A well-groomed lawn is an excellent solution for a large local area. Soft grass, the opportunity to walk barefoot, easy care, all this attracts a huge number of people. However, summer residents often have a question about how to get rid of ivy bud on the lawn. Let's figure out what kind of plant this is, whether it is dangerous or useful, and how to remove the weed from the area.
Appearance
The plant has a huge number of names - mole grass, mole grass, catnip, wallflower. Budra belongs to perennial herbaceous plants of the Lamiaceae family.The long, tenacious stems of the plant (20-60 centimeters) spread along the ground, the budra forms a dense carpet, not allowing other plants to break through.
The plant is called catnip or dognip for its faint minty aroma, characteristic of budra. The rectangular stem, heart-shaped, slightly hairy leaves with wavy edges and small flowers make the plant very attractive. Small funnel-shaped flowers can be lilac, lilac or purple, and the inflorescences dot the top of the plant. It begins to bloom in early June and fades in July. It reproduces by seeds and stem layering, so it spreads very quickly throughout the area. After flowering, the plant forms an oval fruit, similar to a small nut, which, when fully ripe, breaks into 4 segments.
Budra is an excellent honey plant and has medicinal properties. Thanks to all these qualities, landscape designers often use budra to create compositions on the site. But, having settled on the lawn, the weed does not allow the soft grass to develop normally and spoils the appearance.
Shaded areas with fertile, moist soil are optimal for its development; budra grows well on almost all continents. The weed is toxic to domestic and farm animals.
Why is the weed dangerous?
It must be remembered that budra is a poisonous plant. In people prone to allergic reactions, proximity to it can cause a runny nose, increased lacrimation, and in severe cases, pulmonary edema. The aroma of weed sometimes causes dizziness, excessive sweating and headaches.
How to get rid of ivy bud?
To make your lawn happy with a continuous grass cover, without weeds and bald spots, you need to take into account several subtleties:
- it is not placed in the shade;
- do not over-moisten the soil when watering;
- periodically apply fertilizers to ensure the availability of nutrients in the required volume;
- Do not cut the grass too low when mowing the lawn.
Possessing a powerful root system, budra actively draws moisture and nutrients from the soil, preventing lawn grass from growing normally. You can pull it out with your hands, but if the plant has grown, it is more difficult to get rid of it.
There are several varieties of modern herbicides that quickly eliminate weeds. To combat ivy bud, the following are suitable: “Tornado”, “Roundup” - drugs containing glyptosate or triclopyr as the active substance. The drugs are used according to the manufacturer's instructions, without exceeding the recommended dosage and observing safety precautions. The herbicide is used once per season, in the spring (to cope with young shoots) or in the fall (to destroy the weed and prevent it from growing the next year).
It was experimentally found that budra does not tolerate exposure to sodium tetraborate (borax). The product is safe for lawn grass, not as toxic as herbicides, and can be purchased at any pharmacy or hardware store.
Deep digging of the site in the fall, with manual removal of the remains of bud and roots, is a labor-intensive task, but can get rid of the weed.
Could it be useful?
Catnip is used in folk medicine. It is known to have anti-inflammatory, wound-healing, and antiseptic effects.
Important: you should use this plant with extreme caution so that it does not cause more harm than good. For abscesses, non-healing purulent wounds, boils, lotions from a decoction or infusion of ivy bud are used.
The herb can be purchased at a pharmacy; the packaging of the product contains information about the purpose of the drug and the rules of use. Budra is used for bronchitis, cough, gallstones, and some gynecological diseases.
