Mare's Tails

[Logunner]

Saw the first shoots of the year today... not on my plot thankfully, just the carpark.

High hopes that the ammonium sulpamate (summer) and all the digging of the dead roots (autumn) has paid dividends. Going to be planting through cardboard this year to keep as much light off the soil as possible.

Fingers crossed for just a few weak shoots...

[jackarmy]

Eat it, poor mans asparagus

[Logunner]

Eat it, poor mans asparagus

Hell no! Hate asparagus ��

[keat63]

We have this on our plot.
In the area which suffers the most, wev'e planted Peas, these should be a quick turn around crop, where we can then dedicate the rest of the year to trying to tackle the mares tail.

[SarrissUK]

Turns out I found some of these in the greenhouse on the plot this weekend just gone. I dug them all out very carefully - they were tiny, and even the roots were strangely small. I've covered them with cardboard now, where they grew, and covering with horse manure and will just keep tugging at them if they pop up again. I've not seen them anywhere else. Yet.

[Babru]

I wonder where they came from - did they creep in with another plant?

My friend has mare's tail all over her back garden and oxalis all over her front garden, so she can never pass on any plants, sadly.

[mcdood]

The spores are airborne so it could come in from a distance away or as you say on another plant.

[SarrissUK]

I wonder where they came from - did they creep in with another plant?

My friend has mare's tail all over her back garden and oxalis all over her front garden, so she can never pass on any plants, sadly.

They may have been there years. The two plots are new to me but I've only seen mares tail on the plot that was cultivated up until a couple of years ago

[Logunner]

This years battle has commenced... first sign since late june last year

[keat63]

Ammonium Suplhamate is apparently an effective weed killer for Marestail, but was banned as a herbicide in 2008.

Not becuase it was dangerous, but becuase there was no evidence to show the effect it might have on dogs.

[from wikipedia]
The pesticides review by the European Union led to herbicides containing ammonium sulfamate becoming unlicensed, and therefore effectively banned, from 2008. This situation arose as the Irish Rapporteur refused to review the data supplied unless it contained details of animal testing on dogs. As there was already substantial animal data within the package supplied, the data pack holder felt further tests without substantiation would cause unnecessary animal suffering. Its licence was not withdrawn on grounds of safety or efficacy.

Here's the twist.
Whilst I cant buy it as a herbicide, I can buy it as a compost accelerator or a flame retardant.

What sort of bonkers rule is that.

If I spill any on the Marestail on my way to the compost bin, would I be breaking the law.
I could argue that I don't want the Marestail to catch fire I suppose.

[Logunner]

Ammonium Suplhamate is apparently an effective weed killer for Marestail, but was banned as a herbicide in 2008.

Not becuase it was dangerous, but becuase there was no evidence to show the effect it might have on dogs.

[from wikipedia]
The pesticides review by the European Union led to herbicides containing ammonium sulfamate becoming unlicensed, and therefore effectively banned, from 2008. This situation arose as the Irish Rapporteur refused to review the data supplied unless it contained details of animal testing on dogs. As there was already substantial animal data within the package supplied, the data pack holder felt further tests without substantiation would cause unnecessary animal suffering. Its licence was not withdrawn on grounds of safety or efficacy.

Here's the twist.
Whilst I cant buy it as a herbicide, I can buy it as a compost accelerator or a flame retardant.

What sort of bonkers rule is that.

If I spill any on the Marestail on my way to the compost bin, would I be breaking the law.
I could argue that I don't want the Marestail to catch fire I suppose.

Change “apparently” to very.... i can assure you

[mcdood]

It is obviously your choice but I'll carry on just pulling mine out by hand.

ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS
Effects on Birds
AMS is highly toxic to birds. The oral LD50 in wild birds is 2,370 micrograms (ug)/kg (15).

TOXICOLOGICAL EFFECTS
ACUTE TOXICITY
Ammonium sulfamate is moderately toxic to human beings. The effects of acute exposure to AMS include irritation of the skin, eyes, and digestive tract, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, slowed breathing, convulsions, hallucinations, coma, physical or mental exhaustion, and collapse (5, 9). Contact with ammonium sulfamate may cause burns to the skin and eyes (24, 30). The dust of ammonium sulfamate is irritating to the nose and throat and can cause coughing or difficult breathing if it is inhaled (23)

[Babru]

Oh dear, and I was just about to suggest it to my pal who has a back garden full of mares tails......

[Logunner]

It is obviously your choice but I'll carry on just pulling mine out by hand.

ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS
Effects on Birds
AMS is highly toxic to birds. The oral LD50 in wild birds is 2,370 micrograms (ug)/kg (15).

TOXICOLOGICAL EFFECTS
ACUTE TOXICITY
Ammonium sulfamate is moderately toxic to human beings. The effects of acute exposure to AMS include irritation of the skin, eyes, and digestive tract, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, slowed breathing, convulsions, hallucinations, coma, physical or mental exhaustion, and collapse (5, 9). Contact with ammonium sulfamate may cause burns to the skin and eyes (24, 30). The dust of ammonium sulfamate is irritating to the nose and throat and can cause coughing or difficult breathing if it is inhaled (23)

Always wear appropriate PPE whenever I use any chemicals, as for birds, well I’ve had the inclination to spray them with ammonium sulphamate...

Each to there own, but pulling the amount of Marestail my plot had was not a realistic option. Hoping not to need it in future, as I’ve had just one small piece show so far this year. Any further shoots be hoe’d off as they appear.

[keat63]

In all honesty, i'd much prefer to pull them by hand, but I'm in the same boat as Logunner, chemical warfare has to be my first line of attack.
There's too much of it.
It's popping up all over the place.