Horn sorrel (Oxalis corniculata) is a master at sowing itself – and also receives animal support: As soon as the plant has formed its yellow flowers, it throws the ripe seeds meters away. Some of them are then carried away by busy ants. In addition, the so-called neophyte (a non-native species) is not affected by the increasingly hot summers in Germany due to its Mediterranean origins. If it doesn’t rain for a longer period of time, the clover will dry out on the surface, but will sprout again as soon as the ground becomes wetter again. Although insects find sorrel tasty, it crowds out native plants. Apart from that, the wild growth even grows in paving joints, flower pots and in the lawn. It is therefore important to stop the stubborn weeds in the garden as quickly as possible. We’ll tell you how to do it.
Wood sorrel is often introduced through the purchase of new potted plants. This means it spreads either directly in the flower pot or in the beds after the new plants have been repotted. Since the annoying weeds move above and below ground, quick action is required – ideally before the clover begins to bloom and sow itself: As soon as you discover the red-brown leaves of wood sorrel in your (flower) beds, you should Remove the plant including the deeper root system. Special tools such as a weed wrench or a rake can help you with this.
Tip: Use so-called ground cover to combat weeds. They form a natural carpet of plants that suppress unwanted wild growth.
The stubborn weed has a bad habit of growing everywhere – even in paving joints. To remove the wood sorrel between the paving stones, you can use a manual or electric joint scraper. However, you usually don’t get to all of the deep roots. The use of an electric weed killer can be useful here, as it destroys the clover through the intense heat. Alternatively, you can also use a gas-powered weed burner; it fights the annoying wild growth with fire. However, it also releases a lot of carbon dioxide.
Tip: With a voucher from Otto you can save money when buying a weed killer.
Unfortunately, seeds also get lost in the lawn, so wood sorrel grows there. In order to combat weeds in the long term, it is recommended to strengthen the lawn. Not with garden lime, for example, as the neophyte would also survive on calcareous soil. It is better to promote the growth of the grass by adding important nutrients that can be found in commercial lawn fertilizer. Then let the grass grow for two weeks before mowing it and the clover off again. Afterwards, use a scarifier to remove unwanted weeds. And reseed fresh lawn.
Tip: Remove the sod in the areas that are particularly densely overgrown with wood sorrel and add new topsoil. Then keep the soil moist as clover doesn’t like wet soil.
The use of herbicides is prohibited on paved paths in Germany. Chemical weed killers may be used on private green spaces and in (flower) beds, but they not only attack the wood sorrel, but also the plants growing around it. It is therefore not advisable to use it. Biological weed killers based on acetic acid are said to be more suitable for combating wood sorrel. However, they only destroy the wild growth superficially – the underground root system remains and can therefore sprout again.
Source: My Beautiful Garden
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