Sow thistle field: control measures

Each gardener faces the problem of eradicating weeds in their areas. There are many types of weeds. There are annuals and perennials among them. It is much easier to deal with plants that have sprouted from seeds than with perennial grasses that have a long and branched root system.

One of these weeds, which causes a lot of trouble to land owners, is field sow thistle. In terms of its vitality, this plant is often compared with the pinworm. Both of these weeds can revive even from a small piece of root left in the ground. Measures for the destruction of green pests of gardens and orchards are an important stage for obtaining a rich harvest.

Thistle legends

Almost every plant people composed fairy tales and legends. Not escaped glory and sow thistle field. In the old days, it was believed that this weed was endowed with supernatural properties. A person, having bathed in a sow-thistle decoction, became practically healthy. The Poles firmly believed that the witch’s root (the so-called field sow thistle) would get rid of the evil eye and other tricks of the witching world. 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 that the Lord give him something as well. When God gave Satan oats, the apostles Peter and Paul decided that people needed the plant more. They made it so that Satan forgot what he got as a gift, but remembered the word sow thistle. The evil spirit did not like the plant, since then it has been sifting the seeds of a malicious weed in the fields, in gardens and orchards, along forest edges and wastelands, along the banks of rivers and lakes.

But this is a legend, this weed field plant causes a lot of trouble for gardeners. Look at the photo how tall the weed grew next to the trees.

Description of the species

Thistle field is a herbaceous plant from the genus Asteraceae, 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 tenacious field sow thistle, since the central root goes as deep as 50 cm, and the horizontal ones are 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. White milky juice appears on the cut of the stem or leaf. Because of this, some gardeners call the sow thistle a field thrush or the color of the buds yellow.

The dark green leaves are spiny with serrated edges. The leaves are dull below, and the upper plate is shiny. Pulling out thistle with bare hands is problematic.

Flowering of thistle field is long, begins in early June and continues until the first frost. Golden-yellow weed flowers are collected in neat baskets. After flowering, a huge number of seeds with fluffs on top are formed. They are carried by the wind over long distances. One weed plant produces up to 20 thousand brown seeds.

Field thistle propagates, based on the description, by seeds and vegetatively. The remaining segment of the root after 3 months gives several new plants, this is clearly seen in the photo.

In the wild, sow thistle is yellow and pink (pictured). Both of these species can settle in gardens and orchards.

Control measures

But you need to get rid of it. What is the best way to do this, because the main thing is to get vegetables and fruits that are environmentally friendly and safe for humans and animals.

Answering the question of how to deal with thistle, it should be noted that there are gentle and aggressive ways to deal with this malicious weed:

• chemical processing;
• mechanical methods;
• folk remedies.

Chemical processing

The use of chemicals to combat field thistle 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 Hurricane, Tornado, Roundup, Arsenal and other drugs to combat field thistle is possible in areas that will not be planted this year. Weed killers can be used for paths, along fences, where crops do not grow. Single-growing weeds and 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 in weeds. For the treatment of areas clogged with sow thistle, you need to choose dry weather without wind.

Weed control measures should be associated with safety:

1. You need to work in gloves, in clothes with long sleeves and with a bandage on your face.
2. After treating the sow thistle, you need to wash all exposed parts of the body with warm water and detergents.
3. The remains of the solution cannot be poured anywhere, it is better to throw them out onto the treated area.
4. The sprayer is thoroughly rinsed.
5. During the day, try not to let children and animals into the area with treated weeds.

Mechanical impact

It is possible to destroy yellow or pink field sow thistle without chemistry, if you follow the garden, weed the beds and paths in a timely manner.

Most often, thistle grows on a potato field, in a beet and carrot garden. When small shoots appear, they can be uprooted. But the risk of small pieces of root remaining in the soil always remains. Gardeners often write about this in reviews: we are at war, we are at war with thistle, but we cannot get rid of it.

Potatoes are processed several times during the season, and in the hands of gardeners are choppers and shovels. By repeatedly cutting off the aerial part, you can weaken the root and the grass will stop growing.

1. It is best to clean the soil from the roots of field thistle thistle after harvesting. Digging with a pitchfork, they pull out the plant with a root. Try not to shake off the seeds so as not to increase your work for the next year.
2. Pulled weeds can be used as compost. The roots cannot be left, they quickly sprout again. The soil is not loosened so that the weed seeds remaining on the surface freeze over the winter.
3. The place where yellow thistle grows rapidly can be covered with agrofibre, roofing material, cardboard, covered with construction debris. Under such a shelter, a high temperature is created, all weeds die.

Folk remedies

Since field thistle has been annoying 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:

1. An area with a large amount of yellow thistle is covered with a thick layer of sawdust. Plants cannot break through the thickness, the root, in the end, is depleted and dies.
2. How to get rid of weeds with green manure? Sowing the field with legumes, alfalfa, vetch, lupine, rye, mustard, you can achieve 100% destruction of thistle. When the plants grow up, they are covered with dense material and left in this state until next spring. Green manure not only get rid of field weeds, but also improve soil fertility.
3. Sow thistle does not like the neighborhood with wheat. If you sow seeds on a plot with this weed, it will stop growing.
4. The use of ammonia when spraying field sow thistle is an effective way. A bucket of water will require at least 6 bottles of ammonia. First, the aerial part dies, and then the root. When processing, you need to use personal protective equipment.

Weed control rules:

Conclusion

Your hard work will not be in vain if the maintenance of the site is regular. Loosening, manual removal of weeds, including thistle, the use of folk remedies will allow you to get a rich harvest of vegetables, fruits and berries.

In conclusion, we want to note that all types of thistle are medicinal herbs. Their healing properties were known to our ancestors. Gather a medicinal plant in places remote from roads.