How to Get Through The Tough Times The Old Style Way.

PepPop

flowertotmum wrote: »

Hello to PepPop..welcome..you still reading lol..
ftm

Thanks flowertotmum :wave: 261 posts down 3689 to go :eek: No why did I work that out LOL. I'm a little confused cos I've started at the beginning but I'm also reading the recent stuff - hopefully it will all make sense in the end. Notes so far: should really try to get an allotment. We live in a one bedroom flat and can only manage one pot of herbs on the windowsill cos of the cats. Any suggestions would be gratefully recieved

kidcat

Keep going peppop its worth it

GreyQueen

Glad I'm not the only one contending with this blasted stuff. Been around unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs, apparently, with roots 6 feet deep and virtually indescructible.

A good half of our whole site is infested with the stuff and muggins here is gardening on the afflicted side but I'm stubborn and just pull it up whenever I see it. Mine grows at a rate of 1 inch per 24 hours up until about 8 inches high and what I humorously call the Wildflower Meadow (the scrubby bit at the top which I haven't got around to clearing yet) is a good 50% horsetails.

On the subject of covering weeds to suppress growth, I have seen, with my very own eyes, couch grass grow thru panelled doors, sheet metal, cardboard, carpets and tarpaulins. Maybe I have extra-potent couch grass here but it laughs at being covered and so-called weed suppressing membrane, even the better thicknesses, is about as much use as Kleenex. I dig the stuff up, shake the soil out of it and take it off-site to the tip, with the horsetails and other non-compostable horrors. I also re-visted a couch grass mound on another plot which I did 5 years ago on advice from a book; pile it up and covered with tarps and it'll rot down into a lovely compost in a few months (:p couch grass doesn't read the same books as I do because the blimmin' pile is still there, slightly sunken but defiantly uncomposted and growing wherever it can peek thru thru the tarp).

I don't do chemicals and my preferred method is Cold Steel and Brute Force and I'm getting there, one forkful at a time.

BTW does anyone know if they still do Set Aside for land as I'd like official recognition for my wildflower meadow and a nice little EU handout pretty please.......:rotfl:

RAS

I know what you mean about couch grass. Just been clearing a bit of a glory hole near the compost bin. Less than 2 square metres but enough couch to keep me busy. Someone I know suggested drowning it in a bath. Well everything else decomposes and feeds the ruddy couch grass which grows like crazy. I dry it and burn it, although I have to be careful when I do that.

maryb

EstherH wrote: »

Maryb, where do you get the black plastic from and how much does it cost. I have loads of horsetail coming up in mine, think this may be the same as mares tail which was mentioned a couple of posts back. Feathery kind or weed which has sprouted up all over? Anyway, I have been told the only way to get rid of it is to dig out everything else and put black pastic down for a couple of years.

http://www.allplaz.com/

This is where I got mine. It has definitely helped with the horsetail but you can only give it a headache not really get rid of it. But the roots are definitely weaker. I reckon I can't get rid of it completely but if I can keep it repressed I can live with it.

And yes, Couch grass does grow through. Don't use the pegs they sell for anchoring the plastic, they aren't man enough for the job and it leaves holes for weeds to grow through. Overlap the strips and weight it down with stones or lengths of heavy wood (we had plenty of that from the junk lying around). Another thing I have seen is 6 pint milk bottles filled with water to act as weights, but I prefer longer weights as the wind doesn't get under the free edge of the plastic so easily

maryb

kidcat wrote: »

Keep going peppop its worth it

And when you've finished then you can go back and read the previous tough threads - you'll never need to buy a magazine again:rotfl::rotfl:

Seriously, there is lots of good stuff in all the threads, I do recommend them

PepPop

maryb wrote: »

And when you've finished then you can go back and read the previous tough threads - you'll never need to buy a magazine again:rotfl::rotfl:

Seriously, there is lots of good stuff in all the threads, I do recommend them

There's more of them.........:eek::eek: Guess what I'm gonna be doing for the next few months :rotfl:
No seriously, I agree. I've already picked up a few tips already... I now know what Twinks are Not made them yet but definitely gonna give them a go. I think it's set my brain straight reading your posts IYKWIM.

kidcat

It took me a few weeks reading to read all the tough threads and sometimes well into the night - my OH thought I was mad - but it was like agood book you cant put down,

I took the kids out yesterday with my parents to Chester - it was lovely - very busy but sunny and warm, DS7 was hard work as it was crowded but as I had so many others to help watching DD5 and keep DS12 under close eyes it was not too bad. Am paying today with a very sore back but it was good to get away from the problems for a while.
Managed to get a little more packing done last night so now dining room just needs half an hour and a couple more boxes and its done as much as possible (obviously will need to wait to pack TV and wires etc but have learnt from last time that each box will have a box seperate for its wires - having lived through the nightmare of trying to match cables to equipment all from one box!!)
While we were out we managed to find wedding gifts for the family wedding next month and DD16 found some clothes towards what he will need for college.
Ds7 school are having party for the royal wedding on Thursday so am spending tomorrow baking cakes and little things - so all suggestions gratefully received.

EstherH

Thanks MaryB. Don't know whether to cry though!

I have only just realised in the last couple of weeks that this horse tail is going to be so hard to get rid of. And now it looks like it will be impossible.

maryb

Esther, don't worry too much. Once you have weakened it, you can pull out new shoots very easily - it's obvious what it is as soon as it pokes its head above ground. If you do that you can come to a state of armed neutrality with it even if you can't get rid of the roots.