From weeds to adventitious

Long unpopular and a nightmare for vintners and gardeners, weeds were pulled up and destroyed at all costs. A magical product with Glyphosate was invented, and it would make life easier for everybody. However now we know the consequences.

Today, things are different. Weeds have become “adventitious” This word designates plants that don’t grow where they are not expected. We have learned to make them our allies by regulating their development. Since they indicate soil quality, these adventitious plants help us to know the structure and composition of the soil: daisies correspond to compacted soil while nettle indicate ground that is rich in nitrogen. We leave adventitious but regulate with slight loosening up of the soil around the vine. No harm to have adventitious if it doesn’t grow in the grapes, is our leitmotiv.

A complete generation of vintners don’t agree as they were told to eliminate the devil and even AOP still impose this ‘’weeding’’.

In any case often melliferous they promote biodiversity by attracting pollinating insects, and their roots loosen the soil. Since their leaves keep water from evaporating, they keep the ground cool in summer.

Since many years weeding is done mechanical. Wish we could transmit the wonderful smell of humus.