There are several beautiful, decorative varieties in the wood sorrel family. Due to the invasive nature of some species, gardeners typically consider them more of a weed. Some species of wood sorrel (Oxalis) cause problems because they have deep, fibrous roots that can sprout from soil fragments, while others cause problems because their roots produce numerous small bulbils that are easily left behind during weeding and can also regrow. How can you combat wood sorrel with home remedies?
Wood sorrel species like to settle everywhere in the garden - in paths, paving joints, beds and in the lawn. These unwanted species often enter the garden through the roots of other plants. Some oxalis plants are harmless ornamentals with colorful flowers that are well suited to rock gardens, raised beds and containers. Another species is the horn sorrel (Oxalis corniculata) for example, which is considered a weed in our gardens. Read on and discover helpful tips on how to remove wood sorrel!
Fighting wood sorrel with home remedies – tips
Oxalis plants come in a variety of species, each with its own unique flower color. Without a doubt, this plant is one of the most annoying herbaceous plants. Because of its rapid multiplication, it is extremely difficult to remove. There is a mother tuber underground with many small tubers attached to it so that the weeds can be pulled out. This is the biggest difficulty. If even one remains, it will quickly develop into a mother onion. Things get much worse when the young bulbs spread and multiply when you stir up the soil.
There are some horn sorrel products you can buy, but if you want to grow fruits and vegetables organically, you should never use them in the garden! There is currently no cure for wood sorrel species and complete eradication requires consistent treatment over a period of two to three years. Try getting rid of weeds naturally!
Note the following: Several herbicides have been developed over the years that can kill wood sorrel species, but they have never been selective and killed all plants in the area. There were also major problems with soil residues, which made it impossible to grow crops - especially vegetables - at this location for a long time.
Remove sorrel from beds
You have to constantly take care of it if you want to achieve good results. The annoying wood sorrel is a type of bulbous weed. The bulbs spread quickly once they are in your garden. Unfortunately, removing individual bulbs by hand is the only sure way to eradicate the weeds. It's tedious work, but it's worth it. Dig 20 to 30 cm deep and then collect all the bulbs with a sieve. Another option is to dig up the area, fence it in and then, if you have chickens, house them there. The bulbs of these plants are easy to break open and eaten by the chickens.
It only takes a few bulbs to cause the problem to arise again, so don't move the soil to other parts of the property!
Fight weeds with weed fleece
Black weed fleece slows down development in an infested bed, but is not good for the health of the soil in the long term. Before planting, lay out weed control material in the beds. The fabric strips should overlap at the ends by 8 to 15 centimeters, and you should secure the edges with ground anchors. Then mark the spot where you want to plant each plant by cutting out an X. The fleece should not be covered with soil and should not lie close to the plant. Finally, you can cover the bed area with mulch.
Get rid of horn sorrel in the lawn
The best way to control horned sorrel is to rake and mow it before it flowers and sets seeds, and then to collect the plant parts and remove them from the garden. This does not affect the vegetative development of the plant, but may affect the life cycle of Oxalis seed formation. The plants are less able to absorb sunlight through their leaves efficiently, which would eventually damage them. The idea behind all these measures is that if you repeatedly remove its leaves, the bulb would wilt and die because the leaves are the organs that absorb sunlight.
Also interesting:Fighting lawn pests: You can successfully identify and get rid of the most common species!
Use bark mulch
A thick layer of bark mulch reduces the growth speed of the horned sorrel. However, the plants will sprout again at some point: Since new leaves will soon form, you must remove them immediately before they absorb solar energy.
Treat paving joints with boiling water
Boiling water or steam harms this weed, but it's not easy to pour the hot water near existing plants you want to preserve. This can also damage other plants in the garden. That's why we only recommend boiling water for sorrel speciesin joints on the terraceor the garden path.
Alcohol as a weed killer
Pulling out weeds by hand is the first line of defense against weeds. If you find that your current method is taking too much time and effort, consider taking a different approach. One option is to mix 500 ml of water with a tablespoon of dish soap and 50 ml of alcohol (for example vodka) and spray the plants. This allows the weeds to dry out naturally. You can then remove the dried out weeds with a shovel.
Also read:Plant and sow flowers in April: These popular species will immediately beautify your garden!
