One of the malicious weeds that are difficult to eradicate is pink thistle. In the people it is still known as a thorny thistle, an arthropod field. This plant is found almost everywhere (in fields, by roads, in wastelands and in places of cattle pasture), preferring fertile and nitrogen-enriched soils.
External description
This perennial plant belongs to the aster family, it can reach a height of 120 cm. It is distinguished by a powerful root system consisting of a main stem root with numerous processes located on it. The upright stalk is naked in the upper part, below there are branches covered with hard leaves. They have an oblong shape, serrated edges and a bright green color. The lower stem leaves, gradually tapering, form a winged petiole.
Flowering time - from June to October. Throughout the summer period, pink sow thistle is covered with baskets of small reed flowers of pink or red-violet color. In the evening, as well as in cloudy weather, they close. In place of the flower, a fruit is subsequently formed, which is a flattened sideways and curved achene. One plant can produce up to 6, 500 shiny gray-colored seeds. They have a furrowed surface and a falling crest, due to which they are easily transported over long distances. Their germination can persist for 20 years.
Thanks to this, the field-endocrine has excellent survival. Its botanical description is in many ways similar to other varieties of sow thistle - garden, yellow. All of them are considered malicious weeds, which are very difficult to get rid of.
Chemical composition
Vitamins, alkaloids were found in the leaves of this plant. Although its chemical composition is still very poorly studied, it is known that it contains fatty oils, tannins, inulin, glycosides. This gives pink sow thistle anesthetic, wound healing and anti-inflammatory effect.
Beneficial features
For the preparation of therapeutic agents use all parts of the plant. Preparations based on leaves and flowers of sow thistle improve hematopoiesis, activate mental and physical activity, strengthen immunity. With their help, you can get rid of tonsillitis, various inflammatory processes, hemorrhoids and jaundice. Sow thistle helps to improve metabolism, reduces blood sugar, normalizes the menstrual cycle and restores the central nervous system. Means prepared from the roots of this plant help with osteoarticular tuberculosis and fever. Harvest grass during flowering, drying it in a dark ventilated room.
Where sow thistle grows
Pink sow thistle (field cirsium) is found almost everywhere: in the garden, in the field, near roads, in the garden. This completely unpretentious plant is able to be populated on any soil, including dry and saline. But he prefers moistened black soil. Sow thistle is common throughout the Eurasian continent: in the Caucasus, Central Asia, Siberia and the Far East.
Tenacious weed
All types of sow thistle breed both seed and vegetatively. These are the most difficult weeds to overcome (photos and their names can be found in this article). Numerous sow thistle seeds have the ability to travel through the air over considerable distances. The root system penetrates the soil so deeply that no drought is afraid of the plant. In addition, sow thistle roots have an amazing property - when they are damaged, they release many new sprouts that rise in the form of shoots to the surface. Thus, digging the site does not eliminate this weed, but only leads to its greater spread. Sow thistle roots are very fragile, therefore weeding only helps the weed to multiply.
How to fight?
There are several ways to get rid of pink thistle in a garden or in a summer cottage. The choice of the most suitable one depends on the specific case. The main thing is to act quickly. As soon as pink sow thistle is spotted, control measures should be used immediately. When the first sprouts appeared, the root did not go deep into the ground and it can be easily pulled out of the ground. If the weed has already grown, use the following methods:
- Use of herbicides. Chemicals are far from a harmless option, and they must be used carefully, excluding getting on other plants. Only the ground part of the weed should be sprayed and, in accordance with the instructions, observe the indicated dosages. The treated leaves quickly wither, and the herbicide penetrates the stem into the root system of the plant, destroying it too. Today, various herbicides are available (Lontrel-300, Lornet, Agron), from which almost all weeds die (the photo and name of the preparations should be familiar to every gardener).
- There is a more gentle remedy against sow thistle - this is kerosene. They also spray the ground part of the weed. At the same time, kerosene has the property of quickly evaporating, so other garden plants adjacent to sow thistle do not suffer.
- Weeding. The method is quite time-consuming, since the procedure is carried out repeatedly from early spring and throughout the summer. Weeding every two weeks allows you to completely deplete the weed. Sow thistle is removed along with the rhizome, after which it is thoroughly weeded, destroying all residues.
- Digging. It is produced according to the same principle as weeding: the soil is dug in such a way that no sow throat remains in the ground.
- Pruning. When seedlings appear with the formation of 1 to 4 leaves on a weed, the plant is removed using a plane cutter. Perform the procedure in such a way as not to damage the root system, otherwise it will lead to the rapid growth of new plants. If, nevertheless, a similar situation arose, young shoots are also pruned in the outlet phase. Gradually, the rhizome will be depleted and will no longer be able to ensure the emergence of new plants.
- Mulching. This is one of the easiest ways to control weeds. Even if the sow thistle is pink and breaks through a layer of mulch, it is torn off and placed in compost. It is important not to delay the removal of the weed in order to prevent its seeding.
- Use of siderate plants. Lupine, nettle, peas, alfalfa, rye, etc. are suitable for this role. Having sown these plants closer to autumn and waiting until they germinate, they cover the garden bed with cardboard, leaving it in this form until spring. Not a single weed in this greenhouse can survive.
Application of sow thistle
It is not always necessary to get rid of this plant. Due to the analgesic, bactericidal, anti-inflammatory properties, sow thistle is harvested for the preparation of infusions and decoctions that help with neurosis, headaches, improve metabolic processes, etc.
This plant is used in cooking. Salads are prepared from fresh young leaves, and dried herbs are added to meat and fish dishes. In order to get rid of the bitterness characteristic of thistle, it is soaked in salted water for at least 30 minutes before use.
Sow thistle is one of the best honey plants. Bees are very fond of this plant and from one hectare overgrown with sow thistle of the field, they can collect up to 140 kg of honey. It has a special aroma, has a beautiful light yellow, almost white color and is very pleasant to taste.
Due to the powerful rhizome, penetrating deep into the ground, sow thistle receives minerals that are absent in the upper layer. Using weed as mulch, experienced gardeners enrich the soil in their area with it.
