Commelina cyanea
Know your weeds better !
Oct 13, 2020.
Commelina top, and Tradescantia bottom, compared.Regenerative gardening activity
6
Commelina cyanea is a weed I've been pulling out for years. I did not know what it was. I called it wandering jew, when its common name is scurvy weed, for a reason.
Part of having a regenerative garden is to be curious about your weeds and use Google. I didn't.
Last season it was rampant in my top bed and I pulled it all out on one day, and learned a terrible lesson. The soil was naked for months and I did not have enough other plants to go in there instead to cover the ground. I mulched heavily but the few plants that were there suffered and were thirsty and sad. The year before, this bed was my most fertile bed.
Only last week I took my own advice, I set out to identify the 'weed' and googled its uses. I found out that it is not what I thought it was. It is not Tradescantia, also known as wandering jew, but scurvy weed, so called because it is so high in anti-oxidants like vitamin C that it kept Captain Cooke's crews alive, according to legend. It is enjoyed by foragers in Australia where it is a native.
What a discovery ! Till last week it was my worst enemy and now I find I've been ripping out my most prolific vegetable for years. I have not eaten it yet, but I will.
Why is knowing your weeds soil-regenerative ? Because you are less likely to rip them out if you know they are useful. Removal disturbs the soil microbiome and in addition this one is a ground cover that protects the soil, and there are few ground covers in many vegetable gardens. Furthermore many weeds have a soil regenerative purpose. They are often there because something is needed in the soil and they are doing repair work.
 Commelina flower massed Commelina |
 Tradescantia flower massed Tradescantia |
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