Pest plants can be dealt with in different ways. The easiest and most sustainable way is to sow crops that don’t grow weeds.
The truth is that getting rid of cow parsnip, dreaming, wheatgrass, sow thistle, field bindweed, sparrow, barnyard and other unnecessary vegetation in the garden is very difficult. Weed control can take all of the summer resident’s time. Wild-growing grass is unpretentious to conditions, adapts to any soil. Systematic mechanical weeding and root removal, of course, bring results, but you have to spend too much energy on this struggle. You can get rid of parasitic plants using chemicals. But sometimes the best way is to simply plant plants on the site that grow well and inhibit the roots of the weeds.
Lawn grass
Special varieties effectively deal with weed problems. The lawn, expanding with a dense green carpet, displaces unnecessary shoots. Before sowing lawn mixtures, you will have to work hard: tidy up the soil, remove all vegetation, dig up the soil and remove the roots of weeds, if possible, treat the site with special preparations. But then you can forget about weeding and fighting wheatgrass or barn grass. When buying a variety of lawn grass, pay attention to its most important characteristics:
adaptation to the climatic conditions of the region;
plant height;
growth density;
the need for moisture;
resistance to trampling;
ease of care.
Usually grass mixtures are used for the local area, then the disadvantages of one variety are covered by another type of culture. But if you wish, you can choose for sowing and one variety. Of those that have proven themselves well as inhibiting the growth of weeds, you can choose such.
Meadow bluegrass. This perennial variety easily displaces weeds from its sown area, but it will take three years to wait for a solid dense cover – a full-fledged lawn will grow only in the third or fourth season, before that the shoots will be thin and weak. Bluegrass is sown in an open area that receives sunlight most of the day.
Red fescue… Grass for darkened areas. Growing up, it looks like a smooth dark green carpet, however, it is quite hard, you cannot walk barefoot. The sprouts are located tightly to each other, weeds cannot break through.
Ryegrass. Juicy dense growth is in perfect harmony with rose bushes and other flowers on the site, resistant to trampling and pests. Gardeners love this lawn variety for its softness even after mowing. At the same time, ryegrass does not give growth to harmful plants.
Escaping bent grass. It will not give the weeds a place, because it grows well itself. Loves sunny places, regular watering, undemanding to the ground.
Flowers
Few people know, but certain varieties of flowers are aggressors in relation to other plants. So if you do not want to spend the summer in the country with a hoe, removing weeds, organize a flower bed on the site. By the way, as a rule, these flowers are easy to care for, and will delight the eye until late autumn.
Lily of the valley. A paradoxical surprise of nature. A plant loved by poets and all romantics with delicate bell flowers and a pleasant aroma, it can survive from its territory of all neighbors. The weeds are afraid of him. The lily of the valley grows rapidly, so it must be separated by an artificial fence. Grows in the shade, unassuming care.
Lupine. A spectacular plant that immediately attracts attention. It grows as a sprawling lush bush with finger-like leaves and racemose inflorescences up to half a meter in height. Flowers are monochromatic – yellow, white, lilac, pink and mixed colors. In addition to aesthetics, lupines are a nurse in a flower bed. Behind its spreading head of leaves and a powerful root system up to 2 meters deep, other plants cannot break through.
Dicentre. The favorite plant of landscape designers for decorating an alpine slide, neighborhood with conifers, and in any flower bed of the dicenter immediately attracts attention. This exotic guest arrived on the European side of the mainland from Japan. Grows in a tall, lush bush that grows rapidly. It blooms profusely and emits a subtle delicate aroma. The dicenter does not require special care, but the root system, the powerful upper part of the plant does not allow weed sprouts to break through.
Sedum. Another unpretentious plant, feels comfortable even on poor soils. This is a representative of succulent, has many varieties, but the unifying features are waxy small leaves and inflorescences of small flowers. It multiplies quickly, it needs a restriction, otherwise it will displace not only weeds from the flower bed, but also other crops.
Badan. The ideal use of the plant is to plant it along the fence, to cultivate the place where “waist-length grass” can grow. The plant looks good along stairs, paths, against the background of stones, under the crowns of trees. Badan has dark decorative leaves and bright inflorescences. The plant is perennial, it winters well even in a harsh climate, and most importantly, weeds do not get along with it.
Astilba. Weeds next to astilba do not allow perennial rhizomes to break through. They densely entwine the soil. The plant is decorative, blooms all summer.
Geranium is great. It grows so quickly on the site that it itself can be considered a weed, albeit a very beautiful one. If geranium is not limited to borders or thinning, then very soon the flower bed will turn into a solid purple cloud. The flowering period is in July. By the way, among similar cultures-aggressors, highlander, saxifrage, fragrant violet, phlox, marigolds, cloves.
Volzhanka… Another plant that helps fight weeds, but is very beautiful and has a honey sweet scent. He needs a lot of space for landing, grows well in breadth and height. It blooms with large white panicles until July, but even after flowering, the Volzhanka bush looks luxurious.
Ornamental plants
There is a fairly large list of crops that, either with large leaves or with a root system, block the growth of parasitic plants. All kinds of lianas, shrubs, conifers – everything that grows densely on the surface displaces weeds. Small periwinkle, carob oxalis, highlander, butterbur are aggressor plants, they themselves grow very easily. Here are just a few more representatives oppressing unwanted growth.
Hosta… A fairly common plant in the south of the country, beautiful, with wide leaves. The shape and color of the leaves are varied. Looks great both as a single bush and as part of a composition. The peculiarity of the hosta is that it has a developed rhizome, which does not give a chance for foreign seeds to break through to the surface. But she herself in a short season can grow to a whole plantation. Feels better in shady places.
Cuff. Plant it along paths, a fence – and until the very frosts, it will protect the area from weeds. The cuff is not the most spectacular plant, but it fulfills its decorative purpose, with it you can compose a composition in a flower bed.
Pahizandra. By planting it, you can solve two problems at least. Firstly, to decorate the site with a beautiful perennial evergreen crop with openwork leaves, and secondly, to get rid of weeds. This is not to say that pachisandra is easy to take root, it will have to be watched, watered on time. Need shade or partial shade, light soil and drainage. It gives good growth only from the second season. By the way, a fern looks like a pachisandra, if it has taken root on the soil, it will arrange “expansion” and take all the place.
Brunera. In the wild, it grows near trees, so in the country you also need to choose a shady place. It begins to bloom from the end of April, but is valued more for its decoratively painted leaves. Having planted a bruner on the right plots, you can forget about caring for the plant, it is completely unpretentious, and it grows quickly due to the root system, thanks to this quality it clogs the growth of weeds.
Ciderates
This is a slightly different weed control method, but very effective. On free land, weeds grow quickly, sow themselves, the seeds are carried by the wind throughout the site. To prevent this from happening, the land should not be empty.
Certain crops, due to their rapid growth and concentration of beneficial properties, enrich the soil. In the future, this helps to grow a harvest of valuable crops. But siderata do not allow weeds to break through. They are usually sown after harvest. When the siderates germinate, they are mowed and mulched with them in the soil. The roots make an excellent organic fertilizer.
Mustard and rapeseed. During their growth, these crops emit biologically active substances that suppress the growth of weeds and fight against fungal diseases. Plants after germination need to be mowed, scattered over the plot, after a while, dug up and watered. By the way, both rapeseed and mustard look decorative in themselves, especially when flowering. They will not ripen before the harvest (rape is planted in August), but they have another task.
Buckwheat. As a siderat, it easily copes with weeds. At the same time, it does not need frequent watering and is undemanding to the soil. After buckwheat, you need to plant sorrel or spinach, the soil will be fertilized with potassium and phosphorus and cleared of all weeds.
Beans. If they are planted as siderates among strawberry bushes, it is possible to get rid of weeds and improve the quality of the soil.
Oil radish. It does not have a root crop, but it has a strong root system that goes below a meter deep into the soil, breaking the hardest and most clayey soil. Weed growth is also hindered by the upper part of the oilseed radish. Leaves close tightly on the sowing surface. Siderat is able to rid the site even of such tenacious weeds as wheatgrass.
Rye, wheat, oats. Cereals improve the soil, fertilize it with potassium and inhibit the growth of parasitic plants. In the place where rye grew, next season should be a good harvest of potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, as well as pumpkins, watermelons and melons. Oats are also planted to control weeds and prepare the soil for cucumbers.
Barley. He has a strong root system, it does not allow the growth of weeds. Siderat helps fertilize the soil in front of cucumbers and tomatoes.