Before you get out the herbicides and lawn tools, learn about the various weed benefits and how they can help your lawn, garden, and environment.

Four Weed Benefits

While it may pain some gardeners to see a weed pop up in their lawn or garden, there are a few benefits of these plants. Before breaking out the chemicals to try and prevent or kill weeds, consider what good they can do. Some weeds can still add beauty to a lawn with colorful blooms, and others have more useful characteristics.

Stopping Soil Erosion with Weeds

Weeds act as a bandage to damaged soil. Wherever there’s a bare spot of lawn, you’ll notice weeds sprouting in and around it. This is nature’s way of shielding the topsoil so it’s not blown or washed away.

Any idle garden grows weeds as a cover crop. You’ll want to ensure the weeds are not poisonous or perennial. They can easily be cut before they start germinating and turned into compost.

Attracting Nutrients and Water

Obviously, weeds don’t need to be regularly fertilized or watered, but they still seem to thrive. This is because the roots reach down as far as 15 feet in the ground to find sustenance. When these weeds are turned to compost, they still carry the valuable nutrients they’ve brought up from deep in the soil. They also open up a route for proper drainage and for other plants and grass roots to occupy in search of underground reserves.

Benefit of Weeds on the Menu

Some weeds make their way into recipes for your favorite meals. Dandelion leaves, chick-weed, land cress, and sorrel have significant nutritional value. Try them sauteed in garlic and olive oil—two ingredients that can make just about anything taste better.

Other weeds are a pollinator’s paradise. Dandelion and clover flowers provide some of the first tastes of nectar all season.

Beneficial Weeds as Insect Control

Many weeds help control harmful insects or attract beneficial ones. Whether planted inside or just outside your garden, dandelion, milkweeds, and goldenrod are a few varieties that help repel certain lawn and garden pests or at least lure them away from valuable vegetables. Several flowering weeds also attract beneficial insects that prey on harmful ones.

Reconsidering Weed Control

Maybe now that you know some of their benefits, weeds may not look all that bad in your yard. However, if you notice any harmful weeds or want help trying to control the spread, contact Cardinal Lawns for assistance.