Any gardener knows that the appearance of woodlice in the garden does not bode well. This weed covers large areas in a short time, disrupting water and air exchange. Consuming a decent amount of moisture, wood lice become an intolerable neighbor during the hot summer weeks. Its dense cover forms a favorable environment for the reproduction of pathogens and some harmful insects. In the process of growth, like all plants, wood lice consume useful trace elements and nutrients from the soil, which are so often lacking in main crops. It is safe to say that we are dealing with a typical representative of complex weeds.
I, like many other gardeners, are actively fighting this weed. I even described my successes in one of the previous articles. However, not everyone does this. There are those who deliberately breed woodlice in their summer cottages, isolating the weed from the garden. Their goal is to obtain all the beneficial properties that the plant also has.
Useful properties of woodlice
1. Woodlice in folk medicine
Woodlice has been widely used in folk medicine for a long time. It is an excellent analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic agent. There are many different recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation by traditional healers.
For gardeners experiencing joint pain at the end of the day, woodlice will be a real boon. Compresses based on it relieve inflammation and allow you to sleep peacefully after a hard day at work.
Woodlice will also help from cracked heels. To do this, you need to take a dense plastic bag, fill it by a third with weed and put it on your leg under a tight sock. With such a compress, you need to leave at least two hours. Over time, you will notice that the juice has filled all the cracks. After five such procedures, the heels will have a healthy and well-groomed appearance.
Woodlice also helps to cope with stress and tidy up the nervous system. For this, decoctions and concentrated infusions are used.
2. Woodlice in cosmetology
Anti-aging face masks and hand creams are prepared from woodlice. Olive oil is often used as a base. The nourishing mass softens dry skin, saturates it with vitamins and inhibits the appearance of wrinkles. Treatments will be especially helpful after work in hot, dry weather.
To keep the skin in good shape, in the morning and in the evening, it is recommended to wash with a pre-prepared cool decoction of woodlice.
3. Woodlice as an ingredient in food
Due to its composition, wood lice are widely used in cooking, both fresh and processed. It is the base for many salads, pie filling, soups seasoning and smoothie ingredient.
The woodlice contains vitamins of the C, E, K groups, phytoncides and minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, bromine and fluorine. Its beneficial properties can be compared to ginseng.
Regular consumption of wood lice in food accelerates wound healing, strengthens capillaries, normalizes metabolism and saturates the body with vitamin C.
Woodlice are also often added to tea blends. A drink based on it relaxes and soothes. It has been proven to have a beneficial effect on the entire human nervous system.
4. Woodlice as fertilizer
Like many other weeds, wood lice are suitable for composting and infusion of liquid fertilizers. Top dressing based on it saturates the earth with potassium, magnesium, bromine and fluorine. Both the green part of the plant and the entire root system are used.
In order to avoid further growth of the weed, woodlice removed from the garden should be immediately used as intended or sent to the compost pit, sprinkling with a thin layer of earth.
How do I use wood lice
For a very long time I have been using woodlice as a vegetable sponge for my feet. In the evening, after working in the garden, I collect a bowl of warm water and throw a few handfuls of the plant into it. Such baths perfectly wash your feet and heal cracked heels. After this procedure, wood lice are sent to the compost pit.
Read also on my website -How to get rid of woodlice in the garden: personal experience
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