“Low biological activity is inherent in each weed problem … Each weed is keyed to a specific environment slotted for its proliferation.” So says Weeds — Control Without Poisons author Charles Walters. Further, calcium, magnesium, potassium and other elements in equilibrium are likely to roll back more weeds than all the available herbicides on the market.

Specifics on a hundred weeds, why they grow, what soil conditions spur them on or stop them, what they say about your soil, and how to control them without the obscene presence of poisons. All cross-referenced by scientific and various common names, and a pictorial glossary.

This book is a practical guide to identifying and using a wide range of edible varieties of weeds, and will appeal to gardeners, botanists, and horticulturalists, as well as to those with an interest in controlling their weeds in eco-friendly ways.

The main part of the book-“The Weeder’s Digest”-includes over forty-five species, with details of how to identify them and suggestions for using them for both cooking and making things. Included are the more common varieties, such as nettles, dandelions, chickweed, and elder, as well as the less common-for example, brookline and hairy bittercress. There is also a section on poisonous plants and those edible plants that should not be eaten to excess.