Kitchen Garden Forum

I know weeds can be a pain, and yes they can be invasive and time consuming, and tenacious, but I am learning not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. I can understand why you might be tempted to throw them out in the council bin ... but why not stop a moment and pause to consider what you are actually throwing away ?
All these weeds have taken nutrients from our garden soil simply to grow and reproduce, even more they have manufactured more nutrients from the sun adding generously to the nutrients they consumed.
A few of the more well known ones ---

Dandelion - rich in iron, sodium, potash, phosphate.

Chamomile rich in iron, calcium, phosphate, sulphur.

Yarrow - rich in iron, calcium, potash, phosphate, nitrogen,sulphur.

Stinging nettle - rich in iron, nitrogen.

Comfrey - rich in nitrogen and potash.

like a horse and carriage compost and weeds belong together, you can even make a compost activator from then for free.
Mineral rich herbs like nettles, dandelion, chicory, and salad burnet will also act as compost activators.
Comfrey is an excellent addition to the compost heap. It has a carbon/nitrogen ratio very close to that of manure. chamomile, yarrow and valerian also act as as ‘compost plants’.

perhaps instead of weeding I am gathering valuable nutrients to return to the soil ? Perhaps instead of doing battle with weeds I might manage them .... hmmmmn.... if I am vigilant perhaps i can harvest the nutrients before they seed, human nature being what it is there will be some escapees to continue the cycle

Is that two.species of Dandelion?

Thank you for picking up on that Peter, I edited the duplicate out. ops :lol actually there are at least 60 different species of dandelion and some say up to 235 species recorded in the UK!

http://schools-wikipedia.org/wp/d/Dandelion.htm

i think i had all of them in my garden when we moved in but hard work and lots of weed and feed has left me with a lovely lawn.

Hi NB,
To me a Dandelion is a Dandelion and there might be great variation throughout the land but unless you are a quite skilled Botanist I very much doubt you or I would see the variations.
When you compost them what do you do with the root?
Please tell me you don't make Ersatz Coffee!
JB.

I had noticed variations Johnboy, years in nursing taught me to be observant, but I didn't realise that there were quite so many. As to the
Ersatz Coffee! I am game to try anything once! However they are often fed to my chickens, if in a convenient place, leaving the roots to produce more leaves.

Nature's Babe wrote:Ersatz Coffee! I am game to try anything once!

Hi NB

Here's how to make it. Go on, give it a try.

http://www.eatweeds.co.uk/dandelion-root-coffee-recipe

Alan, just checking, LD50?
Correct me if I'm wrong, that means the quantity at which half the test subjects die and half survive.

Isn't it a strong diuretic as well.

I have drunk Ersatz Coffee once and once only made from Dandelion roots and also an Ersatz Coffee made from Ground Elder Roots which made me vomit about 5 minutes after imbibing. Just do not go there it simply isn't worth the trouble to make!
JB.

I wasn't born yesterday, and Alan is pretty transparent I have actually tried it from a health food shop and I seem to remember it had chicory in it too, however I am rather fond of real coffee.
Nettle beer is nice and refreshing in the summer.

Nipplewort is a big problem here - now I find I can eat it.

http://www.eatweeds.co.uk/nipplewort-recipe#more-1078

I'm getting to like this website more and more.

http://www.eatweeds.co.uk/

Definitely not for the squeemish, did you try the snails Alan ? As a child I knew a little italian boy who made us all feel quite sick by letting snails crawl on his tongue ! You are welsh ... and not italian ?