Reply #95: Weeds don't. [View All]

[Silverhair]

Fertilizer is needed only to change the soil chemistry to something more favorable to the crop that you want to grow. Growing crops for human food is energy intensive and fertilizer intensive.

But weeds thrive on tender loving neglect. You don't need to fertilize weeds. You don't need to prepare the soil. You don't need to plant them. You don't need pesticides either. The insects that are on the plants will be part of the biomass.

Allow the land to lie fallow, and every so often run a harvester over it to clip whatever nature puts up. Nature will put out a variety of plants too, unlike human single species food crop farming. Keep the harvester set a couple of feet above the ground so that much of the plant is left for the soil and for new growth.

OK, and your next objection is?