Horrible hogweed - how to deal with it

  • Jun 14, 2021
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If you find a cow parsnip in your garden, it must be destroyed immediately. Otherwise, it will grow over the entire area of ​​your land plot. How can this be done?

Hogweed. Illustration for this article is used under a standard license © ofazende.com
Hogweed. Illustration for this article is used under a standard license © ofazende.com
Hogweed. Illustration for this article is used under a standard license © ofazende.com

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Useful crop or dangerous plant

Initially, the hogweed came to us from the Caucasus. Agronomists began to breed it after the war as a fodder plant. Sosnovsky's hogweed was distinguished by its resistance to weather conditions and pests, had a fleshy, thick stem, juicy greens and could grow rapidly after mowing. The perfect plant.

But it was too early to rejoice. It turned out that culture does more harm than good.

The danger of hogweed

The culture could not meet the hopes of scientists that thanks to this plant, livestock nutrition will improve. The cows that were feeding on silage stopped producing offspring. Their milk tasted bitter because of the oils of the cow parsnip, which was part of the feed.

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In addition, the hogweed turned out to be poisonous. Only now they learned about this late, because the damage caused by the oils of this plant appears some time after contact. The juice of this culture contains a lot of substances that are sensitive to the sun, and they appear under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. Science knows examples when people who had contact with hogweed experienced the consequences only a day after that.

Almost all parts of the hogweed contain compounds that prevent cell division. It is because of this that even a short interaction with its juice can lead to wounds that will heal for a long time. The pollen of this culture is the strongest allergen. And if you inhale essential oils, then the larynx may swell, and breathing will be difficult.

Hogweed. Illustration for this article is used under a standard license © ofazende.com
Hogweed. Illustration for this article is used under a standard license © ofazende.com

How to get rid of a hogweed

Of course, measures for the destruction of hogweed are being taken constantly and everywhere, but it is not yet possible to completely do this. In order to do this, you need to constantly do it, because the slightest delays can negate all efforts. Therefore, as soon as you notice hogweed sprouts on your land, immediately get down to business.

To achieve an effect in this fight, you need to apply a set of measures to destroy this plant. But it is better to turn to specialists if the cow parsnip has settled on a large area of ​​your land allotment - you yourself are unlikely to cope.

Hogweed. Illustration for this article is used under a standard license © ofazende.com
Hogweed. Illustration for this article is used under a standard license © ofazende.com

So, what measures need to be taken:

  • dig up the roots. If only a couple of young bushes have sprouted on the site, then it is best to dig them up along with the whole root. You need to dig deep, about 20 centimeters deep. And after that, the plants must be burned;
  • burn. This can be done only if it is possible to control the fire, and the area overgrown with Sosnovsky's hogweed is located at a decent distance from various buildings and trees. Time also plays a role: the culture should be burned at the beginning of summer, i.e. before the cow parsnip is seeded;
  • replace with other crops. This method will be effective over large areas. Areas overgrown with hogweed need to be plowed. After that, the land is planted with crops that will grow rapidly. It can be a goat's rue or rump.
  • cover the seedlings. Young plants can be fought with a waterproof and opaque material. It is necessary to cover the plants with a special film with a waterproofing effect and do not remove it for 2 years. If you remove it earlier, the roots of the cow parsnip will soon recover;
  • herbicides. If this dangerous crop has already filled the entire area, then special preparations - herbicides - can help. The following are mainly used: "Lintur", "Magnum", "Fighter", "Deimos".
It is quite possible to cope with a hogweed if you act decisively and systematically.

Do you know how to remove a hogweed on a site?

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