Hi all
I need some advice on how to get rid of Marestail please. When I took over my plot in February it was a complete junk yard and was a mass of couch grass, my next door neighbour has said my plot hadn't been looked after for at least 5-6 years. See here: http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...eks_90364.html
However, it has become clear that the real problem isn't couch grass at all, it's Marestail and I'm really stuck as to how to get rid. It wasn't active in February so I didn't see any then. Below the thick woodchip paths is very heavy duty woven weed suppressant and it is coming up through there too. The four beds I'm using for rotation don't have weed membrane in the bottom due to root veggies and potatoes needing the depth and its throughout the beds. My allotment association had a competition two weeks ago and that needed three of us just on Marestail picking just to keep the beds clear for the comp.
I have been snapping it off at just below ground level and removing all the bits as I don't want to spread it about, but within a few days, it's a couple of inches tall again. It takes me about 3-4 hours to remove it all, every single week! I never let it get taller than about 6inches though. I know the rhizomes travel extremely deep so digging isn't an option. I'm not actually getting many annual weeds, just this awful stuff which I can't hoe. I have tried crushing it and spraying individual bits with Roundup (tough and deep root) spray but it just shrugs it off and doesn't even go brown.
How on earth do I kill this waxy leaved prehistoric dinosaur of a plant that is throughout my plot without wrecking my crops or my back through hand weeding every single one.
My allotment manager says he has something that he has a licence? for, but it's got to wait until all my crops have gone. I've got winter brassicas so not sure how that's going to work.
Help!
I need some advice on how to get rid of Marestail please. When I took over my plot in February it was a complete junk yard and was a mass of couch grass, my next door neighbour has said my plot hadn't been looked after for at least 5-6 years. See here: http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...eks_90364.html
However, it has become clear that the real problem isn't couch grass at all, it's Marestail and I'm really stuck as to how to get rid. It wasn't active in February so I didn't see any then. Below the thick woodchip paths is very heavy duty woven weed suppressant and it is coming up through there too. The four beds I'm using for rotation don't have weed membrane in the bottom due to root veggies and potatoes needing the depth and its throughout the beds. My allotment association had a competition two weeks ago and that needed three of us just on Marestail picking just to keep the beds clear for the comp.
I have been snapping it off at just below ground level and removing all the bits as I don't want to spread it about, but within a few days, it's a couple of inches tall again. It takes me about 3-4 hours to remove it all, every single week! I never let it get taller than about 6inches though. I know the rhizomes travel extremely deep so digging isn't an option. I'm not actually getting many annual weeds, just this awful stuff which I can't hoe. I have tried crushing it and spraying individual bits with Roundup (tough and deep root) spray but it just shrugs it off and doesn't even go brown.
How on earth do I kill this waxy leaved prehistoric dinosaur of a plant that is throughout my plot without wrecking my crops or my back through hand weeding every single one.
My allotment manager says he has something that he has a licence? for, but it's got to wait until all my crops have gone. I've got winter brassicas so not sure how that's going to work.
Help!
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