Content
Nettle on cultivated lands is classified as an aggressive weed. It grows quickly, occupying large areas. Beneficial plants located nearby suffer from such proximity, experiencing a lack of moisture and nutrition. Tall nettle bushes shade plantings and are carriers of fungal infections. Getting rid of nettles is not an easy task, but it is completely solvable if the event is carried out correctly and in a timely manner.
Features of weed control
The root system of the weed is of mixed type. The central thick rod is deepened by 20–25 cm. It produces numerous lateral shoots up to 40 cm long. In spring, root shoots produce shoots from each vegetative bud. By the end of summer, a full-fledged plant grows from the sprouts, the root of which also grows by 30–40 cm in spring.
The foliage of the medicinal crop is covered with small villi that cause burns on the skin due to the high concentration of formic acid
A greenhouse overgrown with nettles (pictured) can be difficult to clear of the weed.The walls of greenhouses are not an obstacle to the roots of the plant. In frequent cases, in the fall, nettles were on the outside of the greenhouse, and in the spring they already appeared inside. If you do not fight weeds in a timely manner, then getting rid of them in the future will be problematic.
Nettle is distributed throughout Russia except the Far North. The plant is characterized by high frost resistance. The first shoots appear at a temperature of +3–5 0C; they are not afraid of minus temperatures and grow quickly.
The difficulty of controlling the weed lies in the rapid growth of the underground part, while the nettle restores the population in 2 seasons, even if a small fragment of the root remains in the soil. Compounding the problem is the ability to reproduce generatively. The seeds ripen at the end of summer and are carried by the wind over long distances. The material overwinters quietly and germinates in the spring.
Nettle is classified as a medicinal plant. It is a good source of food for animals; young stems and leaves are used in cooking. Leaving a few bushes for personal use in the garden will not work; in a few years there will be thickets of nettles on the site. You will have to make a lot of effort to get rid of it.
The weed grows on fertile, light soils, preferring cultivated soils. In a summer cottage, it is an aggressive weed that, as it spreads, will crowd out cultivated plants. During flowering, pollen causes allergies in humans; if it comes into contact with the skin, it can cause a burn.
The root shoot remaining in the soil after removing the mother plant quickly forms shoots
How to get rid of nettles on your property
The main condition is to prevent it from growing. There are several ways to remove nettles from your site:
- Plant nearby plants that have a depressing effect on the weed.
- Use chemicals.
- Weed, dig up along with the roots.
There are several folk recipes for weed control. The choice depends on the territory occupied and the degree of distribution of the population.
How to remove nettles from the garden using chemicals
Apart from the unkempt appearance, the above-ground part does not cause any particular harm to the garden plot. To solve the problem, you need to do more than just get rid of the stems and leaves. The main activities are aimed at the root system. Pulling out or mowing the mother plant improves the aesthetic appearance of the area and nothing more; the root shoots will produce new growth. To permanently remove nettles from the garden, you can use contact chemicals. It is not recommended to use soil products on soil used for planting vegetables. The decay time of toxic herbicide compounds is 1.5–2 years.
Therefore, it is recommended to treat the aerial parts with contact preparations. They are harmless to the soil and effective against perennial, dioecious weeds, which include nettle. The processing mechanism is as follows:
- after spraying, the substance enters the plant’s vascular system;
- along with the juice, it spreads to all parts, blocking the photosynthesis of phenylalanine in the leaves;
- fundamentally suppresses the production of amino acids;
- the bush turns yellow;
- internal pressure decreases;
- the weed dies.
Glyphos is one of the most popular and safe chemicals in the fight against weeds.
Several herbicides against nettles are often used in small summer cottages and farm fields:
- "Tornado";
- "Rodeo";
- "Forsat";
- "Hurricane".
How to remove nettle using folk methods
Traditional methods of weed control are effective for a short period of time; they will not help you get rid of nettles in the garden forever. A small, undamaged area of the root will resume vegetation and the problem will return. A few tips on how to get rid of weeds:
- In early spring, use a blowtorch to burn the area where the main weed is concentrated.
- Prepare an anti-nettle remedy from 250 g of salt and 8 liters of water, pour the thickets at the beginning of the season and cover with mulch.
- You can pour boiling water over the area with the weed.
The population will decrease significantly, but it will not be possible to completely get rid of nettles; at first, isolated shoots will appear, then the problem will return completely.
What plants can kill nettles?
In farmers' fields, nettles are a rare occurrence; they can only be found along the perimeter of the plot, but in this case the harm from them is small. To get rid of weeds in treated fields, herbicides are used and crop rotation is observed. There will be no nettles in a field sown with rapeseed. They also grow honey crops that kill weeds.
The garden area allocated for a vegetable garden is small in size, so this measure is irrelevant. You can get rid of nettles in your summer cottage by planting horseradish or Jerusalem artichoke - they are more useful on the farm.They will completely displace nettles, but you need to be prepared that these seedlings will create the next problem. The question will arise how to get rid of the growing replacement.
How to destroy nettles on a site using mechanical methods
Mechanical methods will help get rid of weeds if done correctly:
- Weeding or mowing the aboveground part gives a temporary result: the nettle will resume growth. If you constantly carry out the procedure at the beginning of the season, then over time the number of plants on the site will decrease significantly.
- It is recommended to harrow the plowed land, when the plow turns some of the cut roots along with the soil onto the surface. If they are not collected and removed, nettles will sprout not only in one place, but throughout the entire garden.
- The best way to get rid of a weed is to dig up the plant along with the roots. Measure 20 cm from the center and dig the nettles in a circle to a depth of 20–25 cm. The bush is loosened, lifted with a shovel and removed.
The green mass can be discarded or crushed, filled with water, left to ferment and used as top dressing.
Common Mistakes
The main mistake in the fight against herbaceous shrubs is observed during chemical treatment. If the procedure is carried out incorrectly, you can get rid of not only nettles, but also cultivated plants. You cannot spray weeds when there is wind, as it will spread the herbicide to nearby crops. The best equipment to use is a spray bottle with an adjustable spray nozzle. If this is not possible, you should cover nearby plants with film.
Prevention measures
To get rid of nettles, after sprouts appear, the area is weeded several times a season.Deepen the hoe as far as the soil allows, and remove the plant along with the roots with your hands. After removing the above-ground part, this place can be covered with black film, slate or roofing felt. For the winter, the area is filled with salt solution and covered with a layer of raw sawdust.
Conclusion
There are several ways to get rid of nettles on your site: digging up the weed, treating with herbicides, and folk remedies. To prevent vegetation from resuming, work should be aimed at removing the entire root system. Superficial weeding or mowing will give temporary results; next year the weed will not only germinate in the old place, but will also occupy a large area.
