Fresh From The Farm: Watching For Weeds

   Your mind is a garden. You can grow weeds or you can grow seeds. I remember my mom saying something to that effect recently. Oh, how true it is. Watching for weeds in our minds is a lot like watching for weeds in the garden.
   A friend was recently visiting my garden and as we walked around and talked I would reach down and pull any weeds that I saw popping up. He remarked on how I really hated weeds. Well, it's not so much that I hate them, it's just that it's easiest to get them while they are little. Their roots aren't established and deep yet and you can usually just pull them right out.
   But what exactly is a weed anyway? A weed is simply a plant growing in the wrong place. With that definition, anything can be a weed. So how do we determine what is a weed in our own garden? Is it useful? Does it have a purpose? Maybe it's medicinal? The bees and butterflies might love it. Those are all somewhat good reasons to leave a plant where it is. But then we have to look at the negative effects it may have. Is it invasive? Is it going to drop millions of seeds? Are the roots going to become so thick and strong that we may never get it gone? Is it toxic? Those may need to go.
   I recently let some Bidens alba grow at the front of my garden. The bees love it, it’s edible, and it has some medicinal benefits. But it spread really fast and when I finally decided it was time to rip it out, it was a huge job that proved much harder than I anticipated. Plus, I had already let it go to seed, so I will be dealing with this plant for many seasons to come. All because I didn’t think ahead about what I was allowing to stay in my garden. It really was silly to leave it since it grows wild everywhere and I could always harvest it whenever I want by just taking a walk.
   Learning to recognize weeds when they are little and easy to control is super important. There are a few ways to do this. The best way may be to spend some time with a knowledgeable gardener pulling weeds. Many weeds look pretty innocent when they are little, but a trained eye can tell that they will be grown one day and do some damage. There are apps that you can also use. Just take a picture and see what it says. I don’t find the apps to be correct all the time so do some extra research after you get a name. I’m sure there are books on weeds and, of course, websites that you can use.
   Paying attention to the growth pattern of things is a good indicator of what you want to leave or take out. Unless you plant it or really want it, anything that runs isn't a great thing to leave in the garden. Especially things that run deep in the soil. I am currently battling torpedo grass. As the name implies, it sends sharp-ended runners several inches below the soil surface to pop up in unexpected places. Once it's established it is incredibly hard to eradicate. One method I have had good results with is choking and shading it out with a heavy cover of some chosen crops.
   When you remove the weeds, it’s important to put something back in its place. Either mulch or another plant or ground cover will do. If you leave that soil exposed and bare then nature will fill it with something. It’s not likely to be something that we actually want growing there.
   I think about my mind being a garden a lot when I am pulling weeds. Just like we need to be on watch for potential weeds popping up or being brought into our garden, we need to be protecting our minds as well. Are we allowing seemingly harmless things to take up space there? Have we thought about what a simple act might turn into if it becomes a habit? Am I protecting my mind from things that could grow deep roots and become a problem for a long time? Or potentially steal my peace, joy, contentment, or relationships. What about what we are watching or allowing our little ones to see this time of year? Our minds are gardens…what kind of seeds are we allowing to be sown there?
   One last tip. Fighting weeds is best done on your knees. No matter the kind, whether they are in your garden or in your mind. Don’t be afraid to get down and get your hands dirty. Have a bucket to throw them all in and put them in the compost. You can always turn those weeds into something useful. Until next time, watch out for those weeds and get them gone when they are small and don’t have deep roots.