If you have decided to start gardening, then chances are you will come across a couple of weeds in your life. While most of them are easy to spot, there is a chance that you might confuse others for our normal plants in the garden. One of the weeds many people have an issue distinguishing is one that looks like strawberries. Here is everything you need to know about such plants.
Weeds that look like strawberry plants
The wild strawberry is knowns as Fragaria Virginiana. Some people refer to it as Virginiana or woodland strawberry. It produces fruits that just let the strawberry, but these are drier and cannot be eaten by humans. While they might seem like such a great plant to have, they are very invasive, and if they find themselves in your strawberries, all you will be having are the weeds and none of your strawberries after a while. The only way to deal with these is to figure out how to spot them before weeding them out.
How do your spot wild strawberries?
At first glance, it might just appear like the usual strawberry plant, and there are even times when you will get it sprouting flowers that look like those of the strawberries. Upon further inspection, you will notice that they are nothing like your usual strawberries. Wild strawberries have three leaves on each stalk and appear light green.
Their leaves have toothed edges and have so many tiny hairs all over. They often have white flowers that appear anywhere from April to June, and these flowers bloom and develop into fruits. The fruit looks like a miniature strawberry, and even though it is not poisonous, it has to taste neither is it juicy.
How do these wild strawberries grow?
While you might weed them out and be okay for a while, it is good to figure out how they got into your garden in the first place. The first way the plant spreads is when the fruit is eaten by wildlife. Since the seeds are not digestible, they will be passed out in excrement and grow in the new environment. If you live next to a park, this might be the main reason why the weed has grown in your garden.
The other way is through root nodes. The plants can use root nodes underground to feel their way through the ground. Once they get to a suitable place, they will pop up and start growing. If there is a patch of wild strawberries nearby, then that is another way they could make their way to your garden. With this growth, you need to be careful because you might spend days weeding them out only for them to sprout again, which is a nuisance.
Conditions that make it favorable for the weeds to grow
Wild strawberries can be found in the northern hemisphere for the better part. They need a shady area to grow if they sprout in a sunny place. The plants will not sprout in extremely dark and cold areas despite needing shade. They can also be found by the roadside or under trees in hotter regions. Even though they might get killed or trampled on when they grow by the roadside, they will grow back up because of the root nodes they have. The nodes make them a difficult species to get rid of.
How to get rid of wild strawberries
The one thing you will realize with wild strawberries is that they can be a nuisance. The root node makes it hard for you to keep pulling them out and getting all of them. If you are struggling with these weeds in your garden, you have to be aggressive in dealing with them. The best way to get rid of wild strawberries is to use herbicides. Since they penetrate the ground, they can eliminate all the root nodes. Your wild strawberry problem will be gone before you know it.
Weeds that look like strawberry plants: Conclusion
Gardening involves a lot of time and cares that you put into your plants. One of the things that will help you is being on the lookout for any plants that might be weeds. Once you identify them, you can deal with them better.