Green leaves reminiscent of four-leaf clovers, white to pink flowers in April This could be wood sorrel. Whether on lawns in the garden, on pastures or elsewhere - many gardeners do not like it and instead see it as an annoying weed.
How to fight wood sorrel in the garden?
To effectively combat wood sorrel, you can weed it, use weed killer or cover the lawn with ground film. Preventive measures include regular scarifying, liming the soil, covering it with bark mulch, sufficient fertilization and sowing other competitive plants.
Projectiles with the urge to reproduce
The wood sorrel has two clever survival strategies. On the one hand, it spreads quickly with the help of its seeds. Your help is not required for this. The wood sorrel does this on its own.
As soon as its fruits dry after ripening, the fruit chambers open explosively and shoot out the seeds they contain. The seeds can fly up to 250 cm. They sow themselves on moist soil and new plants emerge next spring at the latest.
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, one sorrel plant becomes two, three, four. Even if the plant is torn out along with some root parts, the runners survive. They are stubborn and difficult to remove.
Control No. 1: Weeding
Before you resort to harsh things like chemical clubs, you should try mechanical control. The wood sorrel is being weeded. This method requires patience and should be started early in the year - ideally between March and April.
Before the flowers and seeds have a chance to develop, the leaves of the sorrel that become visible should be weeded. Be rigorous! All roots must be removed completely! Root remains grow back. Admittedly, it is difficult to completely capture and eliminate the roots. But if you succeed, you'll have peace of mind for now.
Control agent No. 2: Weed killer
When mechanical control has no chance of success, most gardeners use weed killers. Remember that with such chemicals you pollute the environment and, if used incorrectly, also destroy cultivated plants. Always use such products selectively and in well-dosed quantities!
Other means of destruction
Furthermore, wood sorrel that grows in the lawn can be covered with ground film. It dies while the grass recovers after the film is removed. It can also help to cut out the part of the lawn where wood sorrel grows. Finished turf will now be planted at this point. Last but not least, wood sorrel can be stopped for a short time if the lawn is mowed twice a week.
Preventing wood sorrel from spreading
Prevention can look like this:
- Scarify the lawn regularly
- Lime the soil (sorrel doesn't like lime)
- Cover the ground with bark mulch
- Fertilize your lawn adequately and regularly
- sow other strong plants that prevail over wood sorrel
Tip
No matter which control method(s) you choose. Remember: wood sorrel is poisonous in large quantities and also poses a danger to animals.
