weeds????

smartiepants

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Toooooo right!!!

Kazonline

Just wondering if anyone can help?

I've killed off most of my lawn (deliberate - very claggy so going to cover with bark chips for a year or so) but some of the more stubborn weeds are still coming through. I've got something very similar to reeds that grows so thick and strong that neither the lawn mower nor strimmer can cope with it. Ironically it was this I was mainly hoping the weedkiller would take care of (sodium chloride) - but of course it is this that has grown through. Not sure that vinegar or salt would work as there's so 'crown' as such, and I don't want to put down loads of salt as I read on another OS thread that it can make the soil barren for 6 years!
Anyone got any ideas please?
Ta,
Kaz x

frugglewump

One of the tips the guys at the garden place gave me was on stubborn weeds to "scar-ify" them first. Basically to make lots of small cuts into the surface and if the base is veyr thick/solid to drill small holes into them.

I used this method + boiling vinegar rather than weedkiller to get rid of some very stubborn weeds at my old flat.

Sujamjen

Kazonline wrote:

Just wondering if anyone can help?

I've killed off most of my lawn (deliberate - very claggy so going to cover with bark chips for a year or so) but some of the more stubborn weeds are still coming through. I've got something very similar to reeds that grows so thick and strong that neither the lawn mower nor strimmer can cope with it. Ironically it was this I was mainly hoping the weedkiller would take care of (sodium chloride) - but of course it is this that has grown through. Not sure that vinegar or salt would work as there's so 'crown' as such, and I don't want to put down loads of salt as I read on another OS thread that it can make the soil barren for 6 years!
Anyone got any ideas please?
Ta,
Kaz x

Could it be that you have the dreaded Japenese Knotweed? If so, nothing kills it but it can be weakened by regular cutting/mowing and very regular applying of weedkiller. Am not sure that vinegar or salt would work because it has the most ferocious root system.:eek: Sorry to be a doom merchant!

bluedog

Is japanese knotweed the same as bind weed? I've got it all over the place, in beds, in pathways and amongst flower beds ...... not to mention ground elder springing up everywhere thanks to both neighbours.

I've heard that planting African marigolds where these plants grow helps to rid them as the marigolds roots secrete a natural poison right to the roots. (Have yet to get my marigolds in so can't say if it works tho' ...but am giving it a try.)

wigginsmum

No it's different. Bindweed is a **** - I just have to pick ours out whenever I can as it twines up plants (we dug the entire garden down to 4ft last year and thought we'd picked out every bit of root), but it's taken over the far end of the garden where DH has failed to sort out a pile of rubble. We back onto a railway line so we constantly get infested with bindweed and brambles.

For weeds on the patio, I gave up and used Roundup in a small spray bottle. It works, and it's the only chemical I use in the garden.

Kazonline

Thankfully after a quick search I've found a picture of japanese knotweed and mine looks nothing like it!
I've included the link just in case anyone else is unsure that they have it
http://www.cabi-bioscience.org/html/japanese_knotweed_alliance.htm

Mine is more like 'reeds' in the respect that it growing like a LARGE, thick, tough grass - looks a bit like Gladioli do when they first shoot up

Fingers crossed someone will know what I'm on about!

Kaz x

pickledtink

bluedog wrote:

Is japanese knotweed the same as bind weed? I've got it all over the place, in beds, in pathways and amongst flower beds ...... not to mention ground elder springing up everywhere thanks to both neighbours.

I've heard that planting African marigolds where these plants grow helps to rid them as the marigolds roots secrete a natural poison right to the roots. (Have yet to get my marigolds in so can't say if it works tho' ...but am giving it a try.)

Does the marigold thing work on the ground elder too? If so I'll get some immediately!
I've been battling ground elder for years and have never got even close to getting shot of it. In fact for one horrible moment when I read your post I wondered if it you were my neighbour complaining about the ground elder. He's done some very pointed weeding along the boundary:embarasse

frugglewump

We got right of ground elder by drilling holes into the roots and pouring in neat weedkiller (it was one of the ones you are suppoesd to dilute)

piratess

Im hoping somone has some good ideas on the jap KnotWeed we have it along the fence at the top of our garden and my partner has tried clipping stem down to the ground and then pouring sodium chloride down the tubes and it hasnt worked so what can we do now ?? any ideas ?