How to remove sow thistle from the garden folk remedies

Every gardener knows how difficult it is to deal with weeds, which now and then occupy more and more new territories. This is especially true for "harmful" weeds, which are not so easy to get rid of. Among them, one can distinguish sow thistle, which is part of the family of asters. It takes root deep in the ground, propagates vegetatively, that is, with the help of a powerful root system. Removing sow thistles from the garden is completely difficult, but the right tactics will help you clear your area of ​​weed.

The benefits and harms of sow thistle

First, let's see why we need to get rid of this grass? As noted, sow thistle has a powerful and sprawling root system. Due to this, sow thistle absorbs all vitamins, minerals, fertilizers from the soil. Simply put, sow thistle depletes planting soil. Against this background, vegetables growing on the site do not receive nutrients, the fruits grow small and sick. If you leave sow thistles unattended, its aggressive effect will simply crowd out useful crops and you, unfortunately, cannot see the crop.

However, some cultivated areas are specially designated for the cultivation of sow thistle. What for? Yes, because sow thistle is considered the main delicacy for cattle. This plant is used to feed cattle. Along with this, sow thistle is used by people for food - soaked leaves are added to salads, cabbage soup, casseroles. And yellow flowers of sow thistle stand in a vase for a long time, pleasing to the eye.

It would be unfair not to note the medicinal properties of this plant. Tincture-based tinctures and decoctions are used to remove worms from the body, as a hemostatic and antiseptic agent. Sow thistle is recommended for eating with various gastrointestinal diseases.

Chemical treatment of the site

So, we learned what sow thistle is, what its benefits and harms are, but it didn’t make us any easier. How to get rid of this plant? If the land on which the weed grows has not yet been ennobled and vegetable crops do not grow on it, the soil can be chemically treated. It is very effective, but quite aggressive. After such treatment, you need to wait at least one season to plant vegetable crops on cleared soil.

Chemical processing agents can be found in any store for summer residents. Among them, one can note such powerful herbicides as Roundup, Arsenal, and Tornado. Chemical treatment should be planned for those days on which precipitation is not expected. There should not be rain before and after treatment. When processing, you must protect your hands with rubber gloves and for safety, do not let pets into the garden for at least a day.

Is it possible to withdraw sow thistle manually

If sow thistle is adjacent to potatoes, beets, carrots and other vegetables, try to clean it manually. It is impossible to do it once, but regularity and patience will help you clear the garden of this annoying weed.

1. At the end of the season, in the fall, before the first frost, dig up the ground and, if possible, carefully pull out all the roots of this plant. Do this carefully - do not shake the grass so that the seeds do not crumble. Stack the plants in a compost pit. Do not leave torn roots on the site - they are easily accepted!
2. After digging up the earth it does not need to be loosened and leveled. If this is done, the fallen seeds will enter the ground and germinate in the spring. And if they remain on the surface, they will simply freeze from winter frosts. So you can protect your garden from more weeds.
3. In spring, it is very important to clean the garden manually, pulling out all the weeds while they are very young and not strong. When the root is “matted”, it will be much more difficult to do this.
4. If you want to get rid of sow thistle, you need to weed the garden every 2 weeks. If you do this regularly, the plant will be depleted and eventually die.
5. There is another way to protect your garden from thistle and other weeds. Buy a special agrofilm and cover it with soil. This film has special holes for growing vegetables. All other weeds, including sow thistles, will suffocate without oxygen and direct sunlight, and then simply die.

Manual cleaning of the garden from weeds removes 70-80% sow thistle. And if you do it regularly, it can be withdrawn completely.

Folk remedies for getting rid of sow thistle

We have gathered for you the advice of experienced gardeners that will help you get rid of thistle with the help of improvised means.

1. A very effective remedy against sow thistle is kerosene. They need to spray weeds on a spot so as not to harm the vegetable crops. This usually helps to eliminate unwanted vegetation the first time.
2. Mulching helps get rid of sow thistle. Mulch is a thick layer of sawdust or other dense substance that covers the soil. Usually, sow thistle cannot break through mulch. If he still found the way, you need to immediately weed it.
3. To eliminate sow thistle from the site, you can use siderata. Siderata - these are plants that are planted to improve the condition of the soil and its enrichment. Bean, alfalfa, nettle, lupine, rye will be best to fight sow thistle. The selected culture is planted in the place where the shoots of sow thistle are most active. After harvesting (for peas, for example), the entire soil is covered with plastic wrap. The coverlet is left until spring - not a single weed will survive under it. And all the grass, which will rot and rot under the film, perfectly saturates the soil with minerals and fertilizers.
4. According to experienced gardeners, many weeds do not withstand pruning. If you periodically cut the throat closer to the apex once a week, it will gradually become exhausted and die. He will not grow more on this site. This is very effective, unlike pulling out the entire stem of the weed. In addition, periodic pruning provides a beautiful, even lawn in the area.
5. Oddly enough, but sow thistle does not get along with wheat. To get rid of this weed, it is enough to dig up the ground in spring, remove all the remains of sow throat roots and plant wheat on this site. She will quickly deal with the impudent weed.
6. Sow thistle can be removed with ammonia. To do this, dilute 5-7 bottles of ammonia in a bucket and spray this solution on the soil where weeds and their leaves grow. After some time, you will notice that the plant will begin to wither, after which its root part will die. The same effect can be achieved by using ammonia instead of ammonia. Do not forget to wear gloves and a respiratory mask when handling. Processing should be punctual so that the poison does not hurt fertile crops.

Generally speaking, removing sow thistle is not difficult. It is very important regularity and sequence of actions. But remember, as soon as you start the site and stop all preventive measures for weeding and digging the soil, sow thistle is instantly activated and will begin to grow with renewed vigor. Watch your garden to get a rich harvest!

Video: how to destroy weeds in your area