Every gardener knows from experience how much harm weeds cause and how much time it takes to constantly fight them.
Certainly, one of the most annoying and resistant to mechanical impact weeds is goutweed.
Main characteristics
As the saying goes, forewarned is forearmed. Therefore, it's important to know your potential "enemy" by sight.
First of all, it should be noted that goutweed is a very resistant perennial and belongs to the category of herbaceous plants of the umbrella type.
These weeds typically grow vigorously in height, sometimes exceeding 1 meter. However, the average stem length is still around 60-80 centimeters. Typically, several small, narrow leaves, reminiscent of a hoof, grow on a single thin branch. This is where goutweed's other name, "goat's foot," comes from. The leaf surface is generally smooth, but the underside has a slight, light-colored pubescence.
From mid-June to early July, the weed blooms, developing a distinctive umbrella-shaped flower covered in small white inflorescences. Once the petals fall, tiny, flattened white fruits become visible in their place.
How to fight
Experienced gardeners and vegetable growers unanimously agree that controlling goutweed and stopping its spread is extremely difficult. This can be due to several factors.
One of them is a powerful, widely branched root system with an astonishing capacity for regeneration. Therefore, even careful weeding and regular soil tilling don't produce the desired results, helping to eliminate the pest plant only for a short period of time.
In addition to budding, goutweed also reproduces through a huge number of seeds. For each weed, there are approximately 6,000 of them. Therefore, it's important to use a comprehensive set of targeted measures rather than relying on just one popular method. This is the only way to get rid of this stubborn weed for good.
However, let's take everything in order.
Effective destruction of goutweed
To completely eradicate this weed and clear even the most neglected garden plot of it, it is necessary to strictly follow a highly effective, albeit labor-intensive, agricultural algorithm proposed by specialist M. Nikiforov.
To begin, it's recommended to remove the top fertile soil layer (i.e., the turf), which typically contains the remains of long goutweed rhizomes. Next, spread it out on a dry, level surface, placing the fragments tightly next to each other, and water it with a concentrated urea or saltpeter solution. In a couple of years at most, all the remaining shoots, seeds, and roots will have completely decomposed, producing excellent compost. In the meantime, the noticeable lack of substrate should be replenished with prepared imported soil. This effective method is called soil improvement.
If the soil has been dug repeatedly, it should be cultivated annually with a pitchfork, removing weed particles. Sometimes, hand weeding may also be necessary. Furthermore, it's important to remember to loosen the soil. However, agronomist Nikiforov advises against attempting to "fight" goutweed with a shovel.
Of course, completely eliminating this garden pest during the first few years of control is virtually impossible. It's possible that it will reappear after a while. Therefore, you should try to weed your garden beds at least once a week, mowing the spaces between them with a regular scythe or a sickle.
The most effective methods
Of course, our distant ancestors faced a similar problem. Analyzing their invaluable experience, modern agronomists offer the following methods for combating goutweed:
Mulching
This option is ideal for lazy people and kills two birds with one stone: first, it suppresses weed growth; second, it improves soil properties and maintains optimal moisture. Traditionally, depending on its structure, mulch is divided into loose (including peat, compost, sawdust, straw, etc.) and film (polycarbonate, polyethylene, geotextile, and other non-woven fibrous materials). The main purpose of mulch is to prevent the growth and development of weeds by limiting their access to sunlight and wide open spaces.
Mowing
As is well known, the green mass of plants is involved in the crucial process of photosynthesis. Therefore, its removal significantly impacts their health and vitality. Consequently, mowing weeds is an excellent way to weaken and completely eradicate them. The key is to quickly remove goutweed clippings from the cleared area to prevent further seeds from falling into the soil.
Changes in the chemical composition of the soil
It's no secret that goutweed thrives in acidic soils. Based on this fact, it's easy to understand that to completely rid your garden or vegetable patch of this weed, you need to make its natural substrate unattractive. In such a situation, effective methods such as:
- liming;
- application of dolomite flour (mineral fertilizer enriched with calcium);
- planting green manure (a special variety of plant designed to improve the structure of various types of soil, for example: winter rye, mustard, oilseed radish, etc.).
Use of chemicals
Experts advise gardeners to use herbicides with extreme caution and only when absolutely necessary. It's best to apply them at the end of the gardening season, after harvesting, to prevent the caustic chemicals from damaging fruits and tubers. Several applications are required to achieve the desired result. It's best to spray weeds in dry, windless weather to prevent the concentrated droplets from being carried away by air currents. The following formulations are among the most effective:
- Agrokiller;
- Roundup;
- Tornado;
- Hurricane;
- Diquat and others.
Of course, goutweed and other weeds can be a real nuisance for gardeners. However, there's no need to despair, as there are plenty of ways to get rid of them. Simply read the relevant literature and choose the most appropriate method. For example, perennial flowerbeds should be protected from the harsh effects of chemicals, opting for thorough weeding and mulching. In the vegetable garden, herbicides, mowing, and soil improvement techniques can be used.
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Anatoly Sem. Koginov
As you've gathered from the material presented, it's impossible to eradicate this diabolical creation. This is the Devil's most successful project in wreaking havoc on humanity. It's an example of how any abomination has a fantastic survival potential. It's astounding: a plant can regenerate from any fragment of its own body. Humans, with all their chemicals, are powerless against the Devil's wisdom. And yet, this plant is beautiful in appearance! And what a scent from those wonderful white flower caps! And what a cool green glow in the evenings! And such filth for a poor gardener... Is there life on Mars? Yes, of course there is! Because weeds grow everywhere. At least, goutweed.
Zinaida
I add goutweed to the salad.
Tatyana k
What nonsense...why so much fuss for the exhausted summer residents?
The leaves can be dried for the winter and added to all sorts of dishes, especially cabbage soup and soups. Young sprouts are fried in batter. Goutweed is an excellent remedy for anemia. But as a weed, of course, it's a constant headache. The good news is that it's shade-sensitive. I got rid of goutweed in my garden beds in one summer after ten years of struggle using the methods suggested in the article. I dug it up, pulled out as many roots as possible, planted a pumpkin, and beans between the pumpkins. All this greenery thickly covered the soil. And that's it... I covered the soil around the tree trunks with black fern material and then a layer of grass. I still haven't been able to completely get rid of the currants. It grows right up to the trunks, impossible to reach.
Julia
Yes, the best way to combat goutweed is to eat it. It's very healthy. I add it to smoothies, salads, and soups.
The name "Snyt" (goutweed) comes from the word "sned" (food), which in the past was used to describe human food. This plant helped people survive the famine and is rich in vitamins and microelements. Try making soup and adding goutweed instead of sorrel... it's delicious and healthy.
Natalia
I fermented goutweed with plantain, dandelion leaves, parsley, radish tops, and dill. It's so delicious, and in winter, just one tablespoon of this "silage" as a side dish provides all the vitamins and minerals we need.
Ekaterina
During the war, it saved people from starvation. I freeze goutweed with sorrel and nettles for the winter; it's great for cabbage soup.
Love
Our people love to destroy everything; they're simply too eager to destroy all the greenery. In the city, the lawns are mowed to the ground, leaving behind a bald surface and yellow residue: asphalt and dust—you can't breathe it in. They've taken a cue from Europe—how to mow lawns, but they haven't learned the ropes. There, they keep the plant's length down, while here we mow it to the roots, lest the damn thing grow back at all. And you breathe in dust from the asphalt, from the soil. People set fire to forests for their own ends. Isn't there anything we can do to prevent someone from setting fire to a forest?