[What Allot]

I have a full allotment but can only cultivate half of it as the other half is too compacted and full of marestail.
It also has 3 sheds and 2 greenhouses on it (lucky me) so I am not really fussed about cultivating it massively.
My problem is that on the advice of the previous encumbant of my little patch I have sprayed that half with sodium chlorate to keep down the marestail. It's not worked brilliantly and what I'm wanting to do is put fruit trees and bushes down that end but I'm not sure if i can as I have sprayed it liberally. This was done at the beginning of May but on the tub of sodium chlorate it says meant for areas not used for crops so can I or can I not now plant fruit in that patch.
Any advice would be gratefully received also advice on the marestail. I'm tending to just keep it trimmed with a strimmer at the moment and that isn't too bad but don't really want to use my limited good planting area for fruit that will stay in one place for a long while.
Many thanks

[Yorkie]

Welcome to the forums What Allot 

Sodium Chlorate has a residual effect that means you cannot plant for at least 6 months after application, I believe.  You should be fine using the ground next season but I would not try to grow anything in that area for the rest of this year.

It will not be legal to use it after 10 May next year in any event.

Marestail is a prehistoric organism, well-practised at staying alive!  It has a silica coating so it needs to be bruised before weedkiller is applied so that the chemicals penetrate the coating and do what they're supposed to do.  Several repeat applications of glyphosate based weedkiller will help but it will almost certainly come back sooner or later.

One advice is to regularly hoe it off - or strim it - before it gets too many inches high.  This will weaken it at the least.

[What Allot]

Thanks Yorkie that's sound advice.
I'll probably be ok to plant bare rooted trees after November which is about right, as long as I can get a spade in it!!!!

[Faz]

Sodium Chlorate can have a long residual effect, so if possible I would dig a hole and plant your trees in soil you know to be good. That way should buy you a bit more time before the roots grow into the existing soil.

If your ground is very compacted this may take a while!! Good luck