Horn sorrel is perhaps one of the heaviestweeds to be controlledin the home garden. It spreads by both seeds and runners and can cover large areas in just one gardening season. It grows in the lawn, in flowerbeds and even in the joints between stepping stones. But the hobby gardener is not alone in the fight against weeds, because there are home remedies and herbicides that help against them. We will explain to you how to combat horn sorrel and prevent it from spreading again.
Fighting horned wood sorrel: an overview of prevention strategies
Horn sorrel belongs to the sorrel family. The weed comes from southern Europe, where the dry periods in summer and mild winter provide the perfect conditions for its rapid spread. Since climate change has now led to an increase in air temperatures in Central Europe, horn sorrel has also spread in Germany. But how can you destroy sorrel and which remedies prove to be particularly effective?
What helps against horn sorrel: This is how you can prevent it from spreading in the garden
For a quick oneSpread in the lawnor in the flower bed, some simple preventive measures can help:
- Check all plants you buy for wood sorrel. If you notice wood sorrel in the potting soil, carefully dig up the new plant, remove the soil from its roots and rinse under running water. Then discard the potting soil.
How do you get rid of wood sorrel? Taking the right preventative measures will save you time and effort
- Check the lawn and flower beds for weeds at least once a week. The sooner you notice it, the higher the chances you have of fighting it quickly.
- If you notice the weeds, cut off all above-ground parts of the plant and carefully dig up the roots.
- If the horn sorrel has spread over a large area of the lawn, you can replace it with sturdy ground cover. They quickly form a dense carpet and do not allow sunlight to pass through. Wood sorrel cannot thrive in the shade.
The weeds multiplythrough seeds and shoots. This means that it is not enough to just remove the above-ground parts of the plant. You will not have success with weeding. You can even encourage its spread in the garden by opening the capsules and moving the seeds to other parts of the garden while weeding.
What horn sorrel doesn’t like:
- Shadow
- moist ground
- alkaline soil
Fight sorrel: means without chemicals
Do you want to combat horn trefoil? Rely on home remedies without chemicals. For this purpose you can use lime, vinegar or boiling water.
Fight sorrel with lime
Would you like to combat wood sorrel with home remedies? Algae lime can help with this. It contains useful elements such as magnesium and calcium and increases soil fertility. Therefore, it is often mixed with fertilizer and is primarily used in kitchen gardens. But it is also used in ornamental gardens. It can improve soil properties and promote grass growth. It has therefore established itself as a natural remedy for wood sorrel in the lawn. For this purpose, the pH value of the soil is first measured. Soils with a pH below 6.5 are classified as acidic. The high acid content in the soil promotes the growth of wood sorrel and inhibits grass growth. Nourish the Earthwith garden lime, so that their pH value rises above 6.5.
In many cases, lime proves to be inadequate because it is the only thing that can do thatDon't control weeds. You must therefore combine it with another home remedy to achieve the optimal effect.
Why you can't fight wood sorrel with vinegar
It is often recommended to make a solution of water and vinegar and spray the wood sorrel with it. In fact, after a few days, the above-ground parts of the plant wither. However, the roots are not damaged and the weeds sprout again after a short time. A spray containing vinegar has another disadvantage: the solution not only damages the horn trefoil, but also the soil organisms and the plants in the immediate vicinity. The vinegar also penetrates deep into the soil and can lower its pH so drastically that no other plants can grow there for years.
The use of vinegar outdoors is also regulated by law. You should therefore ask the local authorities where and how you can use a home remedy containing vinegar. Only use herbicides that are approved for use in the garden.
Can you fight wood sorrel with boiling water?
A somewhat gentler option is to destroy the horn sorrel with boiling water. To do this, bring water to the boil, pour it into a spray lance and spray the weeds with it. The hot water destroys the cell structure, then penetrates the soil and destroys the roots. The plant dries out quickly. This method is perfect for controlling weeds in smaller areas and in hard-to-reach places such as the joints between stepping stones in the garden.
Which weed killer for wood sorrel in the lawn and which one for horn trefoil in the flowerbed?
If you can't fight horn trefoil with home remedies, then there's only one thing left to do: use a weed killer. At the garden center you can find herbicides that are specifically approved for use in the garden. Under no circumstances should you use homemade or purchased herbicides on sealed surfaces. This is prohibited by law and is punishable by a fine.
After detailed advice at the garden center and after reading the instructions for use, you can use certain herbicides in the garden.
The lawn is treated with lawn sprays. These weed killers only attack the wood sorrel and do not harm the lawn.
If you want to combat wood sorrel in the flowerbed, you should use a total herbicide. They have one major disadvantage: they damage both weeds and ornamental plants. Therefore, these herbicides are sprayed directly onto the plants.
Ask the local authorities whether the use of herbicides in the kitchen garden is permitted. Get detailed advice so that you can choose the right weed killer.
Eliminate horned wood sorrel: tips for different garden areas
Horn sorrel is an unwanted guest in the garden. Fortunately, there are various methods and home remedies that have proven to be effective in combating weeds. Below we will explain to you how to eliminate wood sorrel in the lawn, finally get rid of weeds in the flower bed and remove them from joints.
Eliminate sorrel in the lawn: These home remedies help
Removing wood sorrel from the lawn is not an easy task. Above all, patience is required because it can take a gardening season before you finally get rid of the weeds. With a bit of luck, you can also destroy the wood sorrel more quickly. Below we list several methods.
1. Spread algae lime to improve soil properties and promote grass growth.
2. Wait about 15 – 20 days. Then cut out the weeds in the lawn.
3. If the weeds are still not destroyed, water the lawn generously and then lay water-permeable weed fleece. It keeps the soil warm and moist.
4. Lay the lawn again next spring. To do this, first mow the old lawn and then scarify it.
5. Sow a high-quality lawn mixture, fertilize and water generously.
6. Maintain the lawn properly: Water and mow the lawn regularly. Provide long-term fertilizer at the start of the gardening season, then three more times: administer special fertilizer in autumn, winter and spring.
7. Check the lawn regularly for horn sorrel and remove weeds from the lawn. Leave the lawn at least 5 – 6 cm high. This guarantees that the ground underneath is shaded and prevents wood sorrel from spreading.
Successfully combat sorrel in the bed
If stubborn weeds grow in the flower bed, it is very difficult to get rid of them. But with the right combination of several home remedies, it is possible to get rid of horn trefoil.
1. Cut off all visible parts of the plant. Then use a weed wrench to remove the roots as well.
2. Fill in the gaps in the flower bed with ground cover or ornamental grasses. The goal: The ground under the ornamental plants should be completely in the shade. Then the horn sorrel cannot germinate and spread further.
3. If the wood sorrel has spread significantly in the flower bed, you can cover the ground with a 6 cm thick layer of mulch.
4. If you want to prevent re-spreading, then you should keep the soil moderately moist to moist and fertilize regularly.
Fight wood sorrel in joints
Would you like to remove horn sorrel from joints? Then you should do the following:
1. You can remove individual plants with a weed cutter or a joint scraper. Make sure you dig up the roots too.
2. Otherwise, you can spray the weeds with boiling water. The plants then die in the next few days. Remove the above-ground parts with a grout scraper. Sometimes just controlling weeds isn't enough. Then you can repeat the process.
3. If possible, you should seal the joints. If that's not possible, you can plant ground cover between the stepping stones instead. If this is not possible either, sprinkle the joints with garden lime to prevent it from spreading again. However, ask on site whether you are allowed to use the algae lime in the joints.
Getting rid of horned wood sorrel is a difficult task. But with the right method, a few home remedies and a lot of patience, even inexperienced hobby gardeners can master it. Whenever possible, you should choose onenatural means of combatingof weeds. This way only the horn trefoil is removed and the ornamental plants are not damaged. Depending on the area of use (lawn, flower bed, joints), you can choose fleece film, hot water or a layer of mulch.
