weeds????

frugglewump · 11 July 2006 at 11:59AM

piratess wrote:

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 ?

Did you try ramming a stick or bit of bamboo down the inside of the tubes first? The knotweed has horizontal blocks inside the tubes because it's a type of bamboo and this breaks them up and also scars the plant to get the chemical through the membrane.

The last time i lived somewhere with it way we got rid of it by digging up all the roots we could find and then chop the top off all sprouts immediately we saw them. I ended up digging up all the paving stones at that end of the garden. It only worked because I managed to persuade the neighbours to do the same and it took a long time.

As I recall it is a notifiable weed - maybe the council could help.

bluedog · 12 July 2006 at 9:51AM

Pickledtink - I read the tip in a gardening mag and it DID say it would work with ground elder too, but only said african marigolds. (I doubt you are my neighbour or we'd have zapped this stuff outta sight

.)

As for bindweed, I've just read that seeds can lay dormant for up to 28 years :eek: :eek: ! I don't know if this link will work but here goes;

http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/organicweeds/weed_information/weed.php?id=71

Good luck!

Kazonline · 12 July 2006 at 11:47AM

Piratess, you might find this forum may contain some extra ideas for you
http://www.projects.ex.ac.uk/knotweed/
Kaz x

pickledtink · 12 July 2006 at 12:50PM

bluedog wrote:

Pickledtink - I read the tip in a gardening mag and it DID say it would work with ground elder too, but only said african marigolds. (I doubt you are my neighbour or we'd have zapped this stuff outta sight .)

As for bindweed, I've just read that seeds can lay dormant for up to 28 years :eek: :eek: ! I don't know if this link will work but here goes;

http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/organicweeds/weed_information/weed.php?id=71

Good luck!

OK! African Marigolds here I come. * RUSHES OFF TO BUY DOZENS OF SEED PACKETS*

Debt_Free_Chick · 12 July 2006 at 7:47PM

Kazonline wrote:

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

My guess is couch grass

If you're not using weedkiller, you have to get every tiny bit of root out. The smallest piece left in the ground will simply re-grow next year.

To be honest, even the most fanatical organic gardeners probably resort to weedkiller (glyphosate) for couch, bindwind & ground elder. For a chemical, glyphosate is relatively safe and once it hits the ground, bacteria in the soil break it down anyway. It works by the plant carrying the chemical through its stems, down to the roots.

My problem this year is hogweed ... or it might be cow parnsip (same family). Oh ... and bindweed :mad:

pickledtink · 13 July 2006 at 11:55PM

Debt_Free_Chick wrote:

My guess is couch grass

If you're not using weedkiller, you have to get every tiny bit of root out. The smallest piece left in the ground will simply re-grow next year.

To be honest, even the most fanatical organic gardeners probably resort to weedkiller (glyphosate) for couch, bindwind & ground elder. For a chemical, glyphosate is relatively safe and once it hits the ground, bacteria in the soil break it down anyway. It works by the plant carrying the chemical through its stems, down to the roots.

My problem this year is hogweed ... or it might be cow parnsip (same family). Oh ... and bindweed :mad:

Believe me on this: Ground Elder spits in the eye of absolutely anything.
After 7 years of digging, smothering, begging and obscure chrystal feng shui chanting stuff I gave in.
In guilty despair 8 years ago I went the poison route. I dug up and potted everything I could save and then put down the monster scorched earth stuff. Guess what?
Yup.
Today we live with each other.

Kazonline · 16 July 2006 at 9:25PM

Does anyone know how the salt works? Does it need to be diluted and absorbed through the weeds leaves, or does it affect the roots and get absorbed into the weed that way?