[dig 4 victory]

Hi

newby here

finding it hard to make time for my allotment, had it since 'summer' and with other activities, weather, flu etc still digging up brambles (so long!) to prep for next year

what I want is to be able to cover it up for the winter & return early next year & start planting etc to enjoy the 'fruits' of my labours as & when

thinking seriously about Grazon 90-supposed to be v effective, any thoughts about efficacy, and short/longer-term effects on the soil & veggies which will grow?

phew...

thanks in advance...  

[Aidy]

Hi and welcome to the forum, dont know much about this as I try to keep chemicals to a min. here is a link that may explain one or two things.....
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/nr/fid/pubsweb/piclo.pdf

[WG.]

Not something I'd use personally but www.dowagro.com says : "An emulsifiable concentrate containing 240 g/litre triclopyr as acid and butoxy ethyl ester (21.8% w/w) and 60 g/litre (5.5% w/w) clopyralid.

A foliar acting herbicide for the control of perennial broad-leaved weeds including NETTLES, DOCKS, THISTLES, BRAMBLES, BROOM and GORSE in ESTABLISHED GRASSLAND.

If you have any enquiries concerning Dow AgroSciences products, please contact our Technical Hotline on 0800 689 8899 or E-mail"

Check whether a licence is required to apply

Since it is foliar acting, I'd imagine that it should be used during the growing season and not at this time of year.

[Martin]

I bought some grazon-90 a couple of years ago to spray out a great swathe of docks in my 1 acre paddock (orchard-to be!). It has been very effective and I had very few docks this summer (although I did go over it as a spot killer in the spring).

I bought it from the local agricultural supplies company and I had to sign a declaration that I was a smallholder. Well I reckon I am anyway, although there is presumably a legal definition somewhere!

You do need to be very careful when using it. I bought a back mounted sprayer that I use only for that, and full face and body protection. Can get very hot if you are spraying on a sunny day!

I'd be very wary about composting anything that comes from the area you sprayed.

[WG.]

What time of year can you apply please Martin?

[Martin]

What time of year can you apply

I applied it in spring, when the docks were starting to grow. I'll check the instruction sheet tomorrow and let you know what it says (its out in the garage  and its raining now!)

UPDATE: the users' guide is online at the web address you gave. See here.
See page 2 for optimum timing of application: docks in spring, nettle up to mid-June, bramble, broom and gorse June-August and thistle when actively growing.

[John]

ammonium sulphanmate applied early spring would be effective and is organically approved for clearing brushwood.  Being a very simple chemical it is safer (in my opinion) than complex chemicals and after 6-8 weeks has turned into sulphate of ammonia.
Worst thing is you can't re-plant for that period and it may slightly acidify the soil as would an application of sulphate of ammonia.
It is more expensive than the popular? complex chemicals but I'd feel happier growing on the soil after and it is very effective.

[dig 4 victory]

many thanks for taking time to reply & provide advice

I did buy some ****killer from the allotment shop but it transpired it the ground wasn't to be used for vegetation...

the search continues, John's tip looks good, ideally I would like to put something down before the end of the year

cheers

[WG.]

ideally I would like to put something down before the end of the year

a waste of time and money IMHO  

[John]

Yes, wait for early spring now as the weeds need to be growing to absorb any weedkiller.

[ditchdigger]

, ideally I would like to put something down before the end of the year cheers

 you dont need weedkiller. you've got all winter to freeze your wotsits off while digging them all out

[gobs]

, ideally I would like to put something down before the end of the year cheers

 you dont need weedkiller. you've got all winter to freeze your wotsits off while digging them all out

wot a sensible man

[dig 4 victory]

so if I dig up the top surface-weeds/grass etc, then cover up with bona fide black sheeting, will this kill :twisted:  the brambles off over the winter?

my uneducated guess is no-and this is my goal, to prepare for next year when I can work with cleared ground & start to sow

I know I'm trying to avoid the backbreaking digging...

thanks in the meantime

[John]

so if I dig up the top surface-weeds/grass etc, then cover up with bona fide black sheeting, will this kill :twisted:  the brambles off over the winter?

my uneducated guess is no-and this is my goal, to prepare for next year when I can work with cleared ground & start to sow

I know I'm trying to avoid the backbreaking digging...

thanks in the meantime

No, the problem is your brambles are dormant now so covering them up will just keep them warmer until they burst back into life.  If I was you, I'd do some digging as you get chance and agent orange what you don't get round to by the spring.

Allotments are like Rome, not built in a day.

[gobs]

so if I dig up the top surface-weeds/grass etc, then cover up with bona fide black sheeting, will this kill :twisted:  the brambles off over the winter?

my uneducated guess is no-and this is my goal, to prepare for next year when I can work with cleared ground & start to sow

I know I'm trying to avoid the backbreaking digging...

thanks in the meantime

No, the problem is your brambles are dormant now so covering them up will just keep them warmer until they burst back into life.  If I was you, I'd do some digging as you get chance and agent orange what you don't get round to by the spring.

Allotments are like Rome, not built in a day.

That's another wise man.

Won't do your brambles in, but a lot of other weeds will die back under it.