The best methods of dealing with how to permanently get rid of woodlice in the area
Weeds in garden plots and vegetable gardens cause great harm to the crop. One of the most common is wood lice - a grass that actively grows in rainy weather and covers the soil with a thick carpet. Consider how to permanently get rid of woodlice in a summer cottage using mechanical, chemical and folk methods. We will also figure out what the preventive protection against re-growth is.
Features of the grass
The scientific name of the woodlice herb is the average stellate. It is a herbaceous plant of low height, capable of intensive growth on soils with abundant moisture.
Distinctive features of woodlice weeds are:
- juicy strong stems;
- leaves of medium size and rounded shape;
- small white flowers, outwardly resembling an asterisk, which persist throughout the growing season.
Until the seeds ripen, from the moment from the first days of flowering, it takes about five weeks, then the cycle repeats.
During the season, one shrub is capable of producing up to 15 thousand weed seeds. The seeds are characterized by the following features:
- early germination at an air temperature of +4 ° С;
- conservation in soil from two to five years;
- resistance to environmental factors.
The root system of woodlice consists of numerous thin and long roots, which quickly strengthen and spread in the surrounding space.
The growth rate of woodlice grass on the site depends on the type and quality of the soil on the site. Soil with high acidity contributes to the fastest spread of the weed over the territory - woodlice covers the ground in the form of a continuous large carpet. With other soil compositions, this weed grows in separate bushes.
Woodlice harm
Before you start fighting woodlice in the garden, you need to figure out what is dangerous and harmful weed grass:
- A dense covering of a large-scale part of the garden with woodlice prevents sunlight from entering. This makes natural air circulation impossible. As a result, microorganisms actively develop, which destroy beneficial bacteria.
- Due to the abundant growth of roots, there is a moisture deficit for other crops on the site.
- The soil becomes weakened and depleted, as weeds draw out all nutrients and vitamins from it.
- A weed covering the soil with a dense and thick blanket does not allow it to ventilate and warm enough, as a result of which it is exposed to the influence of pathogens.
- In the lush thickets of woodlice, cruciferous fleas, weevils, aphids, nutcracker beetles, and other insect pests find shelter and food.
Reasons for the appearance
The main reasons for the growth of woodlice weed in vegetable gardens and summer cottages are the increased acidity of the soil and excess moisture.
How to get rid of woodlice forever?
Wood lice can be dealt with in several ways - mechanical, technical and folk.
Mechanical impact and agricultural technology
In order to eliminate the weed, it is necessary to carry out mechanical and agrotechnical work in early spring - after the snow melts and the soil thaws, but before the beginning of the growing process.
Mechanical impact on woodlice can be divided into several stages:
- Loosening and digging the soil in the garden, removing various plant residues and roots of weeds.
- Loosening with simultaneous removal of the roots of shoots.
- Perform regular weeding throughout the season - every time new shoots begin to emerge. To do this, use a small, narrow spatula or a garden tool designed to gently remove plant roots.
- Use a pitchfork to thoroughly dig up the soil after the crop has been harvested. At this stage, it is also necessary to clear the area of weed roots so that they cannot take root for the next season and emerge.
At the end of weeding, it is imperative to clear the garden plot from plant residues and small roots. This will prevent new weeds from emerging.
Cut wood lice should never be used for composting. This is due to the fact that during the preparation of this organic fertilizer, weed seeds can sprout.
Another useful agronomic method is mulching. The purpose of this procedure is to block the access of natural light to crops, including weeds.
Shelter can be made from:
- wooden boards;
- agrofibers;
- black plastic wrap;
- roofing material;
- remnants of old linoleum;
- 10 cm layer of leaves, grass or hay.
Features of soil deoxidation
For greater efficiency, agrotechnical methods should be combined with soil deoxidation. This procedure must be carried out from year to year, since over time the level of soil acidity is restored and returns to its original values.
There are several ways to reduce acidity. Most often, quicklime or slaked lime, as well as dolomite flour, are used for these purposes.
Lime should be added to soil layers during autumn or spring digging.
In the first case, after the entire crop has been harvested. To determine the optimal amount of lime for a plot of 100 square meters, you need to take into account the degree of acidity of the soil:
- very sour - 60 kg;
- medium acid - 45 kg;
- slightly acidic - 30 kg.
By adding some water, you can get slaked lime, which is recommended for use during the spring weeding of the soil on the site. For each square meter, you will need from 50 to 150 grams of lime.
There is one drawback when using lime - this chemical can cause burns to the stems and roots of plants. Therefore, in some cases it is advisable to use dolomite flour, which is more gentle. In this case, the amount of the product also depends on the acidity of the soil:
- very sour - 600 g;
- medium acid - 500 g;
- slightly acidic - 400 g
Chemicals
Chemical-based products are very effective, but they pose a certain hazard, so utmost care is important when using.
The following types of herbicides are suitable for controlling woodlice on the site:
- "Zero";
- "Hurricane";
- "Tornado";
- "Glysol";
- "Glyph".
Chemical preparations are recommended to be applied once a year - in the fall after harvest. For processing the site, it is necessary to choose quiet, windless days so that toxic components do not spread throughout its entire area. All work must be carried out in protective clothing.
Continuous treatment with herbicides is carried out only when there are no other plants nearby. If there are other crops nearby, only spot processing is permissible.
Weed grass under the influence of chemicals is destroyed by about 5-7 days. First, the leaves on the tops begin to turn yellow, and then the whole plant acquires a brown tint.
Weeding
A common method is weeding. It must be performed every week so that the wood louse weed becomes depleted and loses its vitality. It is necessary that all the torn particles of the plant dry out, because even a minimal amount of moisture is enough for it to take root. It is recommended to weed after the woodlice seeds are ripe.
Traditional methods
There are several effective and safe folk methods for dealing with woodlice and other weeds in areas:
- Herbicidal soap made from grated laundry soap, as well as equal parts of table salt and vinegar. With a solution of this agent, it is necessary to abundantly process the places where woodlice grow.
- Salt. It can be used both dry and in the form of a solution for irrigating the area. One square meter of the garden will require one and a half kilograms of salt.
- A strong solution of baking soda is used to spray weed seedlings that grow at a distance of at least twenty centimeters from other cultivated plants.
- Treat woodlice with a liquid composition of water and vinegar (two glasses each), alcohol (30 ml), citric acid (1 sachet) and detergent (2 teaspoons).
Prevention of reappearance
Competent prevention will help protect yourself from the reappearance of woodlice in the summer cottage.
It is necessary to ensure that no excess water remains outside the beds after irrigation.
You also need to perform a number of actions that create the most unfavorable environment for the spread of the weed:
- Observe the rules of crop rotation.
- Plant green manure plants in the remaining free areas of the soil.
- Make mulch from sawdust, compost or pine bark.
In addition, every autumn it is recommended to carry out a deep digging of the soil, as a result of which the roots of the weed remaining in the deep layers will freeze.
