Most of us don’t like weeds in our gardens or farms, and once we see the weeds we always think about quick ways to get rid of them. This is because most of us are not aware of the great benefits that weeds can add to the soil and environment.

Therefore, it is advisable for every farmer or gardener to know the beneficial and dangerous weeds so that they can get rid of the bad weed and leave the beneficial one.

Below are some of the benefits of good weeds to your soil:

It protects the topsoil

Weeds like surges, chickweed, purslane, lamb’s quarters and ragweed are very important. They help in protecting the topsoil from being washed away by rainwater or blown away by the wind.

It brings up nutrients and water

Prickly lettuce, dandelions, wild amaranths, nightshades and more are weeds that have strong roots which can go deep into the ground. Weeds that have deep taproot can be essential for your garden; this is because they can help to bring nutrients from areas where many plants may not reach.

It is a good idea to compost the weeds on the soil because the nutrients absorbed by the weeds will be eventually be passed on other plants in your garden or farm. Weeds may also help to absorb metals hence stop erosion and add nutrients to your soil.

Weeds attract essential insects and drive away pests

Weeds like dandelion and goldenrod may help keep away pests like armyworms. And lamb’s quarters and rosa multiflora weeds will help by driving away insects like leaf miners and the Japanese beetles that may feed on your plants.

Dandelions and pennycress are very important to the soil because they play a critical role in attracting useful insects. Clover is another weed that can be used to attract earthworms to the soil, and at the same time, it can be used to scare way pets, including rabbits.

We also have weeds like amaranth, evening primrose, dandelions, wild mustard and Queen Anne’s lace that help to attract good insects and eliminate bad ones by feeding on them.