Trailing/Creeping Cinquefoil Removal

nattykins

Hi Everyone!
I've got a patch of ground at the top of my garden that's been overtaken by Trailing Cinquefoil. A couple of years ago, my husband and I dug all the weeds out of the area, including any cinquefoil we found (all of the taproots) and its come back and taken over the area. The problem was, in the past 2 years, we've had 2 children, so we haven't been able to keep on top of removal.

Now its taken over, what is the best way to remove it? I try to stay away from all out weedkillers because its in the part of the garden I try to cultivate as a wildflower/wildlife garden.

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Seeing as it's a brilliant food species for the Grizzled Skipper butterfly, I'd just try and encourage other species as well.

nattykins

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

Seeing as it's a brilliant food species for the Grizzled Skipper butterfly, I'd just try and encourage other species as well.

I would, however its covering the WHOLE area, so nothing else can grow...

Davesnave

nattykins wrote: »

I would, however its covering the WHOLE area, so nothing else can grow...

We are getting mixed messages here; one minute you have lots of wild flowers in this location, and the next this plant is covering all of it!

However I think you mean that the cinquefoil has overrun other more desired plants.

If that's the case, dig out what you want to keep, relocate it temporarily, and then nuke the area with glyphosate, probably twice, because there's almost bound to be re-growth.

Alternatively, you could use a ragwort fork to dig up the many tap[ roots, but you'll miss some and break others, so this will take longer.

While the plant might be a great butterfly resource, in a small, managed environment,it's not great to end up with a monoculture. This is why I've not introduced Iberian Comfrey in the second of my streamside locations, which it hasn't reached naturally. If it did, it would soon wipe out most of the other plants, and diversity would suffer.

You could still keep a plant or two in a container and monitor carefully in the future, just like I monitor for ragwort. Once a plant like that is under control, a touch from a small paintbrush loaded with weedkiller is all that's needed, even if it's among others.

Kyrae

That plant is a nightmare isn't it!! It's taking over my lawn, and I've found this tool works well for getting it out:


http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/fiskars-xact-w52-stainless-steel-and-aluminium-garden-weed-puller-178414


Might take you a while to weed each plant individually but at least it's wildlife friendly

nattykins

Kyrae wrote: »

That plant is a nightmare isn't it!! It's taking over my lawn, and I've found this tool works well for getting it out:


http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/fiskars-xact-w52-stainless-steel-and-aluminium-garden-weed-puller-178414


Might take you a while to weed each plant individually but at least it's wildlife friendly

That's good to know. I'd like to remove it in a wildlife friendly way because we plan to put a small wildlife pond in the area.

I do think I'll need weedkiller to get the bits of it that are growing between the concrete slats (the area is a raised level above the rest of the garden).
We tried R*undup at the weekend. We tried the gel stuff that goes on the leaves and is supposed to work through the plant and kill the root. Has anyone else has success with it?

Davesnave

nattykins wrote: »

Has anyone else has success with it?

It's no different from generic glyphosate that can be bought far more cheaply on the internet, mixed up with a bit of wallpaper paste and painted on, as required.

But it is fine for the job, if you only need a small amount. It will probably take a few weeks to work. It inhibits photosynthesis, not through contaminating soil.

Kyrae

Haven't tried it specifically on Cinquefoil, but white vinegar works as a great weedkiller on patios and between slabs, you can buy spray bottles of it in the cleaning section of wilkos for £1! Spray it on a sunny day and the plant is dead the next day don't use it on flower beds though as it's bad for the soil i've heard!!

nattykins

Kyrae wrote: »

Haven't tried it specifically on Cinquefoil, but white vinegar works as a great weedkiller on patios and between slabs, you can buy spray bottles of it in the cleaning section of wilkos for £1! Spray it on a sunny day and the plant is dead the next day don't use it on flower beds though as it's bad for the soil i've heard!!

I've cleared my patio of weeds using a home made weedkiller but I doubt it will work on the cinquefoil.

I pulled a few bits out yesterday and disturbed the ant's nest that's there. My arms were covered in seconds!

My husband has been using some weedkiller to get rid of dandelions on our lawn and he's noticed the cinquefoil is now in the lawn too!!! :mad::mad::mad: