Wild allium killer

[vapd]

I have had a bit of a google but a lot of what I've found dates to the time when sodium chlorate was still available.

Anyway, I have a large front garden that I have applied glyphosate to and thats got rid of the bindweed and brambles and nettles. I've dug it over and tried to get rid of all the little allium bulbs (don't know what it is, thought garlic but when I looked up the flowers last year they are not the same) but it is coming back and I just don't know how I'm ever going to get rid of them all.

Can anyone advise something that will kill the little buggers? I've stuck a load of bulbs in a long plastic trough in case I can use the culinary but I want the ones out front dead!

[mothhawk]

What colour were the flowers?

[vapd]

White. Smells like garlic.

[veggiechicken]

Did the flowers looks a bit like white bluebells? Could it be Allium Triquetrum - Three cornered leek? Have a look at this thread and see if it looks familiar http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...-garlic-3.html

[vapd]

Yep its the three cornered leek. Watched the vid. Does that mean its only the leaves that are edible?

[veggiechicken]

I eat the bulbs and leaves, like spring onions. Its actually really good and the pretty flower is a bonus.
It is invasive though and I have a bank of it. Where it grows on the paths, its strimmed and treated as grass Then I dig up clumps in the wrong place to eat. If you want to stop it spreading cut the flowers off before they set seed.

[Two_Sheds]

glyphosate .... got rid of the bindweed and brambles and nettles. .... tried to get rid of all the little allium bulbs

If you're spraying, then you need to spray when the target plant is in full leaf. Glypho won't work on buried bulbs, it only works on leaves


If you're desperate to get planting though, I would just fork over the area as best you can, removing as many bulbs as possible. Then, remove each new allium individually as it appears. Expect it to take several seasons, but that's gardening.

[vapd]

Okay. Thank all for the advice. I will deff try eating the things.

I am aware of how glyphosate works and they were not sprouted when I used it to get rid of the other stuff so I knew it would have no effect. But I also watered with it (no sprayer) as the green shoots were getting to a couple of inches long and it seems to have had no effect. But it did rain heavily, about 6-7 hours later. Ho hum.

I actually don't want to grow much in the front garden, it is large enough to have a large bed for veg. I'm not much of a flower person. But I don't want to have to tend to it on what is a busy route for pedestrians, just rather not. However I thought I could plant 3 small trees and keep them down to about 5'. It gets a lot of sun and I have been told a peach tree would do well.

So I've got some landscaping fabric and some pegs and was planning on buying some wood chips or something to go over the top and then put the trees in. But I wanted a quick and easy way to get rid of the bulbs as I presume they would try and come up through the fabric and ruin it. I guess there isn't one. I mean we are talking hundreds and hundreds of the things as it was neglected for years. It is a virtual sea of them when they get going!

Anyway, thanks all for the advice. It looks as though there is no quick fix! I shall have to get to it!

[veggiechicken]

This is where our approaches differ - because I would leave them grow as ground cover round the base of your trees. They're green, practically all year round, don't need mowing, have attractive flowers and are edible. You can't ask for much more This is my garden -

[vapd]

If I had a big enough back garden to have a large patch like that I would be happy to let it grow. But, to me it just doesn't feel appropriate for the front!

[Two_Sheds]

I would leave them grow as ground cover round the base of your trees.

Exactly what I was going to say

[Two_Sheds]

to me it just doesn't feel appropriate for the front!

says who?

I don't give a stuff what the neighbours think

[vapd]

It just looks scruffy.

[Alison]

It just looks scruffy.

Guess it's a matter of opinion, I think they look really lovely, hate the really manicured look but horses for courses and all that...

[Two_Sheds]

People think my front garden is scruffy too. It is a mixed herbaceous border, rather than a shaved brown lawn with a few withered begonias round the outside