How to get rid of hogweed in a summer cottage

Hogweed plant appeared in Russia in the middle of the twentieth century. Then it was cultivated to feed livestock. But soon, realizing that the bush does a lot of harm and the milk in the cows gets an unpleasant taste, this idea was abandoned.

Plantations with cow parsnip ceased to process, so it quickly spread to places with comfortable conditions for him. Today, the plant is recognized as dangerous to health and is being fought with. It is worth noting that not all varieties of this shrub are harmful. Only Sosnowski hogweed has toxic properties.

Hazardous properties of hogweed

Those who at least once came across this plant know that it needs to be urgently removed. Hogweed is growing fast, unpretentious to weather conditions, and its juice destroys all life around.

What is the danger of hogweed:

1. Getting on the skin, the juice violates the protective layer of the dermis. If a person is in the sun at this time, then deep burns will occur.
2. Inhaling fumes from a plant, you can get a burn of the lungs and poisoning of the body.
3. On the soil where the hogweed grows, all other plants die.
4. The shrub is difficult to destroy, as its seeds ripen even after separation from the stem.
5. Each hogweed bush scatters seeds within a radius of 5 meters, and they are also transported over long distances on wheels of cars, bicycles, soles from shoes, birds, animals and in water bodies.
6. Hogweed will grow until all the seeds have ripened, if you cut off the top, it will grow again. The same thing happens if you chop off the root.
7. One shrub can produce up to 70,000 seeds.

Remember how this plant looks and, having seen it on your site or near it, immediately inform the neighbors and start the fight.

How to get a hogweed

To date, there are several proven methods that give a positive effect. But remember that it is necessary to protect the skin and lungs from toxic juice and vapors. It is best to get rid of the hogweed while it is young and does not carry much danger. It is also rational to do this in cloudy but calm weather, so that the sun's rays do not fall on the skin.

After eliminating the shrubs, you should forget at least one season about sowing the soil. Experience shows that all plants planted during the first year die. And those that still grow will be toxic.

Digging
In small areas where not much hogweed grows, this method is the most optimal. If you dig a root at a depth of 20-30 cm, the plant will die. A sharp shovel is suitable for this.

How to dig a hogweed:

• Wear a long-sleeved sweater, pants, gloves and a protective mask, you can buy the one sold at the pharmacy.
• Take a shovel and dig up all the large bushes of hogweed, folding them to the side.
• Carefully remove young shoots from the soil with the root with your hands.
• Burn the plant away from the populated area.
• After 15 days, dig up the hogweed again if it began to germinate.
• To prevent this from happening, you can fill the soil with plenty of water. Hogweed does not like moisture stagnation and dies.

This method has some disadvantages. You have contact with the plant, which means burns are possible. Also, he does not give a 100 percent guarantee of getting rid of this weed. The process takes a lot of time and takes power. Therefore, use it if there are 3-5 young shoots on the plot and they have not bloomed yet.

Mulching
Another way to destroy the cow parsnip is to hide it from the sun. Ultraviolet rays help the shrub grow and seed. Without them, it perishes. Mulching is cost-effective and effective in small and large areas.

How to make mulching:

• Wear protective clothing.
• Cut the plants under the root.
• Burn all the stems.
• Dense black film (at least 100 microns) cover the affected cowhide area.
• At the edges, press cellophane with bricks, boards, and other heavy objects.
• Leave the tape until next season.

Mulching completely eliminates hogweed, as well as other weeds on the site. You do not have to check the soil every two weeks for new seedlings. If you have more than a dozen hogweed bushes in the garden or you find it overgrown near the house, then use this method.

Chemical method
The most effective way to combat hogweed is the use of herbicides. These are chemicals that fall into several categories:

• general action (for all types of plants);
• selective action (for a specific type).

For large areas around industrial buildings, airports, highways, general-purpose herbicides are used that destroy all living plants around. To protect against weeds, chemicals are needed that work selectively, destroying some plants and not damaging others.

Many gardeners oppose this method, since they believe that it is harmful to cultivated plants and soil. But due to its effectiveness, chemical exposure is popular. It is best to do the treatment in the spring.

How to use herbicides:

1. Hogweed has a hollow core, so you can inject chemicals with a syringe and they will immediately penetrate the root.
2. You can spray the leaves of the plant so that the substance gradually impregnates it.
3. Cultivating the soil is less efficient than the first two methods, and, moreover, more costly.
4. After 2-3 weeks, it is necessary to inspect the plants, if new ones begin to grow, they need to be processed again.
5. To prevent the appearance of new shoots of cow parsnip, plow the plot every 3 weeks.

Many companies offer herbicides for the destruction of cow parsnip. But they will be effective only if the instructions are strictly followed. Do not forget to protect yourself from harmful chemical effects.

Regular destruction of the hogweed will gradually lead to its complete elimination. Therefore, do not forget that the main condition in the fight against it is regularity. Do not expect that it will be possible to breed this strong plant from one time. Try several methods at the same time and success will await you.

Video: how to get rid of hogweed