Less well known dynamic accumulators
Although comfrey is a
well-known dynamic accumulator, there are plenty of other plants which
serve a similar function. The Oregon Biodynamic Group has a very
useful table of dynamic
accumulators and the micronutrients they concentrate.
Reading over the chart, I'm drawn to two weeds which already grow well
in my "yard" --- broadleaf plantain and dandelions. Both
accumulate six (or
more) micronutrients and spring right back after hard cutting.
Plantain has the added bonus of growing very well in high traffic areas
where most plant life fades away.
In fact, between harvesting comfrey,
dandelions, and plantain, I'd come up with all except four of the 15
listed micronutrients. With the help our our new mulching
lawnmower,
I've been adding cuttings from these and other weeds around the base of
our strawberries and tomatoes to help the soil rebound. I also
feed my soil
manure, which is reported to be a good source of all micronutrients
except boron and zinc.
I'm as guilty as everyone else of thinking "nitrogen, nitrogen,
nitrogen!" But just as I'd never serve a meal without some fruits
or vegetables on the side, I think we need to stay aware of
micronutrients as we feed our gardens.
| This post is part of our Micronutrient lunchtime series.
Read all of the entries: |
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About us: Anna Hess and Mark Hamilton spent over a decade living self-sufficiently in the mountains of Virginia before moving north to start over from scratch in the foothills of Ohio. They've experimented with permaculture, no-till gardening, trailersteading, home-based microbusinesses and much more, writing about their adventures in both blogs and books.
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