Oh No! Something horrid grew in my raised bed over winter!!! Whatcan I do?

[rabbit]

It was covered with the black membrane. I was going to prepare it for planting out some young corn plants in the near future.



Last year I had a winter squash and some borage which grew like crazy (and had self seeded from the year before).

So I see these seedlings and immediately think "Oh that pesky borage" and hoe it down, try and rake it off the surface (that didnt really work) Then I realised, hmm quite early for the borage and round the edges this looks a bit bineweedy. Then I noticed some of these zombie plants were growing out from fairly thick lateral roots.



I think it is bineweed, and i pretty much just mixed it into the soil surface with the rake.


Is there anything I can do? The bed is 6x3 foot and I haven't uncovered the other half but I can already tell the other half is similarly afflicted just by peeking.

Woe is me!

[veggiechicken]

Pull it out now before you break up the roots any more - or it will spread everewhere.

[rabbit]

Pull it out now before you break up the roots any more - or it will spread everewhere.

But what about those seedlings that have got all mixed in?

[veggiechicken]

Do you want those seedlings? If not, pull them out and clear the bed!

[rabbit]

Do you want those seedlings? If not, pull them out and clear the bed!

But I already hoed them down and mixed them in before I realised what they were

[muddled]

But I already hoed them down and mixed them in before I realised what they were

you're panicking rabbit and there's really no need....

A 6 x 3 bed won't take long to clear!
just sit at one edge and remove anything that aint dirt
It will be best to accept that you've lost your seedlings....new ones will soon catch up and the tiny ones would most likely have been lost in the coming cold spell anyway.

So set aside a couple of hours with a handfork and oik out owt wot aint dirt

ps....pretty sure the photo is not of bindweed by the way...

[scarey55]

I agree with Muddled, I don't think it is bindweed either.

[rabbit]

you're panicking rabbit and there's really no need....

A 6 x 3 bed won't take long to clear!
just sit at one edge and remove anything that aint dirt
It will be best to accept that you've lost your seedlings....new ones will soon catch up and the tiny ones would most likely have been lost in the coming cold spell anyway.

So set aside a couple of hours with a handfork and oik out owt wot aint dirt

ps....pretty sure the photo is not of bindweed by the way...

Haha thanks. Overreacting maybe? My time in the garden is limited and as for my plant knowledge....

I think it'll have to wait until the weekend now, little mouths to feed and all that.

The edges (where the light was creeping in) have bindweed. Those yellow leaves are the first leaves of the plant so I expect they look diff to the fully grown ones? Also because they are sprouting out of thick brown roots I thought they must be?

Maybe it's the borage then? What ever the zombie plant is I'll try and dig it out at the weekend.

Thanks.
-

[WendyC]

They just look like annual weeds. Just hoe them off.

[weed]

if you are really worried and want to be extra cautious you could take the surface few inches off and put it through a garden sieve just to make sure you have every bit

[Bill HH]

If it is bindweed (which I dont think it is) there must have been a lot of bindweed in the bed last year to produce so many seedlings.However have you considered spraying with roundup? I know its not popular but it is in a confined space and will carry back to the roots.

[marchogaeth]

Just put the membrane back down and plant through it?? Have a look at Kristen's posts on the raised bed thread - master practitioner.

[Zelenina]

I don't think they're bindweed either. They just look to me like seedlings which have long white stems and yellow seed leaves because they've been trying to grow in the dark.

[fishpond]

I have never seen Bindweed throwing up seed leaves.
I am not saying it's not possible, but I have never seen it.

[lottie dolly]

Haha thanks. Overreacting maybe? My time in the garden is limited and as for my plant knowledge....

I think it'll have to wait until the weekend now, little mouths to feed and all that.

The edges (where the light was creeping in) have bindweed. Those yellow leaves are the first leaves of the plant so I expect they look diff to the fully grown ones? Also because they are sprouting out of thick brown roots I thought they must be?

Maybe it's the borage then? What ever the zombie plant is I'll try and dig it out at the weekend.

Thanks.
-

Bind weed roots are not brown,they are white and waxy,and break into bits very easy,then regrow even faster,how thick is the brown root,