The Power of Plant Families, Succession, and Weeds as Indicators

In regenerative farming systems, species diversity is not just a numbers game - it’s about functional diversity. Selecting plants from different families isn’t done for aesthetics, but because each family contributes something distinct and valuable to soil, livestock, and long-term resilience. Alongside this, understanding natural succession - including the role of weeds - helps guide decisions on what to sow, when, and why.

Why Plant Family Diversity Matters

Each plant family contributes unique functions that support ecosystem balance. When building a pasture or cover cropping system, aiming for at least five distinct plant families helps ensure multiple ecosystem services are covered, such as:

Succession: From Weeds to Functional Pasture

In nature, succession is the gradual shift from opportunistic species (weeds) toward a stable, resilient ecosystem. In degraded or bare soils, weeds are first responders. They play a role - but they also offer clues.

Early succession (Weedy phase): Species like fat hen, wireweed, or amaranthus may dominate. These weeds thrive in low organic matter, compacted, or bacterially dominant soils. Their presence indicates disturbance and a lack of nutrient cycling or microbial support.

Mid-succession: Grasses and legumes start to establish. Root exudates begin to shift microbial populations. Fungi begin to colonise the root zone.

Late succession: Deep-rooted perennials, broadleaves, and herbaceous forbs thrive. Mycorrhizal networks develop. Nutrient cycling stabilises, and weed pressure drops.

Strategic sowing of multi-family, diverse pasture mixes mimics and accelerates this natural process, guiding land from weed-dominance to functional, stable pasture.

What Weeds Are Telling You

Weeds are often symptoms, not causes. Their presence is diagnostic:

Rather than fighting weeds with chemicals, a regenerative approach reads these indicators and corrects the underlying conditions - often through diverse, functional planting.

Why Aim for 5+ Plant Families?

Aiming for five or more plant families ensures you cover key ecological functions:

• Nutrient cycling (legumes, forbs)
• Soil structure improvement (brassicas, grasses)
• Carbon input (grasses, deep-rooted herbs)
• Pest & disease suppression (brassicas, diversity itself)
• Animal health (tannins, minerals, variety of forage)
  
  

This mirrors natural ecosystems and buffers the system against drought, disease, overgrazing, and market fluctuations.

Takeaway for Farmers

Use weed presence as soil diagnostics, not just a problem list. Don’t oversow with just ryegrass and clover - this may feed animals, but won’t build the soil. Target at least five plant families, combining grasses, legumes, brassicas, herbs, and flowering species. Sow in alignment with succession principles - early colonisers build the stage for deeper, slower species. Design for function first, yield second - the long-term pasture will outperform a short-term boost.

Final Word

A well-designed, multi-family mix is more than a feed source - it’s a tool to repair soil, build resilience, and restore balance. By understanding the functions of each family and working with natural succession instead of against it, farmers can regenerate not only pastures - but profits and landscapes.