Weed control: ways

Content:

The article presents in detail the control of weeds: methods, a complete list of methods of destruction, preventive measures.

At the word "weed" many gardeners begin to twitch their eyes and aching pain in the lower back. Every weekend we put our garden in perfect order, but arriving after a week of work, the first thing that catches your eye is insidious weeds that look like we didn't weed them and this is their legal and permanent place of residence. What to do? How to deal with them? There are different ways to deal with weeds, some will require more effort, others less. You may need to try them all before deciding which method is right for you. It is possible that in the process you will find some very effective method of your own, in this case, be sure to tell the others about it. In the meantime, let's highlight and discuss the main methods, considering the pros and cons of each.

Weed control: traditional methods

This method is known to everyone and consists in digging up the earth. Now many are discussing how necessary and useful it is and, perhaps, it is not worth digging at all. But in the end, there is no other way to get rid of weeds with an extensive and deep root system - just dig and select the roots by hand. You can dig not only with a shovel, but also with a pitchfork, or plow the soil with a walk-behind tractor or a cultivator - such tillage will help get rid of wormwood, nettle, and burdock. Of course, this will not happen immediately, not in one year, but over time, the number of weeds will be minimized or destroyed altogether. So twice a year, in spring and autumn, it is worth digging up the garden and carefully selecting all the roots and plant residues. So you will not only reduce the population of weeds, but also carry out preventive work to prevent diseases of garden crops, as well as prevent the appearance of harmful insects as much as possible.

Weed control: chemical treatments

This is not the most popular method of struggle, since most summer residents in their garden are trying to grow an environmentally friendly crop and are not ready to sacrifice it for the rather dubious possibility of exterminating weeds. The drugs used to control weeds are called herbicides, and some are used and even praised (eg Roundup). But ultimately poison - it always remains poison. And so as not to write on the packaging about its harmlessness to vegetable crops, it is hard to believe in it. And if a terrible monster hogweed suddenly grows on your site, then I hasten to upset - herbicides are not yet able to cope with it. They say the new drug Agrokiller It has proven itself well, but can you imagine what it does with the composition of the soil, how poisonous it is, since it is even capable of destroying a hogweed? So the chemical method, in my opinion, is one of the most controversial, but of course it's up to you to decide.

Mulching for Weed Control

This is a biological method, it does not cause any harm to the main crops, but on the contrary, it is highly recommended, since it not only helps in the fight against weeds, but also prevents moisture evaporation, protects the root system from overheating or frost, and some types of mulch help protect plants from diseases and pests (needles, sawdust).

For normal life, any plants need sunlight, without it the growth process slows down greatly and over time the plant may die - this is how mulching works.The soil around the crop is covered with any of the selected materials, the access of light to the weeds ceases and over time they disappear (although in my dacha a persistent loach breaks through any layer of mulch). Yes, this will also take not a single season, but it's worth it.

For shelter, you can use non-woven material or opaque film, sawdust, hay or straw, tree bark or pine needles, cardboard, etc. ... If you give preference to organic materials, then keep in mind that they must be laid in a layer of at least 5 cm, a combination of different materials is allowed. For example, cardboard and tree bark, or needles and straw, hay and sawdust (in the case of mulching with sawdust, it will be necessary to increase the volume of water when watering, since sawdust absorbs a lot of moisture). But be sure to make sure that the lower layers of the mulch layer do not rot, as this can lead to plant diseases that you originally intended to protect from weeds. If you use cut grass as mulch, then the layer should be renewed every 2-3 weeks.

Garden Weed Control: Replacement

Please note that there are significantly fewer weeds on the land occupied by plantings. But as soon as the bed is freed from the early harvest of radishes, turnips or greens, weeds in large quantities begin to grow and grow stronger. The conclusion suggests itself - the land should not be empty! Partially this issue can be solved with the help of mulching, we have already talked about this. And you can also plant fast-growing vegetables or green manures in the second circle. Moreover, siderates are even preferable, since they will not only eliminate weeds, but also enrich the soil with nitrogen and other useful substances. In any garden center you can buy seeds of white mustard, clover, as well as rye or oats for sowing in the vacant place.

Another option may be to compact the plantings - placing two or three crops on one bed. This issue must be approached very carefully, to study the rules of crop rotation, who and with whom can coexist on mutually beneficial terms. So, for example, dill gets along with all types of cabbage, and carrots grow well next to onions. Any vegetables can be "compacted" with marigolds or calendula - in addition to being beautiful, flowers will scare off pests and disinfect the soil. This method takes learning and preparation, but it works great.

Alcohol

Do not be alarmed, this method does not encourage you to drink bitter, because nothing works. I know it only in theory, but people who apply it in practice claim that it works. It has been used in America for almost 100 years. The essence of the method is that 1-1.5 months before the start of sowing work, the land must be watered with an alcohol solution (150 grams of vodka per 10 liters of water), this accelerates the germination of seeds, the weeds begin to actively and amicably grow, and you are no less active weeding. In practice, this is the same traditional method, but using a catalyst.

Fire

A difficult, fire hazardous exotic method is an invention of our compatriots. It is used in beds with crops that take a long time to sprout and where weeds appear before the main plants. Here a blowtorch comes into play - the bed is treated with a flame, moving quickly and not lingering in one place, and then it is necessary to water it to cool the ground. The method is effective, but the danger is that, along with the weeds, the emerging seedlings of vegetables can also be burned. And if your beds are fenced with boards, then there is a high probability of fire, so think carefully before fighting weeds with fire.

Root depletion

In all plants, the tops and roots depend on each other, if the root is damaged - the plant may die, if the aerial part is damaged - the plant will direct all its forces to restore the damaged part. This method is based on cutting the weeds over and over again, thus depleting the root system. Sooner or later, the plant's strength will end, and it will die (unless it is, of course, a cow parsnip, do not just lime it out). To implement your plan, a sickle, a flat cutter, a hoe, a scythe, a pruner or even ordinary scissors may come in handy - you will empirically determine the most convenient garden tool.

This method is very effective, but not universal. Thus, you can get rid of dreaminess, wormwood, nettles (although it will take quite a long time to get rid of nettles), cut grass can be used as a mulching layer or fertilizer can be prepared from it. The main thing in this method is to act methodically, to tune in to the fact that the process will be long, but the result will certainly appear. "Shaving" weeds is much easier than digging up, it takes less time and effort, but the procedure should be carried out much more often.

Prophylaxis

It often happens that, guided by good intentions, we independently sow weeds in our garden. This sometimes happens when using fresh manure, which may contain excess weed seeds. Also, improperly prepared compost can add problems. A properly arranged compost heap should have a fairly high temperature, and even if weed seeds get into it, they "burn" there. However, in the top layer or at the edges, the temperature may not be high enough, and the weed seeds will then sprout in your beds. Therefore, initially in the compost it is necessary to lay the grass cut before the seeds ripen. So the preventive weed control is to correctly form compost and use only rotted manure for fertilization.

Rethinking the situation

The essence of this method is to come to terms with the fact that nothing is perfect, to change your attitude towards the situation. You can endlessly torment yourself about weeds, spend all your free time in the fight against them and do not have time to enjoy the summer, good weather, you do not lie in a hammock, do not go to the river - all this will pass by while you endlessly put things in order in the beds ... At some point it turns into an obsession, do you need it? No matter how you fight, weeds will still grow in one amount or another. I’m not urging you to stop fighting, I’m just suggesting you take it a little easier.

Do you fight dandelions every spring? Maybe we should stop the genocide and try to make jam or wine from them? Or make a fresh salad, which is very healthy. You can cook cabbage soup from young nettle, and you can also dry it and use it for medicinal and cosmetic purposes, preparing infusions and decoctions. Some weeds are simply beautiful, but we are not able to see this, since we are set up for total extermination.

I have a neighbor in my country house, on the site of which perfect order always reigns: there is not a blade of grass in the garden, the flower beds are well-groomed, the lawn is perfectly mowed. In places the mower cannot reach, it cuts the grass with scissors. A photo of her site can be used at any time for a magazine dedicated to landscape design, and any violation of the established order is perceived as a serious tragedy. I doubt that the result is worth the effort and health, because when purchasing a dacha, each of us first of all dreamed of a place to relax, right?

Conclusion

We discussed the basic methods of weed control, although the last point was more about rethinking the situation than about fighting.Practice shows that it is difficult to get rid of weeds completely and most likely it will not be possible to use one of the proposed methods. All this works better in combination: it is necessary to dig up, and carry out prevention, and mulch, as well as deplete and replace. Someone is not against the chemical method, and some daredevils will dare to run through the beds with a blowtorch - the choice is always yours. Whichever method of struggle you choose - I wish you good luck in this difficult matter!

Weed control: ways