How to get rid of woodlice in the garden: chemical and folk remedies

Weed control in the garden is a perennial problem. In a landscaped area, you want to create optimal conditions for your crops and get a decent harvest, but weeds, including woodlice, resist this in every way possible, robbing vegetables of both nutrition and space. Getting rid of woodlice in your garden for good is a task that requires some effort.

Information about the chickweed plant

The scientific name for the familiar chickweed is Stellaria media. Its other names, derived from certain medicinal properties and its tendency to grow rapidly in moist soils, include chickweed, chickweed, chickweed, hernia, and heart grass.

This low-growing herbaceous plant has succulent stems and small, rounded leaves. It blooms throughout the growing season with small, star-shaped white flowers. It takes 4-5 weeks from the start of flowering to the full ripening of the seeds, after which the next cycle begins, and this continues throughout the growing season. A single bush can produce approximately 15,000 seeds per season.

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In addition to the large number of seeds, the plant's rapid propagation is facilitated by the stem's ability to root, as well as by a developed root system of long, thin roots that quickly occupy the surrounding space. Another important factor in the weed's spread in a plot is acidic soil.

Depending on the soil composition, woodlice can grow as isolated clumps or cover a large area of ​​the garden in a dense carpet. In any case, the weed's presence causes damage to garden crops.

Getting rid of woodlice permanently in your property is a complex and labor-intensive process, and much depends on the regularity of the procedures. These procedures involve mechanical action and the use of various remedies, including chemicals and folk remedies.

Mechanical impact and agrotechnical measures

Weed removal work should begin in early spring, when the soil has just thawed and the plant's growing season has not yet begun.

Stages of mechanical action:

• digging and loosening the soil while simultaneously removing weed roots and plant debris;
• primary weeding of emerging sprouts or, if possible, loosening with removal of roots;
• in the future, throughout the season, weed regularly as new shoots appear, using a narrow spatula or a special tool for removing roots;
• After harvesting, dig up the soil and remove all small roots, otherwise they will take root and sprout again in the spring.

It is recommended to dig with a pitchfork to minimize damage to the roots, parts of which remain in the soil.

After each weeding, all plant debris should be removed. Otherwise, it will be difficult to get rid of woodlice in the garden—any remaining root or stem will give rise to a new plant. It is not recommended to compost woodlice, as the viable seeds will not lose their viability during the composting process.

Of course, weeding and manually cultivating the beds is physically demanding work, but doing it annually will lead to almost complete weed removal. Subsequently, care must be taken to avoid introducing plant debris containing chickweed seeds into the soil.

How to reduce soil acidity

Regular mechanical action in combination with reducing acidity can give very good results.

One of the most effective ways to reduce acidity is by adding lime. It's best to apply it during the fall tillage after harvesting. The amount of lime depends on the soil's acidity: 60 kg per 100 square meters for very acidic soil, 45 kg for moderately acidic soil, and 30 kg for slightly acidic soil.

Adding slaked lime during spring tillage—50-150 g per 1 m²—also yields good results. Slaked lime is produced by adding water to lime.

To reduce acidity, it's convenient to use dolomite flour immediately before planting—it won't burn roots and stems like lime. The recommended dose per square meter is 500-600 g for acidic soil, 400-500 g for moderately acidic soil, and 300-400 g for slightly acidic soil.

Mulching

Mulching blocks light from reaching weeds (and other plants). In darkness, photosynthesis stops, killing not only the above-ground parts of the plant but also the roots. Any material that blocks light can be used as mulch: roofing felt, black film, boards, old linoleum, or agrofibre.

You can use organic matter as a cover, such as grass, leaves, or hay, spreading it in a 10 cm layer. In this case, as it rots, it will also serve as a source of nutrients.

This method requires a long time - the covering can only be removed from an area covered in the spring the following summer.

Mulching can be done partially by pouring a layer of mulch around the plant or cutting holes in the film for it - the cultivated plant will receive both nutrition and the necessary light.

Use of chemicals

Depending on the area occupied by weeds and the proximity to other plants, it is sometimes convenient to use herbicides, for example, Tornado, Hurricane.

Plants 5-10 cm tall should be treated. For larger areas, spray with a solution of 120 ml of the product and 5 liters of water. If the plants are isolated or there is concern about damaging neighboring crops, spraying can be done with a brush.

All work with chemicals must be carried out wearing gloves and special clothing.

Folk remedies against woodlice

In the fight against any weeds We have always used folk remedies that do not harm the soil, garden plants or people:

• water areas overgrown with woodlice (paths, empty spaces, but not beds where vegetables grow) with a strong salt solution, or sprinkle dry salt at a rate of 1.5 kg per 1 m²;
• Spray weed thickets with a mixture of 2 cups of vinegar and water + 1 packet of citric acid + 30 g of alcohol + 2 tsp of detergent, being careful not to get it on vegetable plantings;
• spray woodlice seedlings with a saturated soda solution (no closer than 20 cm to cultivated plants);
• Use herbicide soap for treatment - a mixture of equal parts salt, vinegar and crushed laundry soap.

Gardeners' Tips

Experience gained through practice is always relevant because it is based on reality and is accessible.

Some tips:

1. There shouldn't be any empty space in the garden—where something grows, there are always fewer weeds. After harvesting one crop, the empty beds can be used to plant early-ripening vegetables or green manure. After green manure has been planted, the problem area will be much less prone to weeds.
2. With reasonable compaction of plantings, weeds have less useful space.
3. Constantly removing the above-ground parts of weeds at soil level depletes the root system, and the weed dies. Digging is not recommended, as damaging the root can have the opposite effect—a new plant will grow from a small portion of the root system.
4. Between the rows you can lay linoleum or pour small crushed stone, gravel, or crushed brick.
5. When digging deeply in the autumn, the roots remaining in the ground freeze.

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In conclusion, it can be said that completely eradicating woodlice in the garden is entirely possible with consistent weed control using any method you find convenient. However, it's important to remember that getting rid of weeds temporarily, if the process of its destruction is irregular.