Cleaver removal

Farway

LessImpecunious said:

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...

See OPs comments as to why, your and their choices. I pull them out BTW

YorkshireTraveller

LessImpecunious said:

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...

Bad back |(and old age!) - bending down on my hands and knees is not the easiest thing for me to do hence wanting something systemic that can be applied to the increasing number of cleavers that pop up.

LessImpecunious

YorkshireTraveller said:

Bad back |(and old age!) - bending down on my hands and knees is not the easiest thing for me to do hence wanting something systemic that can be applied to the increasing number of cleavers that pop up.

Aha - I see - mine are often approaching shoulder height by the time I pull them up! Wouldn't you have to bend anyway to apply?

YorkshireTraveller

LessImpecunious said:

YorkshireTraveller said:

Bad back |(and old age!) - bending down on my hands and knees is not the easiest thing for me to do hence wanting something systemic that can be applied to the increasing number of cleavers that pop up.

Aha - I see - mine are often approaching shoulder height by the time I pull them up! Wouldn't you have to bend anyway to apply?

Bending not so much a problem - getting up from my hands and knees is :-)

RAS

Can you use a hoe? That will kill them before they seed.

YorkshireTraveller

RAS said:

Can you use a hoe? That will kill them before they seed.

Yes - did that at the beginning of the season but they still came back!

-taff

https://www.rhs.org.uk/weeds/cleavers

Found this which does say what weedkillers to use...

RAS

If you've had cleavers there previously, you need to hoe regularly. Your earlier efforts will have damaged or killed the plants existing then, and tickled the soil so more seeds germinated. They need hoeing regularly.

Same way as you need to keep cutting the lawn.