How best to deal with weeds: methods of disposal, drugs and folk remedies

Weeds are the worst enemies of the gardener. They prevent the full development of garden crops, disfigure the appearance of the lawn in the backyard. Many mechanical, technical, chemical, folk methods have been invented, how to deal with 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

There is no concept of "weeds" in the botanical classification. Gardeners gave this name to undesirable herbaceous species that actively grow on lawns, flower beds, and beds.In nature, these herbs are useful, they are an important part of ecosystems, but in the garden they are trying their best to get rid of them.

Weeds cause the following harm:

• intercept moisture and nutrition from cultivated species, due to which the yield is reduced by up to 50%;
• tall weeds obscure low-growing crops from sunlight;
• some weed species are parasites that draw juices from cultivated plants;
• dense growth in the beds interferes with air circulation, which increases the likelihood of infectious diseases;
• among the weeds there are poisonous species growing in forage grasses and cereals, dangerous for animals and humans;
• weed relatives of agricultural plants pollinate them, which worsens varietal qualities;
• many weeds are carriers of infection and pests.

But among the weeds there are species that are beneficial for human use:

• some herbs can be a defense against insect pests (yarrow, nettle);
• dandelion growing next to cucumber beds improves fruit development;
• from medicinal herbs it should be noted chamomile, St. John's wort, coltsfoot;
• some weeds are eaten (burdock rhizome, young nettle, quinoa, dandelion);
• uprooted plants, if they have not yet given seeds, can not be disposed of, but used for composting.

The quality of the soil can be determined by the prevailing wild herbs (s altwort grows in a saline place, horsetail and fern in an acidic place, wormwood in an overdried one, nettle and quinoa in a fertile one).

Features of weed control

Today, in the country, weeds are fought with mechanical and chemical methods. In the first case, mowing and weeding are implied. Do not hope that the problem will disappear after the first event. The struggle has to be waged continuously.

Weed control principles:

1. Do not use a shovel that can damage crops, cut weed roots.
2. In the course of work, it is important to avoid severe disturbance of the soil.
3. Remove harmful herbs carefully, with the root, even the smallest pieces of roots are taken out of the ground, otherwise the plant will quickly restore the aerial part.
4. Tear plants out of the ground carefully so that the seeds do not scatter over the beds.
5. The uprooted plants are not left in the garden, but disposed of.

Herbicides are used for chemical control. They are effective even in a neglected case, but they should be used carefully, strictly following the instructions. Processing is carried out in calm, dry weather.

Work in protective equipment: rubber gloves, respirator.

Ways to control weeds

Many methods of weed control have been invented. Each gardener chooses the most convenient and acceptable.

Traditional

Many summer residents consider this method the best of those that are carried out without chemistry. Digging is the only effective option for removing perennial weeds with a developed root system and resistance to chemicals. The work is laborious, painstaking, but they are accepted for it when other methods of struggle are powerless.

At the first stage, a pitchfork, a cultivator, a tractor are used. At the second stage, weed roots are manually removed from the dug up earth.

A fence can be placed on a weed-free area. A row spacing protection strip is a 15 cm deep ditch into which slate or metal plates are inserted.

Chemical

Herbicides - highly effective and fast-acting, but toxic to nature and humans, substances that reduce soil quality. Therefore, they are used only in a neglected situation.

Drugs are divided into two categories:

• solid action - killing all vegetation, suitable for cultivating uncultivated, abandoned land;
• selective action - destroying specific types of weeds, not affecting cultivated vegetation.

You can get rid of weeds with the help of the following popular drugs:

• Tornado;
• Lapis Lazuli;
• Roundup;
• Ground;
• Agrokiller.

Biological

For development, plant organisms need sunlight. In the dark, biochemical processes stop in the internal tissues of plants, 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 to the light, and the weeds remain in the dark.

If there is no desire to use synthetic material, then you can cover the ground with mulch: sawdust, hay, bark. The layer must 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 reproduction of weeds, green manure plants should be sown:

• clover;
• rapeseed;
• wiki;
• lupine;
• mustard.

Siderates are useful because:

• after digging, they become a good natural fertilizer;
• can be used as mulch when cut and dried;
• rapeseed and mustard produce 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. Only the aisles are processed on the beds, where weeds usually germinate. For 2 acres they take 11 liters.

Fiery

Use a blowtorch. Grass removal is carried out before the sown cultivated seeds hatch.

Harmful plants burn out with fire, process evenly, do not linger in one place. After the event, the land is watered abundantly.

Depleting

If the aerial part of any plant is damaged, this will negatively affect the root system. If you cut off all the shoots, then the plant will be forced to take nutrients from the roots to restore. Mowing weeds on the site should be carried out regularly, and then the food reserves in the roots will be depleted, the plants will wither.

Folk remedies

Before, gardeners did not have chemicals and equipment, they had to invent means of struggle. Some folk remedies turned out to be so effective that they are still used today. They are chosen by summer residents who want to overcome weeds without weeding, without chemicals.

Popular recipes:

1. Take a glass of 9% vinegar, a tablespoon of s alt, dishwashing detergent. S alt and vinegar are thoroughly mixed. Add detergent. Stir until a homogeneous liquid solution is obtained. They are sprayed with weeds in the evening.
2. You can remove weeds in an area where there are no plantings by sprinkling s alt on the pre-moistened soil.
3. Make a highly concentrated soda solution, add some soap. Means watered weeds. Any vegetation from this area will disappear, if not forever, then for a long time, since alkali negatively affects growth processes.
4. A small amount of weeds can be poured over with boiling water or hot fat left after frying in a pan.

Preventive measures

Preventing weeds is easier than exterminating them. To reduce the likelihood of a problem, you need to follow the following preventive rules:

1. Before using compost or manure should be covered with polyethylene, leave it all summer. In rotten fertilizer, due to excess heat, weed seeds die.
2. A similar procedure is carried out on vegetable beds: they are covered with a film 2-3 weeks before sowing so that the seeds in the soil die.
3. On crops of small-seeded crops, before germination, transverse harrowing is carried out to protect against weeds.
4. Mowed plants with seeds should not be given to livestock without steaming. Many seeds remain alive even after passing through the animal's digestive system, end up in manure, and germinate again.

Keeping a garden clean is a difficult task. Fortunately, the arsenal of struggle is large: summer residents choose the most simple and convenient ways for themselves. For greater efficiency, experienced gardeners are advised to act comprehensively.

Recommended