Weeds have long been enemies of vegetable gardens. Many methods have already been invented to combat them, but there is no single approach yet. Effective ways and the information obtained should be used in a comprehensive manner. Only by doing this can weeds be eliminated.

It is extremely important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of these “uninvited guests” of our garden, so as not to accidentally help them reproduce. Despite the diversity of weed flora in our country, certain species are more common in gardens and can be found in virtually all places.

A plant like ambrosia Known to both gardeners and allergy sufferers. Ambrosia causes severe allergies during flowering, and also oppresses crops in the garden. This weed belongs to quarantine plants, but it continues to spread and cause harm, despite control. A small number of ambrosia sprouts can be easily destroyed by digging or weeding. If the weed grows in large numbers, it is treated with a herbicide. Do not allow ragweed seeds to form; destroy this plant in the garden and beyond.

Not so harmful to human health creeping wheatgrass, but it is very dangerous for garden areas. It is capable of spreading throughout the entire area. Digging and weeding without sifting the top layer of soil will not be effective; it can even worsen the situation, since the wheatgrass roots, cut into pieces and left in the ground, will begin to grow further. Effective way control - herbicide treatment carried out in dry weather. Using this method, “chemistry” will be able to act on the entire wheatgrass, including its roots.

Quinoa- This is a plant that causes harm in adult form. An adult weed has strong stems and powerful roots, while young quinoa, on the contrary, is easy to weed. The seeds of this weed ripen and spread very quickly. It is necessary to remove the adult quinoa along with its root, and weed the young plants until the seeds appear.

Field thistle is a thorny weed with a strong taproot. If one plant blooms, scattering its seeds throughout the entire territory, then it will have to be fought for many years. Even before the seeds of the “thorn” ripen, dig it up along with the root, then take it outside the site, since the seeds ripen in a dug up or cut down plant.

Sow thistle also has a powerful root system that restores aboveground part. The seeds of this weed are early-ripening and volatile, so the area affected by this plant can be large. To remove sow thistle, you need to trim the roots and take them outside the site.

Birch or field bindweed is a climbing weed. Its roots penetrate deep into the ground, and parts of the root system can give rise to new plants. An effective way to kill a weed is to dig up and remove the plant by the roots. Then you need to cut off all the growing parts so that nothing remains of the plant.

Weeds begin to grow actively in May and July, so during this period it is necessary to intensify the fight against them. Methods include chemical, mechanical and biological.

Be sure to do digging, weeding and pruning before the seeds bloom; it is better to remove cut weeds from the garden by putting them in compost, but only those that can be composted.

When removing weeds, people do not think about the fact that some of them have unique medicinal properties. These plants have enormous potential for beneficial properties. Thanks to its unique medicinal characteristics, quinoa herb can help your health. This plant can reach a height of 1.5 meters. It has more than two hundred species. Quinoa grass is found not only in vegetable beds and gardens, but also in fields, wastelands, along roads and rivers. The plant blooms in mid-July with small light green flowers. After flowering, fruits and nuts are formed.

Chemical composition

Quinoa grass is rich in plant proteins - it contains more than thirty percent of this substance. For your information, mushrooms contain the same amount of protein.

The grass also contains a lot of fiber, amino acids, essential oils, pectins, alkaloids, and saponins. The plant contains potassium, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium and other trace elements. Quinoa also contains iron, copper, zinc, and manganese.

Quinoa grass is rich in vitamins. A large number of different useful elements were found in its composition. Here you can find:

Benefits of the plant

Remedies prepared from the plant have a calming effect, increase diuresis, and fight constipation.

The potassium contained in the composition helps with heart function, and iron is useful for anemia. Vitamin K helps with bleeding. Fiber removes toxins and helps prevent constipation.

The plant provides good results in the treatment of the upper respiratory tract. IN folk medicine The plant helps to cope with dry cough and fights infectious agents. The herb is also useful for those who want to lose weight. It is used as food additives. It helps you get all the substances your body needs and feel full.

In folk medicine, the herb is used for intestinal dysfunction, during stomach colic. The decoction helps women get rid of painful periods and treats thrush.

Collection and procurement rules

The raw materials are dried in a ventilated area or under a canopy. The preparations are stored in paper bags for no more than a year. After this time she loses her medicinal properties.

Preparing the infusion

To prepare an infusion of quinoa, you need to pour a spoonful of the raw material with a glass of boiling water and let the product brew for a couple of hours. After filtering, take the composition by spoon up to four times a day. The infusion can be prepared not only from dry quinoa, but also from fresh leaves.

The resulting remedy helps cope with infections of the respiratory system. It has an anti-inflammatory, antiseptic effect, and helps remove phlegm.

The infusion is used in gynecology, for intestinal disorders, and as a sedative. They are recommended to gargle and gargle in case of periodontal disease, gingivitis, and bleeding gums.

Lotions with infusion help fight skin ailments.

Quinoa decoction

Knowing what quinoa grass looks like, you can prepare enough of it for the whole year. You can make useful decoctions with it. For them, take twenty grams of the plant and a glass of water. The product is simmered over low heat for ten minutes, after which it is allowed to cool. Then the composition is filtered. Taken orally in a glass three times a day after meals for intestinal disorders and cardiovascular diseases. The decoction helps with sore throat and gum pathology.

In gynecology, quinoa decoction is used for douching. To do this, prepare a decoction according to a different recipe: four tablespoons of the raw material are poured into a glass of water and boiled for a quarter of an hour. The finished broth is diluted with a liter of boiled, cooled water.

Fresh grass

For compresses for radiculitis, to relieve swelling, as well as for sore joints, fresh herbs are used. For treatment, take a bunch of the plant and brew it hot water. Then the product is infused for five minutes. When steamed, the leaves are applied to sore spots and wrapped with a blanket or towel on top. The grass lasts until it cools. You can leave the compress on overnight.

Healthy tea

Fresh juice

To make the juice, the herb is soaked in water for several hours to make it juicier. Leaves and stems are crushed with a meat grinder or blender. The resulting slurry is spread on gauze or cloth and squeezed out.

The finished product is taken a tablespoon each time with constipation, to cleanse the intestines of toxins. The juice can be diluted with water and gargled for sore throat and bleeding problems. Wounds are washed with juice. Moisten a cloth with this product and apply it to sore spots.

Contraindications for use

Before you go to collect a plant, you need to know whether quinoa is a shrub or a herb, and what contraindications there are for using the plant.

Firstly, quinoa is a herb, it’s just that it can grow to impressive sizes. Secondly, the plant has a number of contraindications, which should be familiarized with before you start using the product.

Quinoa should not be used by those who suffer from gallstones or kidney stones. It is also contraindicated in case of exacerbations of chronic gastrointestinal diseases and bleeding disorders.

Quinoa is a unique plant. It can not only be used in folk medicine to treat a variety of ailments, but also used in cooking, preparing tasty and healthy dishes.

Quinoa – annual plant, very common, found almost throughout the planet. This herb has more than a hundred species. In Russia it is considered a weed, although quinoa was previously used to escape starvation. During the hungry years, Russian peasants ground quinoa seeds and mixed them with flour. Bread made from such flour turned out coarse, a little like earth, and often irritated the throat, but sometimes you don’t have to choose.

Quinoa was brought to Britain in the 6th century. Initially it was used as medicinal plant, and only in the 17th century began to be used in various salads. And the Incas even called this plant “Mother Grain” and revered it very much.

Varieties

Unusual species diversity is characteristic of this plant. It can be cultivated and wild. May be a bush or grass. We will provide descriptions of several main varieties of this plant:

• Garden (edible) quinoa- approximately 60 cm to one and a half meters high with a bare stem and plain (beetroot-red or green) leaves. This type of quinoa blooms almost all summer, until the second ten days of August.
• spreading quinoa- the most common type in Russia. Compared to the garden one, it is lower, the height is 30-100 cm. The leaves are green, uniform on both sides, with solid edges. Blooms during the last two months of summer.
• Small-flowered quinoa It is mainly a forage plant. Its height reaches a meter, and it blooms in July and August.
• Krasivokrudnik- this variety is the same in height as spreading quinoa, differs only in paniculate inflorescences. Flowering occurs, as with spreading quinoa, in the second half of summer.
• Coastal quinoa– 20-70 cm tall, leaves with a sharp end. This type of quinoa blooms in the second half of summer.
• Tatar quinoa- an annual plant up to 1 meter high, blooming from early June, with serrated (sometimes ovoid) leaves.

Compound

To move to beneficial properties quinoa, let's look at its composition. What is so irreplaceable in quinoa that is not found in other herbs?

This plant contains 17 amino acids, 10 of which the body cannot produce on its own. The plant contains fiber, essential oils. There are many vitamins present, including vitamins A, B, C, E, PP and many others. Rich in macro- and microelements (potassium, iron and others). Quinoa also contains alkaloids and oxalic acid.

Beneficial features

With such a composition, this plant is simply bound to have a lot of medicinal properties. The way it is.

• The plant helps strengthen the immune system.
• It is a good sedative, indispensable for the nervous system.
• Potassium helps the cardiovascular system and prevents heart attacks.
• There is a fairly large amount in the grass. This substance helps maintain vascular walls.
• Good for digestion. Speeds up the digestion of food.
• Fills up the deficiency necessary substances when losing weight (girls on eternal diets, pay attention to this plant).
• Being a natural laxative, quinoa gently helps with poisoning and constipation. Removes toxins from the body - this is a kind of natural cleansing of the body.
• Helps with respiratory diseases (sore throat, bronchitis, runny nose, ARVI).
• Helps with headaches and pain during the menstrual cycle in women. Stops bleeding and is an excellent antiseptic.

Application

The uses of quinoa are very extensive. Quinoa is mainly used in cooking and medicine.

Cooking

• Garden quinoa, which is most often used as food by people, is an excellent spice;
• Vegetarians will appreciate cutlets made from this herb;
• The leaves can be used to make a very tasty puree;
• Quinoa is added to salads, omelettes, and even soups;
• Bread with quinoa added to its flour becomes more nutritious and its shelf life becomes much longer;
• Porridges are prepared with the seeds of this plant;
• Young quinoa leaves can be fermented like cabbage.

So that you don’t get lost in search of recipes with garden quinoa, we offer several best options, selected by us:

Quinoa soup it turns out very tasty. Chop 200 grams of quinoa and 60 grams of sorrel and throw into boiling water until tender. When serving, add greens, cucumbers, sour cream.

Quinoa cutlets. Mix the crushed leaves of this plant and onion with the egg and flakes. Add salt and pepper to taste. And fry, first rolling in breadcrumbs.

Salads. There can be many options here. You can mix quinoa with boiled eggs and beets, seasoned with mayonnaise. An interesting combination comes from quinoa and cabbage. It all depends mainly on your eating habits.

Dessert. Yes, it’s hard to believe, but you can even make desserts from this herb. Mix 20 grams of chopped fresh quinoa with any jam and a spoonful of lemon juice. It turns out tasty and healthy.

Pancakes. Knead the dough, let it stand for about an hour, then add chopped cooked and stewed quinoa to it. Scoop up the mass with a spoon and fry in a frying pan in oil.

Meatballs. Grind the quinoa in a blender for a few minutes. lemon juice(lime juice), and spices (black pepper, coriander, dried herbs). From this mass we make meatballs and put them in the refrigerator for an hour.

Medicine

Quinoa is wonderful folk remedy for diseases of the kidneys, lungs, and urinary organs. Helps well with inflammation and joint diseases. Suitable for normalizing heart function and digestion.

• The juice of the herb has a disinfecting property and also quickly heals wounds.
• For inflammation of the oral cavity, rinse your mouth with quinoa decoction 5-6 times a day until the condition improves.
• Compresses for radiculitis. Apply warm, steamed leaves to the affected area overnight.
• Quinoa tea can help treat dry cough. It is best to drink this tea with honey (quinoa thins phlegm, and honey removes it from the body).
• Quinoa decoction, due to the presence of potassium, helps with heart disease.
• Doctors assure that quinoa is useful in the initial stages of diabetes.

When losing weight

Due to the normalization of intestinal function, quinoa is very useful for weight loss. Rich in protein and zinc, amino acids compensate for their deficiency in the body without causing large quantities calories.

Contraindications

• Quinoa is not recommended for use by people with urolithiasis.
• People with blood clotting problems should not consume quinoa.
• Excessive consumption of quinoa is also dangerous, since it contains unknown Chemical substance, which is toxic, and if it is in excess in the body, digestive disorders can occur (in small quantities it is completely safe).
• A very strong allergic reaction to the plant often occurs; when consuming, it is advisable to test for an allergic reaction on a small amount of the product.

Peculiarities

Sometimes quinoa is sold under the guise of lawn grass in packages. You can find many stories on the Internet where quinoa was sold under the guise of lawn grass. It is difficult to get rid of it, as it will quickly breed again.

Most gardeners call the plant by name "quinoa" They don't like it at all. Yes, this is understandable, because it is scattered in the garden in unlimited quantities, and then in the spring it comes up before the crops you have sown, and stands in a dense forest in the beds. And if you don’t get rid of the quinoa in time, then you won’t find any other seedlings on the ridges.

But there is another side to the issue - quinoa can be used as food in early spring, when we all really want vitamin-rich edible greens. And quinoa is not at all the last place in the list of green crops. Moreover, it has been used for food “since the time of King Pea.” Quinoa has long been specially cultivated and eaten in Western Europe and North America. In Russia, this plant is not particularly cultivated by anyone, but it is widely distributed in the wild, and, by the way, during the hungry years this weed saved many from imminent death: they used it raw, baked bread with it, and cooked cabbage soup from it. And today, in our gardens, cultivated forms of garden quinoa have appeared, which, unlike wild varieties, are not only modest green, but also spectacular red and yellow-green, they are more leafy, and, from my point of view, the taste is nothing they do not differ.

Nutritional value and medicinal properties

Even the ancient Greek physician Galen noticed that quinoa is on a par with animal products in terms of satiety. Indeed, this plant is very rich in protein. In addition, young leaves and shoots of quinoa are rich in ascorbic acid, rutin, mineral salts and other substances beneficial to the body.

Quinoa has practically no smell or taste when adding aromatic additives, in particular pepper, parsley, onion, garlic, wild garlic, etc. serves as an ideal component of salads, borscht, soups and side dishes. Dry quinoa is added to flour, which increases the nutritional value of bread, which also bakes better and lasts longer. Quinoa seeds are used to prepare porridge similar in taste and nutritional value to buckwheat. Made from quinoa and delicious cutlets. But cutlets are cutlets, and today the most important advantage of quinoa is the ability to make up for the spring shortage of fresh vitamin greens with its help. Moreover, a significant advantage of quinoa is the fact that it is not necessary to grow it - it will grow on its own, but your task will be to not throw it into the compost when weeding, but save it for salad.

It is worth noting that the nutritional value of quinoa is not limited to, it is also medicinal. In medicine, quinoa (stems, leaves, flowers, seeds) is used as a remedy against some gastric diseases. Infusion, decoction of herbs, leaves in Central Asia are used as a diuretic, hemostatic agent; in some regions of Ukraine and Russia, herbal decoctions are drunk for jaundice and for coughs accompanied by a large amount of sputum. In some countries of Western Europe, the plant is used fresh, in the form of decoctions, pulp with honey, liniments, and patches for benign and malignant tumors of the larynx. Externally, quinoa is used in the form of emollient poultices for large hemorrhoids, gouty tumors, edematous and swollen joints.

Here are a few folk recipes uses of quinoa:

1. 20 g of dry crushed herb per 200 ml of boiling water, leave for 1-2 hours, strain. Take 2 tablespoons 3-4 times a day as a diuretic, hemostatic agent.
2. 5 tablespoons of dry crushed leaves of garden quinoa per 0.5 liters of water, boil for 3-4 minutes, leave for 1 hour, strain. Take 1/3 cup 4-5 times a day for infectious jaundice.
3. 2 tablespoons of garden quinoa leaves and flowers per 1 glass of water, boil for 3-4 minutes over low heat, leave for 1 hour, strain. Take 1/2 cup 3-4 times a day when coughing with difficult to clear sputum.

Features of agricultural technology

Quinoa - very cold-resistant plant, and therefore sprouts very early and generally does not require any special conditions.

However, you can get good quinoa salad greens only in areas well fertilized with organic matter and with constant watering - only in this case will the greens be tender and juicy. Otherwise, the quinoa, of course, will also grow, but its leaves will become small and hard, there will be few of them, and the growth itself will quickly fade into color. Therefore, it is most profitable to grow quinoa in greenhouses as an early green crop, since there the soil is always more fertile and watering is regular.

But if you liked this plant, although from my point of view, by the beginning of summer spinach, lettuce and Chinese cabbage, which are much tastier and healthier for salads than quinoa, you can sow it at several times. The first time - early in the spring, then every two weeks until hot weather sets in (the last time - around the end of July - August). After the onset of heat, quinoa quickly goes into bloom, and therefore it is hardly worth growing it now as a salad plant.

Quinoa is usually sown in two- or three-line rows spaced 30-35 cm apart. The seeding rate is 1-1.5 g of seeds per 1 m². But in reality, if you plan to use it only in early spring salads, all this does not matter much - you can simply sow the seeds in bulk in the same way as dill or lettuce are sown for these purposes.

Quinoa can be harvested approximately 20-25 days after germination.

Culinary delights

Red Cabbage Salad with Quinoa

Red cabbage – 65 g, quinoa – 30 g, sour cream – 10 g, salt.

Quinoa is thoroughly washed and finely chopped, add shredded red cabbage, season with sour cream, salt to taste.

Quinoa leaf salad with horseradish

Quinoa (young leaves) – 75 g, sorrel – 15 g, potatoes (boiled) – 30 g, horseradish (grated) – 15 g, vegetable oil – 5 g, egg – 1/2 pcs., 3% vinegar – 3 g, salt.

The prepared quinoa and sorrel are placed in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, drained in a colander, and chopped. Place boiled potato slices on the dish. The mixture of quinoa and sorrel is placed on potato slices, poured with vegetable oil, vinegar and grated horseradish, and garnished with slices of boiled egg.

Botvinya with quinoa

Young nettle (leaves) – 200-300 g, quinoa – 100 g, sorrel -150 g, bread kvass – 1.5 l, grated horseradish – 1 tbsp. green onions, dill - to taste, beets - 1 pc., boiled fish - 200 g.

Lightly boil young leaves of nettle, quinoa, sorrel, chop and dilute with kvass. Then add grated horseradish, finely chopped green onions, dill and diced boiled beets. Cool the botvinya, pour into plates and serve with boiled fish.

Quinoa soup

Quinoa (young leaves) – 100 g, sorrel – 30 g, green onions – 20 g, cucumbers – 40 g, dill – 5 g, sour cream – 20 g, salt.

Place chopped quinoa and sorrel in boiling salted water, cook until tender, and cool. Before serving, add chopped green onions, diced fresh cucumbers, sprinkle with dill, and season with sour cream.

Quinoa cutlets

Quinoa – 165 g, oatmeal – 25 g, crackers – 10 g, salt, spices.

Place finely chopped quinoa and oatmeal in boiling salted water and cook the porridge until tender. Cool, form into cutlets, and fry.

Quinoa Casserole

Garden quinoa – 700 g, butter – 100 g, flour – 125 g, milk – 300 ml, breadcrumbs – 75 g, feta cheese – 50 g, vermicelli – 50 g, 2 eggs, ham – 50 g, salt and pepper according to taste.

Boil thoroughly washed quinoa in boiling salted water for 10 minutes, drain on a sieve, and cool under running water. cold water, let drain and chop finely. Boil vermicelli in salted water (without boiling), place in a sieve, rinse cold water and let it drain. In a separate pan, heat the butter (75 g), sauté the flour, add the quinoa and vermicelli and simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat, pour in warm milk and, stirring constantly, beat in 2 eggs, add finely chopped ham, salt and pepper. Place the mixture in a saucepan greased and sprinkled with breadcrumbs, sprinkle with grated cheese and bake in a moderately heated oven for 40-50 minutes until golden brown. Place the finished casserole on a dish and cut into portions.

Ardelan style quinoa chorba

Garden quinoa – 750 g, onion– 150 g, carrots – 50 g, celery – 50 g, rice – 50 g, vegetable oil – 100 ml, sour cream – 200 ml, flour – 1 tablespoon, 3 raw yolks, green onions – 1 bunch, tarragon, salt taste.

Pour boiling water (1 liter) over finely chopped onion, add thoroughly washed and finely chopped quinoa leaves. Cut carrots and celery into small cubes, sauté in vegetable oil, add quinoa to the pan and cook for about 20 minutes, then add separately boiled rice. Beat the yolks with sour cream and flour and pour in a thin stream into the chorba, add salt and vinegar to taste and finely chopped tarragon, previously scalded with boiling water.