Getting into the Weeds

By Keisha Ernst, the Compost Academy

Today I want to talk about weeds.

Glyphosate and other herbicides became popular for a real reason: they work. They kill plants more effectively and efficiently than almost any other tool. But as we all know, that effectiveness comes with a long list of consequences that ripple through the ecosystem. From the soil microbiome to water, wildlife, and the human consumer, the damage does not stop with the weed.

At the Compost Academy, one of the most common questions we get is: what do we do about weeds? And the honest answer is that this part of the process is rarely instant or easy.

When people begin rebuilding biology in depleted soil, they are often surprised to find that weeds can actually thrive in the early stages of transition. Sometimes they get bigger, stronger, and more aggressive than they were before. That can feel discouraging, but it makes sense. These plants have always existed in relationship with soil microbes. Many of them are early successional plants, built to move into disturbed ground quickly, spread fast, and make seed.

At the same time, as biology returns, the soil begins to change in ways that ultimately work in our favor. Compacted ground starts to loosen. Structure improves. Water moves differently. Roots can travel more easily. That thistle or bindweed that used to feel impossible to pull can eventually become much easier to remove simply because the soil is no longer acting like concrete.

As the soil food web develops, we also start to see a shift in plant competition. As fungal and bacterial communities diversify, and as predatory organisms become more established, the crops or desired plants we are trying to grow often become more vigorous. Over time, healthier, better-supported plants can compete more effectively for light, space, water, and nutrients. It becomes easier to grow a thriving pasture, orchard floor, or forested system than it is to grow a field of tumbleweeds.

But there is still an in-between stage, and that is where management matters.

During transition, weed control usually asks more of us. It asks for timing, observation, and consistency. The goal is to cut, graze, burn, mulch, or remove weeds before they become deeply established and before they go to seed. Small weeds are easier to manage. Young root systems are easier to disrupt. Preventing seed set is huge. A lot can be accomplished with carefully timed mowing, hand removal, targeted burning where appropriate, tarping, grazing, or repeated cutting.

This is also the stage where it helps to stop expecting a single silver bullet. In a biological system, weed management is often about stacking tools. Maybe that means improving irrigation so your desired plants have a better shot. Maybe it means getting cover on bare soil fast. Maybe it means using mulch to block light. Maybe it means adjusting timing so you are not always reacting after the weeds are already mature.

It is also worth remembering that weeds are often telling the truth about the land. They can point to compaction, bare ground, excess disturbance, low cover, mineral imbalance, or a system stuck in early succession. That does not mean we leave them there and call it good. But it does mean they have something to teach us if we are willing to look.

A biological transition is not about doing nothing and hoping the microbes magically handle every problem by next month. It is about rebuilding function while managing the reality in front of us. Over time, good biology can absolutely reduce weed pressure by creating conditions that favor stronger, more competitive, more stable plant communities. But getting there usually requires patience and smart intervention in the meantime.

So yes, weeds can get worse before they get better. That is often part of the story. But if we understand what stage we are in, work with good timing, and stay consistent, we can move through that messy middle without reaching for tools that set the whole ecosystem back.

Related blog post: Farmers Test Whether Cardboard Can Keep Bindweed at Bay