Weed problems

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bobbyt

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Weed problems
« on: August 01, 2021, 12:18 »
I have a bee friendly patch about 3x1 metre down my allotment, used to be really nice with wild flowers and different bulb flowers etc, the problem is, it has been taken over by bindweed? (is that the ivy type thing that spreads up everything?), and ox eye daisies, and various non flowering plants/weeds. Used to get borage which the bees loved, but there is also couch? grass around too. What is the best thing I can do with it over Autumn/Winter? I thought about digging it over, removing what I could, and then covering, or should I use weed killer after removing the bulbs and then cover. Any suggestions how I can regenerate this and keep it going year on year without getting too weed ridden? I thought about using a wild flower seed mat which you can buy, to start from scratch once cleared. Thanks.

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Goosegirl

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Re: Weed problems
« Reply #1 on: August 04, 2021, 14:11 »
If you only had a bit of weeds in different spots you wanted to get rid of I'd suggest cutting the top and bottom off a plastic milk container, putting it over the weed, secure it with a stick, then spray with weed killer; however I think you may have to spray the whole lot off, leave it to re-grow then spray again. Others on here may have more advice as to what to do next.
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Omega

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Re: Weed problems
« Reply #2 on: August 04, 2021, 16:06 »
With bind weed people talk about putting a bamboo cane in the ground and training the bind weed up the pole. You can then spray it without spraying the stuff on the ground. It may take more than one spraying to eliminate it as bind weed roots are difficult to kill off this way. Digging them out is the best way.

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bobbyt

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Re: Weed problems
« Reply #3 on: August 04, 2021, 16:18 »
Thanks for the replies, I think I'll remove all the bulbs, dig out what I can and cover it in Autumn, maybe spray the roots as I go, see what happens.

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rowlandwells

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Re: Weed problems
« Reply #4 on: August 04, 2021, 17:09 »
i personally don't faff about digging weeds like bindweed docks couch grass and no plastic sheeting we use roundup and its done the trick for those listed and yes we still get annual weeds that we can deal  once you spray with roundup as its a systemic weedkiller it kills the weeds down to the roots and we found after spraying its really cleaned the ground and maid cultivation better without those troublesome weeds

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bobbyt

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Re: Weed problems
« Reply #5 on: August 05, 2021, 15:14 »
Thanks rowlandwells, I'll give that a go

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rowlandwells

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Re: Weed problems
« Reply #6 on: August 05, 2021, 17:07 »
Hi bobbyt i forgot to mention if you intend to spray with Roundup try to get the Roundup concentrate that you mix yourself as I don't personally rate the ready mixed Roundup and then you will have some in hand should you need to spray other weeds just a thought good luck with the spraying RW

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bobbyt

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Re: Weed problems
« Reply #7 on: August 05, 2021, 17:39 »
Thanks, I'll use that.

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Potterer

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Re: Weed problems
« Reply #8 on: August 06, 2021, 07:31 »
This may not be the most popular response but I do wonder if using roundup/herbicide isn’t actually working against your aims in growing wildflowers? Garden organic are very against the use of it because of the effects on humans, the soil (worms/microbes) and water courses. I don’t know that it’s toxic to bees especially but it’s certainly not very wild creature friendly….

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rowlandwells

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Re: Weed problems
« Reply #9 on: August 06, 2021, 08:43 »
as always we all try to assist anyone on this site all be it if there anti- spray or not its as your preference  poterer but like most gardeners who are mindful of nature but at the same time growing or trying to grow good wholesome and fresh veg so sometimes we use methods that we believe are safe for wild life  for  most who are growing  a veg patch and not a wild flower garden and unfortunately some people who take on allotments tend to use it as a wild flower meadow and that's not what it was originally intended for allotments where and still are to my mind for the pleasure of growing and eating fresh veg

and yes we do have part of our allotments set aside for growing some cut flowers that do attract bees for pollination but i hold my hands up i use some chemicals where its needed that incudes Roundup and others but i have also turned to some organic sprays where possible

so basically as i said its all down to ones preference to use or not to use that's your opinion that i totally respect but its not necessary my opinion because as I've said many times we grow to get results and enjoy the fruits of our labour whatever that takes to achieve


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snowdrops

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Re: Weed problems
« Reply #10 on: August 06, 2021, 09:39 »
Personally as I don’t use chemicals I would either strip the lot down or use shears, cover with brown cardboard & mulch & leave over the winter. Your bulbs will come back & any weeds that make it through next year can be trowelled out, bindweed too if your vigilant can be eliminated this way. If you’re wanting to keep that area as a wildflower area use a mulch that’s as low in nutrients as you can perhaps even mixing in some sand as I’m sure you know wildflowers grow in poor soil.
I agree with Potterer, if you’re wanting wildflowers to help the pollinators etc on your plot it seems counterintuitive to then spray with chemicals. And yes I agree with you Rowlandwells that allotments are for the production of vegetables but for us to get the said vegetables we need flowers & their pollinators to get them.
I know lots of you think I harp on about no dig, but I really have found I get very few weeds by using this method which frees up the time I have available to keep a closer eye on things the majority of the time & this is when I trowel out the troublesome things
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bobbyt

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Re: Weed problems
« Reply #11 on: August 06, 2021, 10:59 »
I do happen to have a glut of brown cardboard, so I might try that and mulch, horse manure on to of cardboard? Would that be the way to go? Your right iit seems more natural if I am to grow insect friendly plants there. Hopefully it will kill the bindweed off too. If not I'll try to persevere and dig it out.

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rowlandwells

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Re: Weed problems
« Reply #12 on: August 06, 2021, 19:00 »
I don't mess about with cardboard or plastic its a waste of time for me i need to get results so Roundup or chemicals are 4 me and there's plenty of wild 'flowers in the field next to our allotment :D how many of the old gardeners and veg growers put aside an area for wild flowers  :D

and good luck with the trowelled method to get rid of your bindweed my method has seen no resurrection of bindweed with absolutely no effect on the soil but i wish it would get rid of those damn slugs and snails but I'm working on that one  :D

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snowdrops

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Re: Weed problems
« Reply #13 on: August 08, 2021, 08:35 »
I do happen to have a glut of brown cardboard, so I might try that and mulch, horse manure on to of cardboard? Would that be the way to go? Your right iit seems more natural if I am to grow insect friendly plants there. Hopefully it will kill the bindweed off too. If not I'll try to persevere and dig it out.

Only issue with using manure (well rotted) is that wild flowers like poor soil so you might be better with something with less oomph in it  :D

Rowlandwells with the cardboard (for covering weeds/grass) then a thick well rotted mulch you can plant straight into it. There’s more than one way to skin a rabbit though :nowink:

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rowlandwells

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Re: Weed problems
« Reply #14 on: August 08, 2021, 19:52 »
every  to there own A snowdrops  :lol:



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