The root of all evil??

[Plot10]

It’s not dock, it’s buttercup, the creaping variety. I used to consider the buttercup a benign organism, reminiscent of sunshine and summer meadows. Now I know it’s the spawn of Satan himself, spewed up from Hell to spread it’s tentacles through my whole plot.

Spent 2 hours on Sunday trying to eradicate the little yellow blighters from a 12 foot square patch. Then moved on to a bit of virgin soil that’s been covered in black plastic for 6 months to reveal .....everything dead, apart from.....thousands of baby buttercups, far more difficult to get hold of than their full grown brethren.

I used to think “Buttercups, aaahhhh”! Now it’s “Buttercups, AAAAARGHHH”!

[Two_Sheds]

They are awful. There have been several threads like yours recently.

Buttercups like acidic soil and damp conditions. They will also regrow if you bury them, but not if you slice them off under the crown. It's hard work when you have 100s, but worth it.

[Plot10]

They will also regrow if you bury them, but not if you slice them off under the crown.

TS, does that mean that they don't regrow from root fragments left in the soil? I assumed they did, so if I only need to make sure I've got the top bit (from the crown up) and not worry about the "tenatacles" it will make life a lot easier.

Sorry if I've duplicated other threads, I did do a quick search before I posted.

[Two_Sheds]

They won't regrow from the threadlike roots, but they will if you don't take the whole crown out.

[Plot10]

Yeehhhaaaar!

Much of my time on Sunday was spent hand-sifting the roots out as I thought they regrew.

Thanks TS

[organic]

They are awful. There have been several threads like yours recently.

Buttercups like acidic soil and damp conditions. They will also regrow if you bury them, but not if you slice them off under the crown. It's hard work when you have 100s, but worth it.

C'mon now TS... I'm sure that counts!

[OverWyreGrower]

I have creeping buttercup everywhere. I hate it.

I dug my spud bed recently, and filled an entire green wheelie bin with the stuff.

Apparantly, it doesn't like being 'grazed', so my theory is that I'm going to put my chickens in the veg patch over winter and let them eat what is left!

[Two_Sheds]

C'mon now TS... I'm sure that counts!

No it doesn't, nar nar nee nar nar

[aud]

oh and burn what you find, or through it over fence of a neighbour you dont like.

[lindyloo]

creeping buttercup likes damp ground & does not like lime, so add some limeflour to your soil, and improve drainage if needed..this helps paddocks, so it should help gardens too. it is difficult to eradicate though, and often when digging up, little bits of root remain to grow up as even more of the stuff.

[di]

I have creeping buttercup everywhere. I hate it.

I dug my spud bed recently, and filled an entire green wheelie bin with the stuff.

Apparantly, it doesn't like being 'grazed', so my theory is that I'm going to put my chickens in the veg patch over winter and let them eat what is left!

Ours usually eat round them

[greasyfire]

I got hem evrywhere infact they are even infesting them lawn it like a battefeild no mattter what i do they keep coming back year after year.

[lindyloo]

not sure about poultry, but creeping buttercup is poisonous to horses- it has an accumlative effect. causes liver and kidney damage. think i should mention it as i dont think it will be good to let poultry eat it.

[Madasafish]

I eradicated buttercup from our lawn using a systemic weedkiller painted onto the leaves with a small bush.. And kept it at bay using Verdone.