Weeds are the gardener’s worst enemies. They hinder the full development of garden crops and disfigure the appearance of the lawn on the plot. Many mechanical, technical, chemical, and folk methods have been invented to combat weeds, but it is better to choose the one that will cause the least harm to the soil cover and cultivated vegetation.
The benefits and harms of weeds
In botanical classification there is no concept of “weeds”.Gardeners gave this name to undesirable herbaceous species actively growing on lawns, flower beds, and beds. In nature, these herbs are useful and are an important part of ecosystems, but in the garden they try their best to get rid of them.
Weeds cause the following harm:
- intercept moisture and nutrition from cultivated species, which reduces yields by up to 50%;
- tall weeds shield low-growing crops from sunlight;
- some weed species are parasites that extract juices from cultivated plants;
- dense thickets in the beds prevent air from circulating, which increases the likelihood of infectious diseases;
- among the weeds there are poisonous species that grow in forage grasses and cereals, dangerous for animals and humans;
- weeds, relatives of agricultural plants, pollinate them, which is why varietal qualities deteriorate;
- Many weeds are carriers of infection and pests.
But among weeds there are species that are beneficial and used by humans:
- some herbs can provide protection against insect pests (yarrow, nettle);
- dandelion growing next to cucumber beds improves fruit development;
- Among the medicinal herbs, chamomile, St. John's wort, coltsfoot should be noted;
- some weeds are eaten (burdock rhizome, young nettle, quinoa, dandelion);
- plucked plants, if they have not yet produced seeds, can not be disposed of, but used to prepare compost.
The quality of the soil can be determined by the prevailing wild herbs (hodgepodge grows in saline areas, horsetail and fern grow in acidic areas, wormwood grows in dry areas, nettle and quinoa grow in fertile areas).
Features of weed control
Today, in the countryside, weeds are controlled using mechanical and chemical methods.In the first case, mowing and weeding are implied. You should not hope that the problem will disappear after the first event. The struggle must be waged continuously.
Principles of weed control:
- Do not use a shovel, which can damage cultivated plants or cut weed roots.
- During the work, it is important to avoid severe soil disturbance.
- Harmful herbs are carefully removed by the roots, even the smallest pieces of roots are removed from the ground, otherwise the plant will quickly restore the above-ground part.
- Tear the plants out of the ground carefully so that the seeds do not scatter throughout the beds.
- The torn plants are not left in the garden, but are disposed of.
Herbicides are used for chemical control. They are effective even in advanced cases, but they should be used carefully, strictly following the instructions. Processing is carried out in calm, dry weather.
They work in protective equipment: rubber gloves, a respirator.
Ways to control weeds
Many methods have been invented to combat weeds. Each gardener chooses the most convenient and acceptable.
Traditional
Many summer residents consider this method the best of those that are carried out without chemicals. Digging is the only effective option for removing perennial weeds with a developed root system and resistance to chemicals. The work is labor-intensive and painstaking, but it is taken on when other methods of struggle are powerless.
At the first stage, a fork, a cultivator, and a tractor are used. At the second stage, weed roots are manually removed from the dug up soil.
A fence can be erected in a weed-free area. The row-spacing protective strip is a 15 cm deep ditch into which slate or metal plates are inserted.
Chemical
Herbicides are highly effective and fast-acting, but toxic to nature and humans, substances that reduce soil quality. Therefore, they are used only in advanced situations.
Drugs are divided into two categories:
- continuous action - killing all vegetation, suitable for processing uncultivated, abandoned land;
- selective action - destroying specific types of weeds without affecting cultivated vegetation.
You can get rid of weeds using the following popular drugs:
- Tornado;
- Lapis lazuli;
- Roundup;
- Ground;
- Agrokiller.
Biological
Plant organisms need sunlight to develop. In the dark, biochemical processes in the internal tissues of plants stop, and the root system dies. Therefore, light deprivation is a good way to kill weeds without herbicides.
For this purpose, geotextiles are used - a special material for covering the soil surface. It does not rot, does not deteriorate from frost and heat. The canvas is placed on the beds, holes are made in it, through which cultivated plants pass into the light, and weeds remain in the dark.
If you do not want to use synthetic material, then you can cover the ground with mulch: sawdust, hay, bark. The layer should be thick, at least 5 cm, so that weeds do not break through it.
Substitute
After harvesting in the garden, there comes a favorable time for the development of weeds, because there is empty land all around. To prevent the proliferation of weeds, you should sow green manure plants:
- clover;
- rape;
- vetch;
- lupine;
- mustard.
Green manure is useful because:
- after digging they become a good natural fertilizer;
- when mowed and dried, they can be used as mulch;
- rapeseed and mustard secrete glycosides - compounds that have a herbicidal effect;
- They also secrete essential oils that repel insects and inhibit the development of fungal infections.
Alcoholic
The method invented by the Americans is not cheap. You need to purchase medical alcohol, dilute it with water in a ratio of 1 to 10. Treat the beds only between the rows, where weeds usually grow. For 2 acres they take 11 liters.
Fiery
Use a blowtorch. Removal of grass is carried out before the sown cultural seeds peck.
Harmful plants are burned out with fire, processed evenly, and do not linger in one place. After the event, the ground is watered abundantly.
Exhaustive
If the above-ground part of any plant is damaged, this will negatively affect the root system. If you cut off all the shoots, then to restore the plant will be forced to take nutrients from the roots. Mowing the weeds on the site must be done regularly, and then the food reserves in the roots will be depleted and the plants will wither.
Folk remedies
Previously, gardeners did not have chemicals and equipment; they had to invent means of control. Some folk remedies turned out to be so effective that they are still used today. They are chosen by summer residents who want to control weeds without weeding and without chemicals.
Popular recipes:
- Take a glass of 9% vinegar, a tablespoon of salt, and dishwashing detergent. Salt and vinegar are mixed thoroughly. Add detergent. Stir until a homogeneous liquid solution is obtained. They spray weeds in the evening.
- You can remove weeds from an area where there are no plantings by sprinkling salt on the pre-moistened soil.
- Make a highly concentrated soda solution and add a little soap. The product is used to water the weeds.All vegetation from this area will disappear, if not forever, then for a long time, since alkali negatively affects growth processes.
- A small amount of weeds can be poured with boiling water or hot fat remaining after frying in a frying pan.
Preventive measures
Preventing the appearance of weeds is easier than exterminating them. To reduce the likelihood of a problem, you need to follow the following preventive rules:
- Before use, compost or manure should be covered with polyethylene and left so throughout the summer. In rotting fertilizer, due to excessive heat generation, weed seeds die.
- A similar procedure is carried out on vegetable beds: they are covered with film 2-3 weeks before sowing so that the seeds in the soil die.
- On crops of small-seeded crops, before emergence, transverse harrowing is carried out to protect against weeds.
- Mown plants with seeds should not be given to livestock without steaming. Many seeds remain alive even after passing through the animal’s digestive system, ending up in manure, and germinating again.
Keeping your garden clean is a difficult task. Fortunately, the arsenal of the fight is large: summer residents choose the simplest and most convenient methods for themselves. For greater efficiency, experienced gardeners advise acting comprehensively.
