at high prices.

Remove weeds by fertilizing the plants

If you do not want to eat your weeds, you can instead let it become new nutrients for the plants you grow. In order for the weeds not to spread, it is very important to eliminate the ability the weeds' seeds and roots have to grow. This can be done in several ways:

Seven types of weeds you can eat

Here are seven types of weeds that are easy to find and taste good.

Nettle

Suitable for soup, tea, and much more. Thin leaves taste the best.

Ground elder

Eaten like other cabbage varieties, in pies, pesto, and stews. Thin leaves are mildest in flavor.

Watercress

Used in salads, pies, and soups. Leaves or thin twigs have a nutty, pea-like taste.

Fat hen

Leaves from plants that have not flowered can be used in soups, stews, and salads. The plant's seeds can be eaten like quinoa.

Couch grass

The roots can be boiled into a sugar-rich syrup that can be used as a sweetener. Alternatively, they can be dried and ground into flour, then roasted into an interesting coffee substitute.

Dandelion

The entire plant is edible, but since it is bitter, usually only the petals are used, for example in jam or juice. The leaves become less bitter if you soak them in water for half an hour before cooking, and they work well in pesto, pie, and stews.

Wild garlic

The leaves have a hint of garlic flavor and are best eaten raw in salads and pesto, but they can also be used cooked like spinach. The flowers can be used for decoration.

Remember this before you eat weeds

Just pick varieties you are absolutely sure of what they are. Avoid pesticides - never pick near roads or fields that are sprayed. Avoid weeds that may contain high levels of nitrates, such as nettles that have grown near manure heaps. Do not give weeds with high nitrate content to children.

Remove weeds

The fermentation process kills the weeds and the roots of the weeds, and also benefits the microorganisms. Fermentation (lactic acid fermentation) can be done using bokashi powder or bokashi spray. One way to do it is to put the weeds in a bag and spray layers of bokashi spray while pressing the contents together to remove as much oxygen as possible. Then close the bag and wait for 2 to 4 weeks before burying the weed material in the soil.

Ferment the weeds

Many types of weeds can be used as mulch as long as they are dried first. But avoid weeds that have already produced seeds, it is better to ferment or let such plants rot.

Rot the weeds

Placing weeds in water and covering it until it becomes a rotten, but nutritious mash, you will get a fertilizer water where seeds and roots are neutralized. The rotting process takes about a week, but it may be wise to cut the weed residues to check that they are completely dead before using it. Fertilizer water should be mixed with at least ten parts of water and filtered before using it.

Put the weeds in the compost bin

In order to ensure that roots and weed seeds are neutralized, the compost must be well-maintained and burn well. This means that the decomposers and microorganisms must be working at full speed, and the material must be properly hot. Weeds should be placed in the middle of the compost, where the temperature is highest. However, it is safest to let the weeds rot before putting them in the compost, so you can be completely sure that the seeds and roots are dead. Also, remember that weeds can be reduced in other ways. For example, avoid bare soil where weed seeds can easily establish, and always strive for a fresh, airy soil that is easy to clean up.

Written by

Liselotte Roll, Swedish garden inspirator, journalist and author of books about nature, cultivation and animals, such as "Earth", "Cultivate for insects" and "Chickens as a hobby".