How to get rid of woodlice in the beds - an effective fight against the ubiquitous weed
Weed control is a lot of trouble for gardeners, especially when it comes to woodlice - an extremely "malicious" and viable grass, which in record time covers the garden with a thick and curly "carpet". There are several simple and effective ways to get rid of woodlice in the beds - using mechanical treatment, soil deoxidation, folk or chemical means. Each method of struggle has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages.
Features of the pest
Features of wood lice:
- The root system is weak and fragile, so the weed is easily pulled out along with the roots.
- Woodlice has elastic shoots and small egg-shaped leaves with a pointed tip.
- Stems up to 15-30 cm long, highly branched, cylindrical in shape.
- During the flowering period, wood lice are covered with small white flowers, resembling stars.
- The weed is distinguished by its extremely fast spreading, since up to 10-15 thousand seeds ripen on one plant.
Before you get rid of woodlice in the beds, you need to remember that this plant is known for its ability to grow very quickly - this leads to rapid drying out and even death of cultural plantings, which are forced to "share" nutrients and moisture. The roots of the weed impoverish the soil, and its thickets create favorable conditions for the reproduction of bacteria.
How to get rid of woodlice in the beds - effective ways
Woodlice grows actively during the spring-summer season; this plant has no dormant period. Therefore, the fight against the weed must be started immediately after its appearance, otherwise the wood louse will very quickly turn the personal plot into a dense overgrown "carpet".
There are several effective ways to get rid of woodlice in the country.:
- The easiest is to deacidify the soil before planting the main crops in the garden.
- Mechanical weed removal manually or using Fokin's plane cutter.
- The use of folk and chemical agents for the treatment of woodlice during the active growing season.
The best result is obtained by an integrated approach - by combining several methods of struggle, you can quickly get rid of woodlice in the beds.
Mechanical way of fighting
One of the most effective ways to get rid of woodlice in the beds is mechanical treatment of the site. This is regular weeding and loosening of the area. An important role is given to sowing green manure and mulching the soil.
How to get wood lice out of the garden:
- After harvesting, the site must be dug up, cleaned of plant debris and sown with mustard, phacelia or other green manure. They prevent the growth of weeds, improve the composition and structure of the soil.
- When weeding the beds, you need to try to pull out the wood lice by the roots.
- It is more convenient to dig out heavily overgrown bushes in a bunch, along with an earthen lump. You can also use a flat cutter to remove the topsoil.
- Woodlice growing areas need to be loosened regularly - due to this, the remaining weed seeds will be deepened into the ground and will not be able to germinate.
- In the case of extensive weed infestations, the beds should be carefully dug up at least twice a season, in spring and autumn.
To remove wood lice in the garden, you can use a flat hoe, trying to go a few centimeters into the ground in order to cut off the growing point and prevent the weed from re-germinating.
Mowed wood lice cannot be folded on the site - due to its unique vitality, the weed will surely root and germinate again. It is advisable to lay it out only on plastic wrap.
Mulching the site
Weeding, digging or loosening the soil must necessarily end with mulching.
Almost anything can be used as mulch:
- tree trunks and shrubs, planting holes - dandelions, nettles and other plants, humus, compost;
- row spacing - sawdust, straw, cut grass;
- the area between the vegetable beds - sawdust (fresh or rotted), chopped cardboard, crushed stone, pebbles.
When using sawdust, it must be borne in mind that they reduce the amount of nitrogen in the soil and increase its acidity. To prevent this, sawdust can be mixed with dolomite flour.
Soil deacidification
In order for the fight against annoying weeds to be effective, you need to take into account what kind of soil woodlice likes. This plant "prefers" soil with high acidity, so one of the most effective ways to kill weeds is to deoxidize them.
Ways to reduce soil acidity:
- dolomite flour - 350-450 g per 1 sq. m;
- lime - 450-500 g per 1 sq. m, introduced in the fall;
- ash - can be applied in spring, sprinkling the area in unlimited quantities.
Sowing green manure well reduces the acidity of the soil - it can be mustard, oats, rye. Green manures can be sown immediately after the autumn harvest.
Folk and chemical remedies
The most effective way to get rid of woodlice grass in a greenhouse or in an open area is to use folk remedies that are safe for the soil, fertile soil and future harvest.
Effective folk remedies for woodlice:
- Table salt - the beds should be sprinkled with plenty of salt, retreating about 25-35 cm from vegetable crops.
- You can use baking soda instead of salt, which is an environmentally friendly product that prevents weeds from growing.
- Table vinegar - used for spraying woodlice at a distance of at least 50-60 cm from cultivated plantations.
With extensive damage to the site with woodlice, chemicals cannot be dispensed with. To kill weeds, you need to choose effective and at the same time safe for the soil preparations - Tornado, Roundup, Hurricane Forte, Kragan, Chistopol, Zero. When preparing the solution, you must strictly adhere to the instructions and dosages indicated by the manufacturer.
Wood louse is one of the most common and "annoying" weeds that appear both in the greenhouse and in open areas. Fighting it takes a lot of time and takes a lot of energy. But with an integrated approach, you can get rid of woodlice forever.