10 Great Garden Aggressors And Containment Methods Photo

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10 Great Garden Aggressors And Containment Methods Photo
10 Great Garden Aggressors And Containment Methods Photo

Video: 10 Great Garden Aggressors And Containment Methods Photo

Video: 10 Great Garden Aggressors And Containment Methods Photo
Video: Great Gardening - 2020 Spring Special 2024, March
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Among horticultural crops, there are both humble and neat soloists, and plants that can tirelessly expand and create whole thickets. Herbaceous perennials, prone to rapid growth and the formation of continuous plantings, are included in the list of the best landscape crops and conquer with textures, the beauty of dense clumps and massiveness. But such plants can be very insidious, they need caution and attention. If you give them complete freedom, instead of a universal partner or placeholder, you get an aggressor. Enough among perennials and plants that can be classified as poisonous, toxic, skin irritating crops. And all garden aggressors, beautiful and dangerous at the same time, need a special approach.

Aconite, or Garden fighter (Aconitum cammarum)
Aconite, or Garden fighter (Aconitum cammarum)

Garden Aggressors Invaders

The most beautiful and spectacular garden plants from among herbaceous perennials-partners and landscape stars are not always harmless and friendly. Among herbaceous perennials, there are crops that can cover strikingly large areas in a short time. Aggressors easily suppress other plants, especially fragile crops that do not form large sods and develop in compact bushes.

As a rule, these are large herbaceous perennials with creeping rhizomes and shoots, capable of spreading over an astonishing distance and far from being limited to the place that they have been allocated. Such aggressors are conventionally called “territory invaders”. They are able to appear where they do not want to see them.

In large areas and areas where you can afford to create large natural groups and plantings, aggressors can be a real boon and a means to create spectacular landscape compositions. In modest gardens, flowerbeds, flower beds, and flower beds, they can quickly turn from decoration, modest backdrop, or space filler to the biggest problem. In the design of flower beds, in the design of small gardens, many prefer to avoid the "invaders" in every possible way, believing that even their overdecoration is not worth the effort. Such plants in decorative compositions have to be restrained, strictly controlled.

5 most beautiful invaders:

Verbeynik point

Spotted loaf (lysimachia punctata) is not just a spectacular perennial. Few plants are able to compete with it in large size, splendor and beauty of curtains. Straight, weakly branching shoots form dense bushes from 50 to 80 cm high, flaunt with large ovoid leaves in whorls and star-like bell-shaped bright yellow flowers collected in spike-shaped inflorescences up to 50 cm long. This is one of the most irreplaceable garden plants for landscape compositions, creating large natural plantings and filling the soil with lush thickets. And definitely one of the most spectacular plants with a bright yellow color. But the advantages of loosestrife also lie in its main disadvantages. This culture is growing so uncontrollably that it can become one of the most intrusive garden aggressors. The thing isthat the loosestrife actively releases creeping shoots collected in whorls and constantly expands its territory, forming dense thickets. At the same time, it looks, of course, amazing, but displaces all neighbors and subtly captures those territories that are not intended for him. The loosestrife must be monitored constantly.

Loose leaf (Lysimachia punctata)
Loose leaf (Lysimachia punctata)

Maclea heart-shaped

Macleaya cordata is another beauty not for everyone. Large, carved, with a filigree edge of the plates and a grayish-green color that looks like emerald in the garden, the leaves, decorated with almost white veins, can become a unique background for any decorative composition. This beauty grows up to 2 m in height, forms powerful bushes, surprises with textures, creates unique spots and is virtually unrivaled among large-leaved herbaceous plants. But at the same time macklea is so aggressive that it is capable of ruthlessly displacing nearby crops and literally suppresses even the most persistent herbaceous perennials.

Macleaya cordata
Macleaya cordata

Common ostrich

One of the most spectacular ferns, the ostrich (matteuccia struthiopteris) has powerful creeping rhizomes and bunched fronds up to 170 cm long. The fern greens are extremely attractive and appear delicate and elegant. Thin, soaring upward, blossoming out of the "snails", elongated, relatively narrow and long fronds of the ostrich seem to be almost straight. This fern has a unique talent for creating luxurious architectural accents. But its aggressive nature can outshine even the most annoying herbaceous competitors. Under favorable circumstances, the ostrich does not just crawl, but weed.

Common ostrich (Matteuccia struthiopteris)
Common ostrich (Matteuccia struthiopteris)

Deer-horned sumac

Deer-horned sumac, or vinegar tree (rhus typhina). It is difficult to find large plants equal to sumac in the garden. The special beauty of feathery leaves, pyramids of inflorescences and seed fruits is just a prelude to a bright autumn show, a picturesque fire in fiery colors that covers these large shrubs or woody ones. The crown width of sumach always exceeds its height. Even if you choose relatively compact varieties and restrain the growth of this woody, it will still constantly increase in volume. Sumach, which is prone to constantly expanding, literally spreading out in breadth, apart from its large size, has one more curious advantage. This shrub is characterized by a unique ability to transform any wound on the roots into a new growth point. Any attempt to prune its rhizomechopping off the excess parts and simply separating the shoots and root shoots will only lead to the fact that from each wound this woody giant will release even more new and very strong shoots.

Deer-horned sumac, or vinegar tree (Rhus typhina)
Deer-horned sumac, or vinegar tree (Rhus typhina)

Bamboo

For those fortunate enough to live in regions with mild winters, it is difficult to find a more aggressive and beautiful garden dweller than bamboo. At the same time, the ability to aggressively seize any free space is characteristic of both the largest varieties and dwarf bamboos. But there are species suitable for regions with harsh winters, growing up to 2 m when sheltered and fully manifesting their aggressiveness - saza and fargesia. Charming, fast-growing shoots that emit noise and rattling, can add several tens of centimeters per day. But the main growth of bamboo is always horizontal: it grows literally before our eyes.

Bushy bamboo Fargesia dracocephala, or Fargesia snakehead (Fargesia dracocephala)
Bushy bamboo Fargesia dracocephala, or Fargesia snakehead (Fargesia dracocephala)

Poisonous garden aggressors

Another category of aggressors is poisonous crops. Their leaves, shoots, flowers and berries, and sometimes the roots, contain toxins and volatile essential oils that can irritate the skin and cause burns or burns. And such plants are most dangerous on sunny days. Contact with such aggressors can cause serious injury and health problems. They should not be placed near paths, paths, recreation areas or terraces, in places with active movement in the garden.

5 most dangerous poisonous beauties:

Daphne

The charming wolfberry (daphne), we know under the popular name "wolf bast" - is one of the most beautiful shrubs that bloom in early spring. Pink-red, seemingly catchy, almost bloody, the flowers on its shoots create a truly magnificent sight and stand out even against the background of rhododendrons. A compact shrub up to 1.5 m high, the foliage of which resembles laurels, forms a wide cupped crown and is very picturesque. The flowers are fragrant, with a long tube, densely sit on the shoots. A very beautiful and very dangerous wolfberry can become one of the most spectacular accents in landscape design. But this plant requires an extremely balanced approach. This beautiful shrub is poisonous and requires extremely careful handling. It is ranked among the most dangerous garden crops. The use of wolfberry is prohibited in the design of gardens, which come to rest with children and pets.

Common wolfberry, or deadly, or Common wolf, or Wolf's bast, or Wolf berries, or Plokhovets, or Pukhlyak (Daphne mezereum)
Common wolfberry, or deadly, or Common wolf, or Wolf's bast, or Wolf berries, or Plokhovets, or Pukhlyak (Daphne mezereum)

Mantegazzi hogweed

The Mantegazzi hogweed (heracleum mantegazzianum) conquers territory in a completely different way. This plant does not creep across the garden, but it scatters its seeds over very large areas and thus quickly conquers all new areas of the soil. But this plant is not called a "natural disaster" for its tendency to spread out of control. The thing is that the plant, or rather the glandular edge of its shoots and leaves, emits toxic substances that are highly irritating to the skin, the consequences of contact with which are not so easy to overcome. As a result of the effect of these toxins on the epidermis, the skin becomes hypersensitive to sunlight, blisters and burns appear on it, even from diffused light. Although outwardly, the hogweed is irresistible. This large herbaceous perennial produces shoots up to 3-5 m high,towering above the pillow of the lower dissected, huge leaves with sharp lobes and white umbrella inflorescences up to 100 cm wide, hovering over the green with a cap. The flowering of hogweed in June-July is unforgettable despite the specific smell. And the plant retains its beauty until frost.

Mantegazzi hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum)
Mantegazzi hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum)

Fighter

Unlike more "straightforward" pests, the wrestler, or aconite (aconitum) does not leave a trace on the skin. But its poison is so strong that it penetrates the skin and can cause considerable harm to the body without external damage. You also need to work with this plant very carefully, trying to avoid the slightest careless contact. Straight growing or curly perennials with palmate-separate leaves, irregular drooping bells of flowers in branched clusters of inflorescences up to 50 cm long decorate gardens from July to early October. And the luxurious colors of the blue palette only add to their charm.

Wrestler Karmikhel, or Aconite Karmikhel (Aconitum carmichaelii)
Wrestler Karmikhel, or Aconite Karmikhel (Aconitum carmichaelii)

Rue

Burns and blisters on sunny days also leave plants that seem very modest. Fragrant rue (ruta graveolens) is a wonderful herbaceous perennial that can be used for spectacular borders, decorating decorative beds and herb gardens, creating a special texture effect on flower beds, leaves second degree burns with its gray-green leaves. The beauty of the greenery of the evergreen subshrub, pinnately dissected, creating an airy openwork cushion, is stunningly spectacular. And it is worth all the effort to comply with the rules of safe handling. The reason for such aggressiveness of fragrant rue is in essential oils, which are released in the sunlight in astonishing quantities, leading to severe burns.

Fragrant rue (Ruta graveolens)
Fragrant rue (Ruta graveolens)

Castor oil plant

The largest of the annual plants, the soloist, is the castor oil plant (ricinus communis) with its huge leaves, which, under favorable conditions and on fertile soil, literally turns into a luxurious "palm tree" in just a few months - the plant is also poisonous. But it is not contact at all that is dangerous, but the seeds. Even one seed can lead to fatal poisoning. This plant should not be used in a garden with children or pets playing in it.

Castor oil plant (Ricinus communis)
Castor oil plant (Ricinus communis)

How to tame garden aggressors

Despite all their aggressiveness, large and dangerous garden dwellers are still considered indispensable tools for landscape design. In fact, they have much more talents than disadvantages. You just need to approach the treatment of garden aggressors a little differently. You should not give up such plants, for fear of uncontrolled seizure of territory or too strong toxicity, unless you have small children. Just use the plants in your garden correctly. All highly proliferating cultures are actually quite easy to curb.

When planting such plants, it is enough to install special screens or protective partitions in the soil around the perimeter of the planting pits or the territory in which they can grow.

Maclea heart-shaped in the background of the flower garden
Maclea heart-shaped in the background of the flower garden

The easiest option is to use old, unusable or damaged buckets and other large plastic containers. It is enough to cut the bottom of the bucket to get rid of the risk of stagnation of water in the substrate and acidification of the soil, the spread of rot. And to plant herbaceous perennials not just in a planting hole, but in plastic buckets installed in it. Curtains of even the most aggressive herbaceous perennials will not be able to go beyond the volume of the bucket, its walls will prevent it from growing in breadth. At the same time, you can save yourself from creeping shoots and unexpected root suckers that appear at a considerable distance.

But you can use other techniques as well. For containment, it is enough to dig a limiter in the form of a strip of any synthetic material with a height of about 50-70 cm around the perimeter of the territory allowed for filling. As a barrier or screen, you can use materials left over from construction or intended for disposal - acrylic, plastic, any synthetic material is perfect. You can even use slate, linoleum or similar materials. For full containment of even such aggressors as sumac, ferns or bamboo, a screen thickness of about 2 mm will be sufficient.

To contain such plants without installing a barrier, you will have to regularly remove, cut off the excess, interfering shoots to the soil level.

Digging a hole for planting aggressive plants
Digging a hole for planting aggressive plants
We spread the root growth limiter
We spread the root growth limiter
We plant an aggressive plant in the restricted area and cover it with earth
We plant an aggressive plant in the restricted area and cover it with earth

Fighting poisonous plants is much more difficult. First of all, you must always remember to protect the skin and take all necessary safety measures when working with plants. For most crops, special measures should be taken only on sunny days. But it is better to be more careful and always protect your hands with gloves and wear long sleeves. If contact with poisonous plants cannot be avoided, rinse the skin thoroughly immediately.

If you experience burns or severe irritation, do not self-medicate. If you have come into contact with dangerous garden plants, forgot about safety rules and violated all norms when transplanting or pruning, seek medical help immediately. In the first-aid kit, you should definitely keep first aid and anti-allergy drugs, which, due to the vasoconstrictor effect, will help to reduce the affected area. However, professional help should be sought for any skin irritation.

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