Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: rookie1 on March 18, 2017, 13:08
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Any ideas what these belong to? Am currently weeding around the veg garden and keep finding these in the soil. They don't appear to be attached to stems or foliage, but are very brittle, creamy coloured "roots" or "runners"?? The area where I'm digging had a lot of nettles previously, but they don't look like the nettle roots, which are much darker yellow and more fibrous. There are other annual and perennial weeds in the vicinity, (dandelion, thistles, bindweed, dock and couch grass) plus an old raspberry patch of Autumn fruiting variety.
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I would guess at couch grass. do they have pointy ends?
otherwise bindweed!
both difficult to dig out completely.
Spraying an option when there is top growth.
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Yes, green jay, where I have seen an end, they do appear to be pointed. Couch grass it is then. Our garden is next to a field so it's very difficult to control some of these interlopers, but it's helpful to know what they are, at least. :). Many thanks.
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Hi Rookie I agree that it looks like couch grass. Be aware that you need to dig the roots out carefully, try to get out as much as possible if they snap and you leave some in the ground they will regrow I am afraid.😱😱
Good luck
HH
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Yes, HH. Think I'll need that luck - the pieces snap off very easily, so think it's probably a case of learning to live with it to some degree.
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Either couch grass, or my nemesis - bind weed roots :ohmy:
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A vote for bindweed from me too but the white flowered hedge kind not the pink flowered field one. (couch isn't so brittle that it snaps in the way you describe).
I have the same thing on a plot I'm clearing now. I have dug out every piece I can find and will spot treat the inevitable regrowth with glyphosate. :)
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Interesting, Spadework. I do recall seeing the white flowered bindweed climbing up the raspberry canes in that area last year. Will see how I get on with the digging and then treat whatever pops up.
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I would say bindweed root. I get it everywhere! It is easy enough to pull out when the soil is damp at least
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I would also say bindwind something I'm unfortunately very familiar with 😩
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Them being brittle would suggest thistle roots to me. Couch and bind weed tend to hold together when pulled. And thistles certainly congregate in concentrated areas due to their propagation style.
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They're bind weed roots (common bindweed not field bindweed). Couch roots have visible segments with root growth from each junction.
Dig out what you can then keep hoeing or pulling up any new growth from bits you'll inevitably miss. It can't live indefinitely without it's leaves.
Glypho does work to a degree on common bindweed but with larger clumps the roots will nip themselves off leaving a semi-dormant knot of spaghetti like roots.
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Thanks all. :D
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Definitely bindweed. I've just spent the other day digging the stuff out of the border, all intertwined with other roots and yes it snaps off. Even the tiniest bit left will regrow so this will be zapped with weedkiller. It will come back I can guarantee sorry so keep at it to weaken the growth.
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Looks like assparagus roots to me!
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I'd say bindweed too. Couch always seems to lead back to a nearby clump....bindweed root just seems to appear out of nowhere!!
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Too thick for couch grass.
At this time of year, I would not rule out ground elder. Bindweed roots often appear slightly later.
Have you got lots of small, low growing leaves showing through the soil?
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I'm with Yorkie, look like Ground Elder to me. Blummin stuff is everywhere on my plot :mad:
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You answered your own question:
Any ideas what these belong to? Am currently weeding around the veg garden and keep finding these in the soil. They don't appear to be attached to stems or foliage, but are very brittle, creamy coloured "roots" or "runners"?? The area where I'm digging had a lot of nettles previously, but they don't look like the nettle roots, which are much darker yellow and more fibrous. There are other annual and perennial weeds in the vicinity, (dandelion, thistles, bindweed, dock and couch grass) plus an old raspberry patch of Autumn fruiting variety.
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Yes, bindweed. Get as much of it out now as you possibly can and it'll be so much easier to get on top of later.