Oxalis, popularly called hare cabbage, is a widespread herbaceous plant grown for ornamental purposes, for use in cooking and for the preparation of medicines. In the garden, the grass looks nice, but it multiplies at a crazy speed, causing gardeners to clutch their heads. There are several methods to quickly get rid of sorrel, but you will have to tinker.
What does the plant look like?
Oxalis is a herbaceous perennial belonging to the Oxalis family.The species got its name because the leaves have a pleasant sour taste and are suitable for food. This quality of sorrel is due to the high concentration of ascorbic and oxalic acid in plant tissues.
Characteristics of the type:
- stem height – 5-10 cm;
- leaves are small, triangular or heart-shaped, connected in threes, rich green, silver-green, red, purple or violet (shape and color depend on the variety);
- the flowers are small, with five petals (different varieties have white, yellow, pink, lilac);
- the root system is creeping, developed;
- fruits are formed in spring and summer.
The leaves fold at night and open when morning comes. Garden sour is more frost-resistant than its forest relative.
Why is the weed dangerous?
Many people grow wood sorrel in their garden for decorative purposes. But the problem is that the plant reproduces at an incredible rate. The fruits of sorrel are pod-pods, which, when opening, spread a huge number of small achenes, similar to poppy seeds. The seeds are carried by the wind at a distance of up to 1.5 m, and once in the ground, they sprout in a short time.
Such fertility leads to the fact that, in the absence of control and preventive measures, the plant covers a significant area in a dense carpet. In one growing season, hare cabbage can occupy an area of 1 m2. After a few seasons, above-ground shoots will cover the entire garden plot.
If sorrel grows on a neighbor’s plot, then it will certainly appear on yours, since seed transfer is airborne.
How to get rid of sorrel on the site
Preventing the appearance of wood sorrel is easier than fighting it. But if the weed has already appeared, you will have to work hard to clean the area.There are mechanical, chemical and folk methods of getting rid of harmful grass.
Herbicide use
The use of agrochemicals is an undesirable measure, but it cannot be avoided if the weed has grown rapidly. The herbicide Roundup and drugs with a similar chemical composition are effective against wood sorrel. Treat the affected area in spring or autumn.
Many gardeners have a negative attitude towards herbicides. After all, these are potent toxins, and the area of hare cabbage must be treated carefully and intensively.
Mechanically
The most common method and supported by many gardeners is mechanical. Repeated and frequent weeding is used when the soil is dry and the weed species has not yet entered the flowering period.
You need to remove the roots carefully, trying to pull even the smallest ones out of the ground. It’s easier to pull out grown, elongated stems that are preparing to form buds; they are no longer so fragile and break off less often. And weeding very small sprouts is a tedious task. The dug up weeds are carefully raked, trying not to leave roots and shoots on the ground, and disposed of.
It is not advisable to throw sorrel into the compost heap. Its roots are incredibly resilient. Being among rotting plant debris, they are able to remain alive for 2 years. If you use such compost on your site, you will soon have to deal with weeds again.
Folk remedies
Experienced gardeners offer several effective ways to destroy weeds:
- Mow emerging flower stalks.
- Mulch the affected area with a dark cloth. You can use lightproof agrofibre Agrotex.
- Liberally lime the soil. Oxalis cannot tolerate lime and dies quickly.
- Create natural shading that does not allow light-loving wood sorrel to develop. For this purpose, tall and bushy cultivated species are planted in the affected area, the branches of which shield the soil surface from sunlight.
- Regularly and generously water with strong tea leaves.
Preventive measures
To avoid damage to the area by weeds:
- They pull out weeds by the roots, preventing them from blooming and producing seeds. Oxalis must be removed before the seed pods appear, since even immature achenes can germinate.
- Removed weeds do not leave to dry out in the beds.
- Do not dump collected plants into a compost heap. The spread of seeds with organic fertilizer is even faster than with the wind.
- The decorative wood sorrel growing in the flower bed is periodically mowed down almost to the root. They do not allow it to bloom, otherwise the seeds will spread to the beds.
Plant varieties with purple and violet leaves do not tolerate direct sunlight.
Common mistakes gardeners make
Many gardeners make mistakes when growing ornamental wood sorrel, which results in the area becoming overgrown:
- It is impossible to provide oxalis with a sufficient level of soil moisture. In dry soil, thin roots dry out, so to curb the spread of the weed, low humidity should be maintained.
- You should not create flower beds next to the beds. The best option is if there is asphalt or concrete covering around the flowerbed.
- When weeding, it is advisable to work with a pitchfork rather than a shovel. The blade of the shovel can cut the roots, and new plants will sprout from the pieces left in the soil.
Growing in a personal plot, hare cabbage interferes with the normal development of garden crops. To fight the weed you will have to be patient.And gardeners who want to plant an ornamental variety in their flowerbeds should think carefully.
