During the period of growing vegetables in the garden, summer residents are forced to deal with weeds. A plot with a lot of weeds may not have a good harvest. After all, they also require sun, water and nutrients. Therefore, the more weeds, the less useful elements the cultivated plants receive. Methods of dealing with “green pests” of different species are different. This article is about ways to get rid of birch weed.
This is what the people call the field bindweed, which can fill a large area in a matter of days. Birch belongs to the category of perennial climbing plants, very fast growing and difficult to breed.
Biological features of the plant
Birch weed is quite a beautiful plant. When the bindweed grows on the edge of the forest, it gives it a special charm.
But in the garden it is necessary to get rid of it immediately. Getting a birch tree out of the garden is not very easy. The thing is that the roots of this plant penetrate deep into the ground and have a good supply of proteins and carbohydrates. They grow up to 1,5-2 meters in length, which reduces the desire of summer residents to get rid of birch trees in one weeding to nothing.
The slightest damage to the root system stimulates the growth of new cuttings. It will not work to destroy the weed at once; rhythmic, accurate and high-quality actions are needed.
What is the fight against root weeds, which include birch? How to get rid of a beautiful, but unnecessary neighbor in the garden beds? For such species, the “exhaustion” method turns out to be very effective. The leaf mass is cut off as soon as it appears above the ground. Fighting birch weed by removing roots is very inefficient. And by cutting off the shoots regularly, you deplete the root system of the climbing weed. When a sprout germinates, it feeds on the reserves accumulated in the roots. With regular removal of shoots, they will germinate again and again, reducing these reserves.
If this period is missed, then with the help of the leaves the plant will replenish its reserves again and recover. Therefore, when a thin sprout-slitz appears, it is immediately removed. This can be done easily with a shovel or scoop, you can use a chopper. Everyone chooses a birch control tool to their liking.
All weeds in the area must be removed. If you leave at least one bindweed, then the work will be useless, and next summer you will have to start all over again. The birch should not be allowed to curl around any plants, so remove the plant not only in the beds, but in any corner of the dacha.
The only reliable way to get rid of weedy birch is a complex constant struggle.
Ways to free the site from loach
How to deal with bindweed to achieve maximum effect? A weed plant can be removed from the site in several ways:
Remove sprouts. This method has been discussed above. The main thing is not to miss the moment the leaves appear.
Do not allow seeds to ripen. Reproduction of bindweed occurs by seeds and branches of roots. If the seeds are allowed to ripen, it will be very difficult to fight the spread of weeds. Cut off the aerial part of the birch regularly, without affecting its roots. In this case, you will not allow the seeds to ripen and will achieve depletion of the roots.
Carry out autumn digging of the garden. It is better to do this with a pitchfork. With a shovel, the roots can be easily cut into small pieces, from which a new birch will grow. When digging, carefully select all visible pieces of roots to clean the area as much as possible.
Soil cultivation. After harvesting, treat the area with weed control products to prevent new growth of creeping weed. With a large distribution of birch, herbicide treatment is repeated 2-3 times. Otherwise, the strong root system of the weed will cope with the poisons. Use “Roundup”, “Rainbow”, “Tornado”. You can carry out continuous processing or spot.
Do not carry out mechanical processing of the soil until the birch is completely defeated. Otherwise, you will allow the weed to recover easily. An adult plant is less susceptible to the action of drugs, so it is better to treat young birch shoots.
Mulching. Before planting seedlings in the ground or in the summer, cover the soil with mulch material.
It can be:
- remnants of roofing material or construction film;
- special garden covering material;
- black film that does not transmit light;
- cardboard or thick thick fabric.
For planting seedlings, make holes in the material. And if there will be no landings on this site, then spread the mulch in a continuous layer. Without sunlight, the birch will die.
Liming. Birch thrives in acidic soils, so lowering the pH helps a lot in weed control. The introduction of wood ash as a fertilizer also works qualitatively.
An excellent option for fighting is to use natural competition in nature. How to get rid of birch with the help of other plants? Sow green manure or perennial grasses. In the first case, mustard is suitable, in the second – fescue or bluegrass. Densely growing plants inhibit the weed and do not allow pests to multiply, feeling at ease in birch thickets.
The listed methods work in a complex way. But gardeners consider regular weeding to be the most effective. By preventing weeds from growing, you weaken them and save the site from a formidable weed.