Hogweed is a perennial umbrella plant that dies after the seeds ripen. The height of the plant reaches more than 2.5 meters under favorable conditions. You can recognize hogweed by its powerful appearance with a thick hollow stem and large leaves. If the integrity of the shoots is violated, it emits a sharp, unpleasant odor. It forms lush umbrella inflorescences that attract a huge number of bees and flies. Capable of forming seeds from 20 to 70 thousand per plant, which remain viable for 5 years. In the absence of timely control measures, it forms dense thickets within 2–3 years.
In nature, there are more than 42 species of this crop, many of which are grown for decorative purposes. The most dangerous is Sosnovsky's hogweed, which is not only capable of multiplying uncontrollably and littering the area, but also causes serious burns when the juice gets on the skin.
It is necessary to fight hogweed correctly, and for this you need to understand its preferences, with the help of which you can not only control its spread, but also completely remove it. To get rid of a single plant or its thickets, you will need endurance and patience, since this crop is very hardy and prolific. But you will have to do this on time, since over time this can develop into a very serious problem.
Hogweed grows for as many years as it takes to form seeds. If the above-ground part is removed, the hogweed will sprout new shoots, trying to bloom, growing year after year in one place. These attempts may continue for 12-15 years. If no obstacles arise, the duration of development from seed to the formation of new offspring is 2–3 years, after which the mother plant usually dies.
Seed germination lasts for five years, and under favorable storage conditions it can reach 15 years. For germination, the plant needs stratification, so lowering the temperature in winter is a favorable factor for it. further growth and development.
When seeds fall into the soil, they release specific oils, which have a depressing effect on neighboring crops, so nothing interferes with their germination. If you cut off the umbrella inflorescences, the seeds will be able to ripen and fall off even in such conditions, so this feature should be taken into account when fighting this plant. Hogweed spreads at least 4 m around, and in the presence of wind, the seeds can move within a radius of 2 km.
But there are other properties of hogweed that are its weak side, and therefore they can be used in the fight against it:
If measures are not taken in time, then soon Sosnovsky's hogweed will predominate over a large area of the site, suppressing the growth of all other crops.
Burns from Sosnowski's hogweed
Sosnovsky's hogweed poses a danger not only to the plants near it, but also to people, as it is poisonous. Its juice, when it comes into contact with the skin, increases susceptibility to ultraviolet rays, resulting in a burn and an allergic reaction. But characteristic features do not always appear immediately.
In case of direct contact with the plant, immediate measures must be taken:
To avoid treating burns later, it is necessary to wear protective clothing, gloves and shoes. These precautions will help protect you from danger.
If single young plants of this weed are found on the site, you can use the spring removal of shoots by weeding and digging, but this must be done on time in the phase of 2-3 true leaves. You can use pulling young hogweed seedlings in the spring after rain.
In case of germination of last year's hogweed bushes in early spring, it is recommended to dig up plants with the main growth point, which is located at a depth of 5–10 cm below the soil level, since hogweed is characterized by geotropism. If you cut off the purely above-ground part, the dormant buds on the root will begin to germinate intensively in order to have time to form seeds during the season, trying to leave offspring behind.
The most effective way to destroy hogweed plantings is to prevent it from fully blooming and forming seeds. But in this case, the removal should be carried out purely by flowers, and the umbrella should remain. This little trick will help deceive the plant so that it does not have the desire to produce new flower stalks. But all pruning operations must be carried out in protective clothing, since there is a high probability of sap getting on the skin. All cut parts must be doused with a flammable substance and burned.
Experts recommend mowing hogweed plantings at least twice during the season. The essence of using this method is to prevent the plant from forming seeds and spreading over large areas. The first time must be mowed during the formation of the tubes, that is, before flowering, and the second time - no later than 3-4 weeks after the previous one. All cut parts must be collected and burned. You cannot mow hogweed already at the seed ripening stage, as this will be useless and will only aggravate the situation.
If hogweed plantings are severely neglected, the use of herbicides cannot be avoided. But at the same time, it is worth understanding that in addition to this weed, other useful crops will not be able to fully grow on the site. The most common drugs are Roundup, Tornado, Hurricane Forte, and Groundup. Optimal period To carry out the treatment is the beginning of the growing season and again before flowering. The concentration of the working solution should be twice as high as the specified standards in the instructions for the drug. Treatment should be carried out not only by spraying sheet plates, but also allow the solution to flow down the shoots into the leaf rosette.
The fight against hogweed is becoming increasingly important, especially considering last changes within the framework of our legislation. And in general, the issues of exterminating hogweed concern many owners of land and summer cottages. After all, getting rid of the poisonous plant turned out to be very difficult; hogweed is a very powerful and tenacious weed. What really working means exist to combat poisonous weeds and how to get rid of hogweed are in this article.
What not to do
Be sure to protect exposed areas of the body and especially the eyes from possible contact with hogweed juice. This is really very, very dangerous!
When preparing to fight hogweed in a designated area, you need to first select a buffer zone. It will prevent new seeds from entering the treated area, and if this is not done, then it will be almost useless to fight hogweed. If you are wondering how to deal with hogweed in your own summer cottage, then also check what is happening around the site. If there are hogweed thickets adjacent to it, then mow them down so as to leave a buffer at least 6 to 10 meters wide. This will increase the chances that it will still be possible to remove the hogweed from the site. Do not forget that hogweed seeds are scattered over considerable distances from flowering adults.
If under your nose there is a neighbor’s plot with thickets of hogweed, then it is better to agree with the owners of the thickets about joint measures to destroy it, since the seeds of the neighboring weed can easily end up on your plot.
Under no circumstances should you mow hogweed with electrical or mechanical devices, as poisonous grass cut with knives will fly in all directions and affect unprotected areas of the body. In this case, even ordinary protective clothing may not cope with its task, since particles with poisonous juice will scatter with acceleration. Mow hogweed exclusively by hand and always use protective equipment. Also keep in mind that hogweed is especially poisonous and filled with juice during the period of flowering and seed ripening!
Considering the characteristics of hogweed and its strengths and weak sides, it is obvious that most standard methods of weed control can be immediately cut off due to their uselessness. Analyze them with us and you will never again engage in useless and dangerous work to eradicate hogweed, but will immediately choose effective ways its destruction.
Cutting the stem root An absolutely useless method of control due to the fact that hogweed grows back very quickly. There are examples of this method of exterminating hogweed - like repeated mowing, but people are faced with the fact that the weed continues to grow well both this year and the next.
Mowing should be used only as a preliminary step in the cover method of combating poisonous grass, or to organize a buffer zone, or to prevent seeding. Or as preliminary preparation for laying geo-textiles and thus replacing hogweed with new plants (see below).
This is an extremely labor-intensive procedure that involves cutting off the root of each hogweed at a depth of at least 10-15 cm from the soil surface. The fact is that it is very difficult to uproot hogweed (its roots grow to a very great depth). But you can cut the root with a shovel at a depth so as not to leave the plant buds on the root (and if you leave them, they will quickly grow back). Not only is this a very labor-intensive and lengthy process, it also does not guarantee getting rid of hogweed (don’t forget about the seeds in the soil), so how independent method we can safely classify it as an ineffective method of struggle. An exception will be the fight against single standing specimens of hogweed.
Burning hogweed is dangerous! Covering methods for destroying hogweed using hay or non-woven materials are too gentle methods. In this way, it will not be possible to remove hogweed and you need something more serious. For example, black dense polyethylene film or geo-fabric (see below).
It is useless and dangerous to burn giant hogweed grass, since the seeds have already been dropped into the soil. It is more effective to burn (extremely carefully) young animals treated with flammable substances. However, due to the fact that hogweed has a very large seed bank, which is contained in the soil, it is also unrealistic to destroy the grass by burning young shoots alone. Therefore, this method must be combined with measures to further combat seed germination (see working methods of control below).
As we already understood, this method also needs to be combined with further measures to prevent seed germination. However, cutting off the inflorescences makes it possible to prevent the hogweed from multiplying the number of offspring. Do not forget to work in protective clothing and carry away and burn the inflorescence, preventing the seeds from ripening and falling into the ground.
One of the popular herbicides is Roundup. One of the effective ways to get rid of hogweed on your site is to chemically treat the plants, which greatly simplifies the task. Many owners of summer cottages doubt the safety of this method, however, herbicides to combat perennial plants(including hogweed) – are low toxic and biodegradable. In addition, from the point of view of effectiveness, herbicides are one of the the best ways fight against hogweed, and sometimes you can’t do without it at all. However, of course it’s up to you to decide.
To destroy Sosnovsky's hogweed, chemicals are most often used glyphosate based. The most popular chemicals for controlling perennial weeds are Roundup and its analogues (Tornado, Sprut, Hurricane), as well as preparations such as Grader, Buran, Ground, etc. Not all preparations used are glyphosate-based, so be careful. The selected drug and the characteristics of a particular land plot determine the dose, treatment time for hogweed and its frequency.
Glyphosate is a mildly toxic herbicide. If all technological dosages are observed, it is considered safe for humans, animals, birds, fish and even insects. He doesn't have unpleasant odor, and also it quickly collapses to natural compounds and does not pollute environment(relatively, of course). Therefore, experts consider this herbicide to be a working option for combating hogweed. However, it is still toxic chemical drug, which must be handled with care.
The scheme for treating hogweed with herbicides is as follows (details depend on the specific preparation - read carefully on its packaging or in the instructions, since different preparations may not contain the same active ingredients in different concentrations):
If the hogweed turns yellow, the herbicide treatment was successful Important point. The effect of glyphosate herbicides can be noticed no earlier than after 2-3 weeks, which is why a control check is carried out approximately a month after treating the hogweed.
Control with herbicides can begin with the appearance of the first leaves in the spring and including the flowering phase of the plant. The best period can be considered to be the end of May - the beginning of June, since you will save yourself from spraying tall thickets of hogweed, which is much more difficult and dangerous.
Do not forget the precautions: be sure to protect the skin surface, respiratory tract, both from chemical composition, and from poisonous juice and harmful fumes.
Glyphosate-based herbicides do not affect seeds! Therefore, remember that the treatment will affect only one generation of hogweed; most likely, the next generation of the weed will appear next year. Therefore, in order to get rid of hogweed on a site forever, they use sowing of cultivated land with seeds of replacement crops. This is necessary so that the plants can completely displace the hogweed and prevent it from returning to its previous extent.
This method of combating Sosnovsky's hogweed is based on the idea that if you deprive the plant sunlight, then it will soon die, since life will stop happening in it important processes. As a material with which you can reliably deprive such a powerful plant of hogweed of light, you must use black opaque film (100 microns thick).
The hogweed film should be thick - from 100 microns As usual, you need to start fighting hogweed in your summer cottage at a time when the plants are just starting to grow, since you won’t have to mow them. But in general, this method works even if the plant has already gained strength and height. In this case, after mowing the hogweed, you need to ensure that the sharp remains of the stems do not break through the film.
The process of breeding Sosnovsky's hogweed using the cover method of control is quite banal. It is necessary to cover the hogweed sprouts with film and press it with significant weight over the entire area. This is necessary because in the next couple of weeks the hogweed will actively grow and try to lift the film. After about 2 weeks this will stop and the weeds will die. However, after this the film cannot be removed, since we remember that hogweeds are extremely prolific and there are still many seeds in the ground, waiting in the wings. To destroy hogweed on a site using this method, you need to leave the film in the same place for a whole year, until approximately June of next year, when all the hogweed seeds will germinate again and have time to die. As a result, you will receive soil cleared of both hogweed and other plants, which is best immediately sown with seeds of replacement crops.
Important point. If you decide to fight hogweed using the covering method, you must provide a buffer zone of at least 10 (and preferably 50) meters to the nearest weed plants. Otherwise, there is a high chance that seeds from adult hogweed will fly to your sown or film-covered areas.
Jerusalem artichoke - fights well against hogweed One of the excellent environmentally friendly methods of combating Sosnovsky's hogweed is displacing the weed with the help of other crops. There are so-called remediator plants that aggressively destroy the “enemy,” in our case, hogweed.
To defeat hogweed with the help of other plants, it is necessary to create favorable conditions for replacement crops - and unfavorable ones for the weed.
This method of control uses the same idea of depriving unwanted shoots of sunlight, but the scheme of action differs from the destruction of hogweed using film. In the same way, sprouting hogweed or, if it has already grown, is mowed and covered with geotextiles. The density of such material should be from 100 g/m2 or more. Unlike film, geo-canvas is immediately covered with soil and sown with cereal or turf-forming lawn crops.
Perennial crops that develop well and quickly in a given area or are most common here can be taken. Also, plants that are able to fight against hogweed are considered Jerusalem artichoke, lupine, wheatgrass, brome, goat's rue, cereals and lawn grasses.
Geotextiles and bulk soil create favorable conditions and allow the sown seeds to germinate and at the same time prevent light from reaching the hogweed. Thus, hogweed is replaced by other crops.
The bulk soil is applied quite densely and its layer should be about 3 - 5 cm. To create the most favorable conditions for seed germination, organic matter is immediately added mineral fertilizers. In order for the plants on the geotextile to form a fully established and stable plant community, it is necessary to apply fertilizers over 2 seasons. Within three years, we will see the replacement of hogweed with crops sown on top of the geotextile.
Sowing seeds into the soil on the geotextile must be done carefully and use clean soil so as not to mix hogweed seeds into the sowing mixture.
Replacement crops are also sown without the use of geotextiles, simply by digging up the area where the hogweed grows. This method of control is also quite workable due to the properties of the remediator plants themselves, but the option with geo-canvas is much more reliable.
Destruction of hogweed in the fields If we're talking about about large agricultural lands or simply large areas where hogweed grows, then you can use the method of plowing with a tractor followed by disking. However, in order for this method of control to have an effect, it is necessary to remove the remains of hogweed from the field and immediately sow the field with replacement crops.
If there are no hogweed plantations on your site and several isolated weeds have appeared, then in this case you can use both the above methods for exterminating this weed and digging it up along with the roots. The main thing is to prevent the weed from flowering and spreading its seeds.
Also quite an effective method of combating a poisonous aggressor in in this case there will be cutting of inflorescences. In this case, the strategy is the opposite: let the hogweed release its umbrellas (and the hogweed considers its function completed) - and then cut it off. It must be remembered that hogweed can throw out new inflorescences, even at the very root, which also need to be cut off, preventing the seeds from ripening.
A proposal has emerged for breeding insects to combat hogweed. The Institute of Environmental Problems is considering the possibility of creating caterpillar farms; people in the Moscow region have already become interested in this experience.
The larvae of the hogweed moth destroy flowers and can reduce the productivity of seed reproduction. Two or three caterpillars of flat moths, parsnip or hogweed cutworms are enough to eliminate the inflorescence.
Work on studying this method of combating hogweed continues. However, it is not yet clear what needs to be done with the hogweed moth after it has dealt with the hogweed and moved on to other plants in the garden.
Hogweed in winter Hogweed Sosnovsky has a special relationship with spring frosts. If young shoots appear before the frost is completely over, the plant dies. And in general, there is an assumption that when the required subzero temperature in the ground is reached, the hogweed seeds will still die.
The authors of this idea (I. Dalke and I. Chadin, proborshevik.net) are conducting an experiment in the winter of 2018-2019 to study the effectiveness of this method of combating hogweed and invite everyone to participate in this.
The essence of the method can be studied in detail on the authors’ website, but in general the idea is as follows. It is known that snow cover protects the soil and the seeds in it from the cold. Hence the proposal to clear the snow on frosty days that suit the temperature in order to freeze the ground deeper and cause the hogweed seeds to die.
We will soon learn about the results of the experiment, but if it works, then such an environmentally friendly method of control could be a wonderful solution to the destruction of hogweed. This is especially true for the territories of medical institutions, kindergartens, playgrounds and summer cottages.
The same experimental methods of control include “folk methods” of controlling this plant:
Taking into account recent changes in legislation, it would seem that one can expect the creation of a program and service to combat hogweed. However, there is no information about this yet. Currently, it is assumed that subsidies will be allocated for processing large areas. We will find out later how the need to follow the law will actually be implemented.
If you do not want to deal with the problem yourself, order professional extermination of hogweed. Most companies involved in site maintenance have already included this service in their range.
Hogweed on the site is a weed, in comparison with which wheatgrass or thistle will seem like cute flowers. Nature has endowed this plant with a cunning and even insidious mechanism of protection and reproduction, which allowed it to quickly and firmly take root over vast territories. At Soviet power Hogweed, an unpretentious and fast-growing plant, we tried to grow for silage. But the Soviet Union, along with many collective farms and herds of animals that ate and trampled this representative of the Umbelliferae, sank into oblivion, but the hogweed remained.
It has remained so that now in many European countries a fight against hogweed has been declared at the state level. With us destruction of hogweed on the site is most often the concern of the summer residents and villagers themselves.
This plant comes from the Caucasus, but it turned out to be unpretentious to the climate. As a result, Sosnovsky's hogweed confidently displaces native plants from their usual habitats, disrupting the ecosystems of entire regions.
However, no one sets such serious tasks as fighting this weed on a national scale. This is the work of ecologists, scientists, and the state. And here how to get rid of hogweed on the site, and, preferably, the territories adjacent to it - everyone who has this malicious weed needs to think about it. And these are not empty words - hogweed poses a specific threat to humans.
The juice of this plant contains the substance furocoumarins, which, when in contact with the skin, make it vulnerable to UV radiation. It all depends on the person’s personal sensitivity - someone may only feel itching and burning, but often it ends in 1st-3rd degree burns. In this case, you don’t have to cut the plant, but just touch it. Getting juice into your eyes is especially dangerous.
The effect of furocoumarins does not appear immediately. At first, you may not even feel anything, and the burns will appear only after a day. But, as a rule, within a quarter of an hour a burn appears on the affected area, and after an hour or two blisters form. The more humid and sunny it is (sweat, dew), the more aggressive the effect of the juice.
In this case, cotton gloves or linen trousers will not help - the hogweed will “bite” through them. Burns go away slowly and painfully, eventually turning into... dark spots. And the substance furocoumarin itself can accumulate in the body and can cause relapse over time.
Some species of hogweed, of which there are 42, are not dangerous. For example, another common hogweed, Siberian hogweed, is a completely peaceful plant. It can be recognized by its yellow (and not white, like Sosnovsky’s) colors and less impressive size.
But Sosnovsky's hogweed can grow as tall as two people!
It blooms in the second or third year, producing more than 20 thousand seeds, after which it dies. But this is ideal. If for some reason he failed to bloom in the second or third year, he will try again in the 3rd, 4th year - up to 12-13 years! But, at any age, after leaving offspring, the plant dies (monocarpic plant).
Seed germination period is from 7 to 10 years. Capable of germinating from a maximum depth of 20-25 cm. The seeds are quite small - they can be deposited from neighboring areas, carried by birds and even by the wind at a distance of up to 2 km.
Hogweed is an aggressor and oppressor of other plants. Its seeds, falling into the soil, release essential substances that have a negative effect on neighboring crops. As a result, the hogweed displaces competitors, becoming the sole owner of the territories. He likes to settle along highways, in abandoned areas, landfills, along rivers and other bodies of water. In a word - everywhere.
It is not capable of vegetative propagation, but the stem root has dormant buds that awaken after cutting off the above-ground part and continue to grow.
Sosnovsky's hogweed is capable of self-pollinating, although it is better to “give birth” after cross-pollination by insects.
It all depends on how much this plant has taken over the area, and where it grows - in the garden where you grow food, or in an area not intended for planting vegetables or garden crops. Anyway, fight against hogweed It won’t be easy, but you need to approach the matter adequately. Some gardeners, in desperation, try to burn out the hogweed with a soldering iron, pour kerosene on it, and even cut off the soil and bring in new soil. It is difficult to say whether such radical methods destruction of Sosnovsky's hogweed - there are no enthusiastic reviews of such experiments on the Internet.
Therefore, at least for starters, try to use the scientifically based recommendations of scientists for getting rid of hogweed. They look like this:
- using black dense polyethylene film as mulch for the whole season, - for populated areas
AND use of Roundup and other active herbicides glyphosate – outside uninhabited areas
- use of replacement cereal crops after discing - for industrial scale.
Now let's talk about these and some other methods of destroying hogweed in more detail.
The most adequate and very effective way for people who have quite a lot of hogweed on their plot. Be prepared to miss at least one gardening season.
What mulch is good against hogweed? Not organic - this weed will crawl through any layer of straw, grass or clippings. Covering materials that allow moisture to pass through - agrofabric or agrofibre - will also not work. There is only one option left - thick black film. It will “protect” the hogweed from two vital important factors– sun and moisture. But the temperature under the film in the heat is very high - even destructively high.
So, in early spring, when the plant has not yet begun to grow, the area is covered with film and fixed. It should be fixed not only at the edges, but over the entire area of the covering material (use boards, bricks, bottles of water, or simply sprinkle with earth). In the first year of mulching, the plant is still full of strength and will try to break through. However, spending more and more energy, it will soon become exhausted and die. The film will not be removed until early summer of the following year, as the surviving remnants will try to rebel in the spring. By summer they will burn out, after which the film is removed, the ground is dug up and what can still be planted in June is planted.
Most gardeners try to avoid using herbicides in their gardens, so it's best to experiment with Roundup near a yard, plot, or vacant lot. To do this, in the spring, on young leaves, spray a solution of 25 ml of Roundup or its analogues (active glyphosate) in 1 liter of water (enough for about 20 “squares” of heavily overgrown territory). If you carefully follow all the recommendations (do not treat before rain, in sunny weather, for strong adult plants), the result will really be – up to ¾ of the hogweed will die. One problem is that Roundup does not “take” seeds, being absorbed through the green parts of plants. Therefore, it will not be possible to remove hogweed on the site using Roundadap.
By the way, there are often notes on the Internet that Agrokiller copes with hogweed much better than Roundup.
To do this, the ground is covered with a fairly dense non-woven geotextile, about a five-centimeter layer of earth is poured on top and sown thickly and densely lawn grass. If, before planting, the hogweed has already sprung up on the site, it is mowed down. It is very important to take care of the cleanliness of the soil poured onto the geotextile - it is better to bring it from another area where there is guaranteed to be no hogweed and its seeds. Such method of combating hogweed very effective. All that remains is to make sure that this weed is not left nearby either.
Yes, practically nothing. You mow before flowering - it grows back, and so on for 12 years. You mow during flowering - it grows back anyway. You mow after flowering - what's the point? The seeds are already scattered. But not everything is so hopeless with mowing hogweed on the site.
Firstly, if we are talking about single plants, then you can cut off not the inflorescences themselves, but only the flowers on them, leaving bare panicles of umbrellas. The plant is deceived into thinking it has left offspring and dies. The main thing is to have time to do this before the seeds form. If you cut hogweed seeds even when they are not ripe, they ripen and become capable of germination.
Secondly, the stem of hogweed is hollow inside, like a pipe. Some gardeners pour potent substances into the stump remaining after cutting, or more precisely, into its cavity: the same Roundup, Hurricane, Tornado or Agrokiller. Others use folk remedies for hogweed: cover it with salt, vinegar essence, and gasoline. To be safe, you can also tie a plastic bag on top of the stump. Sometimes they even suggest not cutting off the hogweed, but “driving” five Roundup cubes (1:3) from a syringe into the cavity. Soon the plant will begin to turn yellow and die.
Dig up the hogweed and be done with it. This plant has root system rod type, the bulk of the roots lie in a layer of up to 30 centimeters, although some roots penetrate to a depth of two meters.
Jerusalem artichoke is a powerful plant, approximately equivalent to hogweed. And flattering reviews about Jerusalem artichoke against hogweed appeared on the Internet: its tubers can even be planted in thickets of hogweed, but it is better to first plow and disk the overgrown area.
And finally, let us remind you: before how to deal with hogweed on the site, take care of personal protective equipment: wear trousers and a long-sleeved jacket made of thick waterproof material, long non-woven gloves, boots; Apply cream to your face and put on glasses. Immediately after work, remove and wash your clothes, wash your shoes and tools, without touching them with your bare hands. After all, when speaking against hogweed, we must not forget: before you is a dangerous enemy.
Hogweed is a very unpleasant and annoying weed. It dissipates quickly, and the seeds tolerate frost well. And because of the phototoxic properties of the juice, which causes severe burns.
Therefore, if you find this in your garden poisonous plant, organize a brutal fight for him!
Despite the fact that this plant is an annual, it is very difficult to grow. 
But we recommend watching a fragment of the program “I Want to Know” with Mikhail Shirvindt about hogweed.
Knowing the weaknesses of the “enemy” can tell you how to get rid of hogweed on your site:
Just looking at this list, you can find a way to remove this weed from the site. But remember the toxicity of Sosnovsky's hogweed and first familiarize yourself with the safety precautions.
For effective fight with weed it is better to use the methods below in combination and, preferably, before the hogweed blooms. And don't forget about overalls!
This is the most effective, but also the most time-consuming method, because the roots can go more than 30 centimeters deep. And the “uncut” root, on which the buds remain, can produce new shoots.
Young plants can sometimes simply be pulled out by hand, especially from damp soil. Therefore, “pull out” weeds after rain or specially moisten the soil.
If the moment has been missed and the hogweed has already thrown away its umbrellas, but the seeds have not yet ripened, cut them off and burn them. As you remember, seeds can ripen even on cut stems.
A plant deprived of inflorescences can produce shoots again, so the procedure will have to be repeated periodically.This is already an extreme measure when the seeds have begun to ripen. The fact is that during this period the stem of the hogweed dries out, which allows the fruits to be easily released and scattered throughout the world. So you can simply burn out an area overgrown with weeds. But remember this method will not give 100% results.
Most summer residents never resort to herbicides, as they strive for ecological farming. But you can use the traditional method of weed control - destruction with diesel fuel. Using a syringe, inject 2 ml of diesel fuel into the stem of the hogweed - this should destroy the plant.
This effective method How to remove any weeds from a site, but it may take more than one year. Use this method better in spring, before the hogweed begins to actively grow. But you can resort to it in the summer, by cutting or bending the stems. A very dense layer is laid on top of the plants. black film(not thinner than 100 microns), which will block their access to light. This film must be pressed down on top with something: sprinkle with earth or construction waste. But, as you understand, during mulching the garden becomes inaccessible for any use at all.
2018-11-13 City Disinfection StationNow you know how to deal with hogweed that has occupied your area. Don't forget your protective equipment and go into battle!
Many Russian farmers and owners of summer cottages are faced with the problem of the spread of dangerous plant- Sosnovsky's hogweed. For many, his presence on earth becomes a real disaster. The plant is capable of turning a well-cultivated country cottage area into the "toxic jungle".
Many European countries are conducting comprehensive research into the spread of the weed in question and how to combat it. Invasive corridors are being studied and measures are being taken to create effective buffer zones to prevent further spread. For most summer residents, the quick destruction of the pest in question is a cherished dream. Below you will learn how to deal with hogweed in your summer cottage.
Features of the weed
Hogweed is part of the group of umbrella plants. There are about 50 types of it. One variety of the weed is called “Hercules grass.” This name comes from the name of the pest in Latin - Heracleum. It is this that must be fought first of all.
In order for the fight against hogweed to be effective, it is necessary to study its properties and characteristics in detail. The strengths of the weed are expressed in the following characteristics:
However, hogweed also has its weaknesses. To get him out of your dacha, you need to know what exactly they are. The weaknesses of hogweed include the lack vegetative propagation. If you remove all existing dormant buds, the plant will not recover. This nuance must be taken into account in order to effectively combat hogweed.
The plant lives for several years. However, it bears fruit only once. If you choose the correct method for exterminating the pest, at the moment it enters the generative stage of development, you will be able to remove it from your territory.
Doesn't tolerate weed high humidity and cannot grow from deep soil. It is important to know that hogweed loves sunny weather. Based on the listed characteristics of the weed, you need to select a method of combating it that will allow you to remove it from your garden.
Precautionary measures
If you decide to remove hogweed from your land, follow safety precautions. The weed juice is characterized by high phytotoxicity. If it comes into contact with unprotected skin, it causes a burn. Be sure to use protective clothing from thick fabric, safety glasses and special gloves.
Mowing of contaminated areas should be done using tractor brush cutters. Trimmers create a strong scattering of crushed plant parts. It is extremely difficult to protect yourself from them in such a situation.
Hogweed juice can cause a severe burn if it gets on the skin in sunny weather. If you are burned, take appropriate action. Wash the burn with soap and water. Place a cloth or napkin moistened with furatsilin on the affected area of skin. Keep it there for 30 minutes.
Then lubricate the burned area with Panthenol and cover the affected skin with a bandage or plaster to protect it from the effects of the sun's rays. After this, be sure to take an antihistamine. If the plant juice penetrates the mucous membranes, immediately seek medical help.
Ways to combat Sosnovsky's hogweed
Many techniques have been developed to exterminate this annoying pest. To effectively deal with it, use the following methods:
Each of the listed methods has its own characteristics and advantages. Below we will discuss in detail the methods that will allow you to defeat hogweed on your site.
If only a few units of hogweed are found in the garden and the surrounding area, resort to simple option- dig them up. This must be done before sowing. The ideal time is considered to be early summer or spring.
The digging procedure is carried out using a conventional bayonet shovel. Remember that the active part of the weed is located at a distance of about 30 centimeters from the soil surface. It is best to dig up each plant and remove it completely with its entire root system.
If it is impossible to solve the problem in this way, we recommend cutting down the stem root 15 centimeters below the root collar. Take the dug out weed outside the property and burn it.
If the area is heavily infested with hogweed, you need to take action even before the period of flowering and emergence. The weed must be mowed repeatedly. It is performed according to the following scheme:
Statistics show that the use of this technique will not allow you to get rid of hogweed. To effectively combat it, you need to combine it with other measures.
The technique is based on repeated events on plot of land. The first of them takes place in the last month of spring. All subsequent ones are carried out throughout the summer period until August inclusive. The method under consideration is used only on lands left fallow. It consists of the following:
This approach allows you to completely get rid of the annoying weed. The technique is effective even in cases where the area is very contaminated. After its application, individual units of the pest may sprout in early autumn. However, they can be quickly removed by digging.
In situations where the hogweed has grown greatly and there is no point in mowing it down, you can cut the plant’s umbels manually. The procedure is performed according to the following scheme:
This technique is relevant in the presence of single specimens of the weed, if it has already become seeded. The plant should be watered generously with fire starter fluid or gasoline. It is then set on fire. After waiting for the pest to burn out, the place where it grew is covered with soil.
The method under consideration makes it possible to effectively combat hogweed, but it is unsafe. It is important to prevent the flame from spreading to other plants that are in close proximity to the weed.
The most radical way to get rid of hogweed is the use of chemicals that kill it. The use of herbicides is important when all other methods have been tried and did not give the expected effect.
Glysophosphate-based preparations are used to kill weeds. Statistics show that for effective solution problems, you need to deviate from the recommendations of herbicide manufacturers. It makes sense to exceed the dosage of the drug. This way you can fight the annoying pest as effectively as possible.
Preparations containing glysophosphate do not pose a threat to insects and animals. But during the use of herbicides, neighboring plants can be harmed. This technique is recommended only in extreme situations.
Farmers from the Baltic countries use the method of displacing hogweed using remediators. This term refers to plants characterized by high aggressiveness to weeds.
Estonian farmers use Galega officinalis. It is a grass from the Legume group. Similar experiences are being actively adopted in the Kaliningrad region. To prevent weed infestation of fallow fields, they are sown with the mentioned remediator, as well as awnless brome.
Among folk remedies Vinegar deserves attention. This method It is permissible to use in situations where the plant has already sprouted strongly. To implement the technique, purchase vinegar essence.
To carry out the procedure, cut off the pest's umbrella. Then pour vinegar inside the stem. The use of the latter is guaranteed to destroy the plant and relieve the farmer from constantly monitoring the appearance of new inflorescences. It is permissible to process hogweed without cutting off the umbrella. You must use a syringe to inject the essence into the stem. This approach will allow you to kill the pest and prevent it from blooming.
Combining methods: effectively combating hogweed
The above steps must be repeated until autumn. Statistics show that the use combined methods allows you to achieve good result when other options have failed.
Summarizing
Eliminating the weed in question can sometimes be difficult, especially if the area is already heavily infested with it. Therefore, start fighting this pest as quickly as possible. Don't wait for the weed to become widespread on your property.
Tenants and land owners in the Moscow region and the Moscow region bear responsibility if hogweed grows uncontrollably on their plots. The law specifies penalties. Their value for individuals can range from three to five thousand rubles. Therefore, it is necessary to fight against hogweed in order not to receive a fine.
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