[catweazle]

me again!

based on advice from here and neighbouring plot holders i have come up with a plan and would like your oppinion on it.

as i have said i have a huge infestation on the bottom half of my plot. I maked out a 1ft square box and counted 15 stems in it. Glyphosate wont touch it even after 3 attempts.


-i am planning on digging a 2ft deep trench around the affected area (this is to stop bindweed getting in from the sides).

-Cutting the vegatation down to ground leval.

-spreading about a foot of manure over the top of it

-and finaly covering the area with the tarp from a curtain sider HGV


i figure that by the late winter it should be dead

so...   will it work? will i need to leave it longer than a year?


many many thanks CW

[Yorkie]

I very much doubt it will work.  That stuff can grow through concrete ...

Were you bruising the stems and leaves before applying the glyphosate?  It has silica coated leaves so the weedkiller will run straight off without impact unless you damage the leaves to allow the chemical to penetrate.

Other than effective application of the weedkiller, digging it out is really the only way to go.

[peapod]

Other than effective application of the weedkiller, digging it out is really the only way to go.

Our Yorkie is right...and I promise you I speak from immense experience
The beds on my plot that my sister had last year are full of it as they didn't dig and remove effectively.  You can really see the difference this year.

[catweazle]

had go at bruseing the stems, i draged a length of heavy chain (the chain skip wagons use to lift the skips) in a loop over the area. half hearted i know but its a 40x20ft area im trying (and failing )to treat.

i might do it all by hand and use a name brand like 'round up' rather than plane Glyphosate.
other than that i see a lot of digging in my future...

Edit: is there a more 'industrial' weed killer that would work, i dont mind the area being out of action for a year or so...

[peapod]

To be honest..if I was you I wouldn't try to treat such a large area now.  Remember this plant is prehistoric but can be taken out with a lot of diligence!

Wouldn't it be easier to dig a set section this year...weedkill and cover the rest until its all finally dealt with?  Its taken me three years but all but the beds I mentioned earlier are very much under control.

[fatbelly]

I have found that hoeing it time and time again does eventually work.
Get that hoe out and attack.

[mumofstig]

Is it me or is it worse this year...perhaps the dry weather suits it?

In my garden border I sometimes pull up the odd piece over the year, but I've pulled more than that already

[catweazle]

To be honest..if I was you I wouldn't try to treat such a large area now

top 40ft or so is dug and ready for planting, there was no marestail on that part.

thanks CW

[Lardman]

All the chemicals that kill it are for licensed professional use only.

Im curious as to how much a professional would charge to spray the land with a suitable weed killer ? Can you even hire a professional to spray ? If its going to spoil your plot it may well be an worth while investment.

Just a though... Thankfully its the one weed I don't seem to have.

[Crumbly Oldy]

Perhaps a good dose of lime under the tarp will also help.  Marestail does not like it up them...........

[alancas]

i got my allotment last may it was covered in the stuff i think you need to dig as much root out as possible even a a small piece will grow again,  i've dug a skip load out and its still coming up.

[Carollan]

I have a lawn now where there was a mares tail patch.Mowing keeps it well under control.Now,if the grass grows very long (ahem,I hate lawn mowing,I would rather be at the allotment ) it is only long grass in the lawn,and mares tail around the edges,where it gets missed.I can only think that it doesn`t like having it`s head chopped off ! Must weaken it if done regularly !

[savbo]

Im curious as to how much a professional would charge to spray the land with a suitable weed killer ? Can you even hire a professional to spray ? If its going to spoil your plot it may well be an worth while investment.

I'm sure some of the small landscape companies would do it if its a big enough job, but what exactly do we think are the weedkillers they can use that the amateur can't?

[mike1987]

I'm sure some of the small landscape companies would do it if its a big enough job, but what exactly do we think are the weedkillers they can use that the amateur can't?

things like glufosinate-ammonium (professional use only) clai  to kill marestail click here but im not too sure how they work or if they are any better than glyphosate or what qualifications you need to  be allowed to apply them

*edit found another one
 round up pro biactive has something in it to break up the silica on the plant leaves

[Yorkie]

That, too, is professional use only.