Cleaver removal

YorkshireTraveller

Now that Roundup weedkiller gel is no longer available, can the Forum recommend any other contact weed killer that might be suitable?

LessImpecunious

Yes - I find that making contact with my hand and yanking firmly works a treat... Added bonus - they stick to each other, so you can easily gather a giant bundle and remove to compost heap - removing them from yourself to leave them there can be problematic, but can't have everything!

-taff

Another vote for pulling them out. I don't use weedkiller so can't recommend any.

Nelliegrace

The ducks loved them. 

RAS

Cleavers are crafty; they regrow if you leave the first nodes formed by the seedling leaves attached to the root.

Either nip out below the seedling leaves, or hoe them out.

twopenny

Seems they still sell Weedol. 
That used to work well for me and it dries quickly. I used to cover with netting for the first day or two so no animal or bird got near even though they say it's harmless to them.
Trouble is with most of these contact weedkillers or feed you should put it on before rain......

YorkshireTraveller

twopenny said:

Seems they still sell Weedol. 
That used to work well for me and it dries quickly. I used to cover with netting for the first day or two so no animal or bird got near even though they say it's harmless to them.
Trouble is with most of these contact weedkillers or feed you should put it on before rain......

Thank you for the suggestion.  However, I was looking for a replacement for the gel so that it could be put on individual strands of cleavers as I'm trying to protect the surrounding plants and flowers.

J63320

I’ve read that you can “treat” bindweed while protecting other plants by putting on rubber gloves, and then cotton gloves over the top, dipping your hands in (or spraying them with) liquid weedkiller and running them over the stems/leaves. With the bindweed you’re advised to untangle it from the other plants and lay out the stems first. Not sure if you could make this work with cleavers, but you might try one hand covered in the weedkiller, while using the other hand to hold aside the plants you want to protect - less risky than just spraying.

RAS

YorkshireTraveller said:

twopenny said:

Seems they still sell Weedol. 
That used to work well for me and it dries quickly. I used to cover with netting for the first day or two so no animal or bird got near even though they say it's harmless to them.
Trouble is with most of these contact weedkillers or feed you should put it on before rain......

Thank you for the suggestion.  However, I was looking for a replacement for the gel so that it could be put on individual strands of cleavers as I'm trying to protect the surrounding plants and flowers.

Run you hand down the stem until you get to the ground, then nip off at ground level.

If you've got a serious tangle of cleavers, in a bush start by removing all the top growth above the plant and binning, to reduce the seed load, but do the same with all the plants you can access. 

Farway

YorkshireTraveller said:

twopenny said:

Seems they still sell Weedol. 
That used to work well for me and it dries quickly. I used to cover with netting for the first day or two so no animal or bird got near even though they say it's harmless to them.
Trouble is with most of these contact weedkillers or feed you should put it on before rain......

Thank you for the suggestion.  However, I was looking for a replacement for the gel so that it could be put on individual strands of cleavers as I'm trying to protect the surrounding plants and flowers.

I have not tried this, but I have heard about mixing liquid with wallpaper paste and painting on, but I bet just mixing with flour would work if it's dry weather, maybe worth a go?

LessImpecunious

Farway said:

YorkshireTraveller said:

twopenny said:

Seems they still sell Weedol. 
That used to work well for me and it dries quickly. I used to cover with netting for the first day or two so no animal or bird got near even though they say it's harmless to them.
Trouble is with most of these contact weedkillers or feed you should put it on before rain......

Thank you for the suggestion.  However, I was looking for a replacement for the gel so that it could be put on individual strands of cleavers as I'm trying to protect the surrounding plants and flowers.

I have not tried this, but I have heard about mixing liquid with wallpaper paste and painting on, but I bet just mixing with flour would work if it's dry weather, maybe worth a go?

? but why go to all that hassle (and expense) when you can just pull them up or nip off at the bottom? It's only an annual weed (so obviously ideally do it before they start setting seed). It shouldn't be a problem unless you have a massive infestation in a very large garden (I do, so have some experience  ) - in which case painting anything onto every single plant would take far longer than pulling them up by the handful...