[lanky lurcher]

hi,
my strawberry bed is 2yrs old and produces a good crop,however it is totally smothered by the dreaded mare's tail ! 
do i leave till spring to move the strawberry plants? or lift them now whilst i try to dig out the mare's tail roots then replant?
i want to cause as little disturbance to next yrs strawberry crop.

[Aunt Sally]

If I didn't want to dig up all the strawberries and replant them I would pull the mares tail.  Grip it firmly as low down into the soil as you can and very gently pull upwards.  With luck the root will snap quite deep into the ground. 

Do this now and it won't come back till spring (possibly).  Keep on top of the problem in spring and pull it in the same way once a week.  Good luck - If you run out of mare's tail I'll send you some of mine 

[nobby]

you can lefed the strawbs now and keep them in seed trays packed in with compost unteal youv cleaned up the bed then give them a bit of a feed when you plant them back

[horsepooisgood]

I'd go with Aunt Sally for sure, but then I'd be too scared not too

[Aunt Sally]

Very wise HPiG 

[horsepooisgood]

Yes M'am I know

[Goosegirl]

I have a pebble "seashore" bed and it has run rampant through it. I have some in a bed opposite this bed on the other side of my big lawn and it decided to spread to it via the lawn - great! Mowing does not kill it as I'd been led to believe - but all is not lost! Get yourself some Doff Tough Weed Killer and spray it on - now is a good time as their growth is slowing down. It really, really, really doesn't like it. I sprayed my seashore bed in July / early August and it went brown and didn't regrow - oh joy!! I now wait with bated breath for next year and will nobble it again if any does appear.

[Yorkie]

It is likely to be impossible to spray weedkiller in your strawberry bed without drifting some spray onto the strawberries.

[Yabba]

You could make little tents around each strawberry plant :roll:

¥

[DD.]

It is likely to be impossible to spray weedkiller in your strawberry bed without drifting some spray onto the strawberries.

What's with the "likely" bit, Yorkie?

[Yorkie]

 

Well, you know, some people manage very creative tents ...   

Most don't 

[lanky lurcher]

  thanx guys for your suggestions
i think i'll pull up as much of it as possible whilst the soils wet and managable
cheers again