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Every gardener faces the challenge of eradication weeds on their sites. Weed species a lot. There are average annuals and perennials. It is much easier to deal with plants that have emerged from seeds than with perennial grasses with a long and branched root system.
One of these weeds, which causes a lot of trouble for land owners, is the field sow thistle. In terms of its vitality, this plant is often compared with a sharp beetle. These both weeds can revive even from a small piece of root left in the ground. Measures for the destruction of green pests in gardens and vegetable gardens are an important step in obtaining a rich harvest.
Legends about sow thistle
People composed fairy tales and legends about almost every plant. He did not escape glory and field thistle. In the old days, it was believed that this weed plant is endowed with supernatural properties. A person, having bathed in a broth of sow thistle, became practically healthy. The Poles firmly believed that the witch's root (the so-called field sow-thistle) would relieve the evil eye and other tricks of the witchcraft world. The Rusichi attributed to the field plant a connection with evil spirits.
According to the surviving legend, God called people to him and endowed everyone with a useful plant. Satan, who believed that he also made efforts to create the world, demanded from the Lord to give him something. When God gave Satan the oats, the apostles Peter and Paul decided that the plant was more needed by people. They made it so that Satan forgot what he got as a gift, and remembered the word sow thistle. The plant did not like the evil force, since then it scatters the seeds of the malicious weed in the fields, in orchards and vegetable gardens, along the forest edges and wastelands, along the banks of rivers and lakes.
But this is a legend, this weedy field plant causes a lot of trouble for gardeners. Look at the photo of how high the weed has grown next to the trees.
Description of the species
Sow thistle is a herbaceous plant from the genus Astrovye, Asteraceae. Perennial with root suckers.
The weed is quite tall, it can grow up to 180 cm.It is very difficult to get rid of the tenacious field thistle, since the central root goes down to 50 cm, and the horizontal ones are located in the upper soil layer at a depth of 6-12 cm, forming a widely branched system with a huge number of buds ...
The trunk of a field weed is straight, lignified at the base, with small thorns. The inner surface of the stem is hollow. A white milky sap appears on the cut of the stem or leaf. Because of this, some gardeners call the sow thistle a field euphorbia or yellow buds by the color of the buds.
The dark green leaves are spiny, with jagged edges. Below the leaves are dull, and the upper plate is shiny. Pulling a thistle out with bare hands is problematic.
Sow thistle bloom is long lasting, begins in early June and lasts until the first frost. The golden yellow flowers of the weed are collected in neat baskets. After flowering, a huge number of seeds are formed with feathers on the crown. They are carried by the wind over long distances. One weed plant produces up to 20 thousand brown seeds.
Field thistle reproduces, based on the description, by seeds and vegetatively. The remaining root section after 3 months gives several new plants, this can be clearly seen in the photo.
In the wild, there are yellow and pink thistles (pictured). Both of these species can settle in gardens and vegetable gardens.
Control measures
But it is imperative to get rid of it. What is the best way to do this, because the main thing is to get environmentally friendly and safe for humans and animals vegetables and fruits.
Answering the question of how to deal with sow thistle, it should be noted that there are gentle and aggressive ways to deal with this malicious weed:
- chemical treatment;
- mechanical methods;
- folk remedies.
Chemical treatment
The use of chemicals to combat field thistle is not always possible. After all, land owners today are trying to grow environmentally friendly products that are safe for humans and animals. And any chemistry, and herbicides in particular, except for the destruction of weeds, poison the soil. Therefore, the use of the Hurricane, Tornado, Roundup, Arsenal and other preparations for sow thistle control are possible in areas that will not be planted this year. Weed control products can be used for paths, along fences, where no crop plants grow. Single growing weeds and sow thistles can be destroyed pointwise, as shown in the photo.
When working with chemicals on the site, try not to get on cultivated plants. Indeed, during processing, green mass burns out in weeds. For the treatment of areas contaminated with sow thistle, you need to choose dry weather without wind.
Weed control measures must be associated with safety:
- You need to work with gloves, clothes with long sleeves and a bandage on your face.
- After treating the sow thistle, wash all exposed parts of the body with warm water and detergents.
- The remains of the solution should not be poured anywhere, it is better to throw them out onto the treated area.
- The sprayer is rinsed thoroughly.
- During the day, try not to let children and animals enter the area with treated weeds.
Mechanical impact
You can destroy yellow or pink field thistle without chemicals, if you follow the garden, weed the beds and paths in a timely manner.
Most often, thistle grows in a potato field, in beetroot and carrot beds. When small shoots appear, they can be uprooted. But the risk that small pieces of root will remain in the soil always remains. Gardeners often write about this in reviews: we are at war, we are at war with a sow thistle, but we cannot get rid of it.
Potatoes are processed several times per season, with hoes and shovels in the hands of the gardeners. By repeatedly cutting off the aerial part, you can weaken the root and the grass will stop growing.
- It is best to clear the soil of sow thistle roots after harvest. Digging in with a pitchfork, they pull out the plant by the root. Try not to shake off the seeds so as not to increase your work for the next year.
- Plugged weeds can be used as compost. The roots cannot be left, they quickly germinate again. The soil does not loosen so that the weed seeds remaining on the surface freeze over the winter.
- The place where the yellow thistle grows rapidly can be covered with agrofibre, roofing material, cardboard, and covered with construction waste. Under such a shelter, a high temperature is created, all weeds die.
Folk remedies
Since the field thistle has annoyed gardeners since ancient times, our ancestors came up with many interesting ways that are safe for humans. Our readers tell us about it. Here are some helpful tips:
- The area with a large amount of yellow sow thistle is covered with a thick layer of sawdust. Plants cannot break through the thickness, the root, in the end, is depleted and dies.
- How to get rid of weeds with siderates? Sowing a field with legumes, alfalfa, vetch, lupine, rye, mustard, you can achieve 100% destruction of sow thistle. When the plants grow up, they are covered with dense material and left in this state until next spring.Siderata will not only get rid of field weeds, but also improve soil fertility.
- Sow thistles do not like the neighborhood with wheat. If you sow seeds in an area with this weed, it will stop growing.
- The use of ammonia when spraying sow thistle is an effective method. A bucket of water will require at least 6 bottles of ammonia. First, the aboveground part perishes, and then the root. When processing, you need to use personal protective equipment.
Weed control rules:
Conclusion
Your labors will not be in vain if you take care of the site regularly. Loosening, manual removal of weeds, including sow thistle, the use of folk remedies will allow you to get a rich harvest of vegetables, fruits and berries.
In conclusion of the article, we would like to note that all types of sow thistles are medicinal herbs. Their healing properties were already known to our ancestors. Collect the medicinal plant in places remote from the roads.
