Weeds

“ Weeds to you.  Medicine to me.”  Rhonda L. Rusk 

Weeds are typically lower level plant life with the job of remedying  soil problems.  Weeds ability to take up various elements in excess and concentrate them is likely why they are medicinal.  Some weed notes:

• If the crop reaches a BRIX of 10-11%, many weeds do not survive in that soil.  Most weeds enjoy a soil that produces a plant of 3-6% BRIX. 
• Weeds enjoy a high Potassium, high Magnesium (salts) environment.
• Weeds tell the soil story or the condition of the soil. The further out of balance the soil gets, the lower level the weed form.  For example:
  • Danelions like a slight saturation of Potassium (salt) in the soil
  • Foxtail likes a high Potassium and Magnesium environment
  • Kochia scoporia thrives in a VERY high Potassium and Magnesium soil
  • When Potassium and Magnesium get too high for Kochia, NOTHING GROWS.
• Weeds typically signify a calcium deficency.
• If your weed problem is chickweed, lambsquarter or quack grass, your soil problems are minimal.

Every weed problem is like the cavalry trying to fix your soil problems. 
 
Quack grass will winter kill if tilled late in the fall.
 
Most weeds thrive in an environment of:

• LOW calcium (Ca)
• LOW phosphate (P2O5)
• HIGH potassium (K2O)
• HIGH magnesium (Mg)
• Soils LOW in humus 
  

INSECTS

“There are no insects above or below the ground that will feast on a plant that is 13%-14% BRIX”  Glen Rabenburg   

 
Within this statement lies the secret to insect control!  Insects have no pancreous, so can’t digest sugar.  If they do eat a high BRIX plant, the juices ferment within their bodies, and kills the insect. 
Sugar is Mother Nature’s natural insecticide.  In many cases, there is no need to grow plants with a 13-14% BRIX, simply need to grow plants with BRIX higher than the neighbors.
If plants get to 14%-15% BRIX, the insects won’t eat the crop, but will devour the weeds.
Isn’t nature wonderful?
A typical sugar dose for spray application is 1-2 pounds in 20 gallons of water for one acre.
If aphids are attacking the plants, could mean too much nitrogen. 

FUNGUS, BACTERIA, MOLD, & ALGAE

Fungus, bacteria, mold, and algae are the scum (lowest life form) of the earth!  Their job is to degrade sick, dead, and diseased organisms back to the soil – a job they do very well!  This low life form enjoys a low sugar and negatively charged environment.  99.8% of fungi, bacteria, mold, and algae disappear from the plant when the BRIX is higher than 7.
I may re-think my love of mushrooms as a culinary delight!