The black nightshade (bot. Solanum nigrum) belongs to the nightshade family, like the potato or the popular tomato. Unlike these, the black nightshade is not a useful plant, but rather is referred to as a weed.
How can you effectively combat black nightshade?
To combat the poisonous black nightshade (Solanum nigrum), you should pull up the plant early or mow it down before flowering begins. How to prevent seeds from spreading. Avoid chemical weed killers as they can harm other crops.
Why should the black nightshade be fought?
All nightshade plants are considered poisonous, and the black nightshade is no exception. However, the toxicity of the different parts of the plant is different and varies with the lifespan or maturity of the plant. In some areas, the ripe berries are considered edible and even quite tasty.
Since eating the herb or unripe berries can be fatal to small children or pets, black nightshade should definitely be controlled. It is not for nothing that the nicknames of Solanum nigrum are “Sautod” and “Chicken Death”.
How can black nightshade be controlled?
The best way to combat black nightshade in the garden is to pull it out early. As an annual herb, it usually does not sprout again the next year. However, you have to remove it before it blooms, otherwise it may exterminate itself.
Chemical weed killers are not very helpful in controlling black nightshade. If possible, they should not be used in the home garden at all. When used, they also attack botanically related plants such as potatoes or tomatoes.
What makes the seeds so “dangerous”?
On the one hand, the seeds in the fruits of the black nightshade are considered very poisonous. So they should not be consumed. On the other hand, the seeds can germinate for a very long time if they are in the ground.
Up to 40 years can pass until new plants grow from the seeds. Even if you have successfully banished the black nightshade from your garden, you should regularly check whether young plants are growing back.
The most important things in brief:
- considered largely poisonous
- particularly dangerous for children and pets
- Seeds can germinate for an extremely long time
- be sure to fight before the seeds ripen
Tip
If you want to remove a lot of black nightshade, you can mow down the plants before flowering instead of pulling them up.
