Projectiles with an urge to reproduce
The wood sorrel has two ingenious survival strategies. For one thing, it spreads at lightning speed with the help of its seeds. Your help is not required for this. The wood sorrel does it all by itself.
also read
- How poisonous is the wood sorrel really?
- Wood sorrel seeds: collect, examine, sow
- Wood sorrel - not only edible, but also healthy
As soon as its fruits dry up after ripening, the fruit chambers open explosively and the seeds they contain shoot out. The seeds can fly up to 250 cm. They sow themselves on moist soil and new plants will emerge no later than next spring.
A stubborn root weed
In addition to its seeds, its roots are considered a secret weapon in the fight for survival. With the help of root runners, a sorrel plant becomes two, three, four, ... Even if the plant and some of its roots are torn out, the runners survive. They are stubborn and difficult to remove.
Control No. 1: Weeding
Before reaching for hard stuff like chemical clubs, you should try mechanical combat. The wood sorrel is weeded. This method requires patience and should be tackled early in the year - ideally between March and April.
Before the flowers and seeds have a chance to emerge, the leaves of the wood sorrel that become visible should be weeded. Be Rigorous! All roots have to be removed completely! Root remnants grow back again. Admittedly, it's difficult to fully grasp and remove the roots. But if you succeed, you will have some peace and quiet.
Control agent No. 2: weed killer
When mechanical control remains unsuccessful, most gardeners turn to weed killers. Bear in mind that such chemicals pollute the environment and, if used incorrectly, also destroy crops. Always use such agents selectively and in a well-dosed manner!
Other means of destruction
Sorrel that grows in the lawn can also be covered with soil foil. It dies while the grass recovers after the film is removed. It can also help to prune out the area of lawn where wood sorrel grows. At this point, ready-made turf is now planted. Last but not least, the wood sorrel can be stopped briefly if the lawn is mowed twice a week.
Prevent wood sorrel from overflowing
Prevention can look like this:
- Scarify the lawn regularly
- Liming the ground (wood sorrel doesn't like lime)
- Cover the ground with bark mulch
- Fertilize the lawn sufficiently and regularly
- sow other vigorous plants that will prevail over the wood sorrel
Tips
Regardless of which control method (s) you choose. Remember: The wood sorrel is poisonous in large quantities and also poses a danger to animals.
