GYO would like advice on weeding

[The Doctor]

Someone once said to me " One year's seed equals seven years weeds"

Basically saying don't let them flower, or you'll be chasing them forever!

Can't for the life of me remember who said it, and it ain't from me, but it certainly seems to be true.

[Nicos]

Little and often- then it doesn't become a chore!

[nick the grief]

Someone once said to me " One year's seed equals seven years weeds"

Basically saying don't let them flower, or you'll be chasing them forever!

Can't for the life of me remember who said it, and it ain't from me, but it certainly seems to be true.

I was always told that. THe other old say I remember is

" The Best Mulch is the Gardeners Shadow"

[Hazel at the Hill]

I was always told that. THe other old say I remember is

" The Best Mulch is the Gardeners Shadow"

That's funny, Nick - I can go to the Hill and look at the crops all day long in my shadow and the weeds still grow......!!

[Raised Beds]

I keep a old bucket handy round the allotment to drown the docks in. When its goes too smelly I dump it in the compost bin.

Hoeing also loosen the top soil to let any rain penetrate easily instead of running away.

[Peter]

Having cleared couch and bindweed infested plots I still get recurrance of bindweed.

A neat trick passed on to me for the odd bindweed poking its head out of the soil is to unwind it, lay it on the ground, peg the end down and using rubber gloves and an old paint brush treat it from a clearly labelled pot of made up glyphosate weedkiller such as Roundup.

No spray drift, nothing on crops and gaurenteed removal of that bindweed without having to dig up what it is growing near.


Other than that, little and often, which is hard on clay in a wet year,

[Two_Sheds]

My Swedish neighbour puts old tin cans over her bindweed, in the hope of excluding its light and thus killing it. Methinks, it just puts up new shoots elsewhere though...and what looks better, a border of rusty cans or bindweed (quite pretty in flower...my sister has trained some up a trellis !!!)

[Two_Sheds]

I drown my perennial weeds in a bucket of water, then pour the stinky mess on the compost heap as an activator. However, you have to beware of mozzies breeding in it...put a lid on.

[bubblewrap]

KEEP DIGGING!!!

[Imprudence]

On the subject of stopping them set seed: I paid my 5 Year old to pick all the dandelion fowers. Kept him busy for 15 minutes, while I got something else done: and left the leaves and roots for me to dig up properly later.
He was very pleased with his £1 -- perhaps 1p / flower was too much!

[Snadger]

Every time you make a cuppa, pour the boiling water you dont use onto the weeds on the paths. Weeds don't like boiling water and gardeners like a cuppa now and again!

Also when you get your fish and chips give the weeds a dose of salt and vinegar also, then you can sit down with your fish and chips and pot of tea and listen to the weeds screaming!

Try it, it works!

[rustylady]

Little and often is the best advice to keep the plot tidy, but it is so satisfying when the weeds have got big, you can spend half an hour and really see results.

[skegblade]

I tend to spray an area with industrial strength Glysophate and wait for the top growth to die off. Then I dig it, removing as many roots as possible from each spadeful. Slow and laborious I admit, but it works.

Deep rooted docks I dig out when the ground's wet; the roots lose their grip and come out easier.

Phil

[heebiejeebie]

and pull gently to ease the roots out, if you yank they'll break and leave roots in the ground

[JennieAtkinson]

Thank you all for your posts and tips. These have now been passed to GYO and I hope some of you may see you name in print in the next magazine.

Please feel free to continue to post under this thread. It is an interesting topic and one we all need tips and advice on.

Thanks again.