WEEDS....how do I get rid of this??

Hi

I'm new on the forum and looking for help and advice.

Sorry to disappoint you gardening experts but not being a gardener myself, I had my 'garden' completely ripped out last year and turned into what was hoped to be 'low maintenance'.

Because the ground suffers from poor drainage, despite having spent almost a grand having land drains put in ten years ago, I cannot have too much in the way of solid paving. So after a membrane was laid, I had plum slate scattered loose with just a small area of cornish stone. This work was done less than twelve months ago at a cost of almost two grand.

However, I recently found some kind of weed coming through.....and it's spreading.

I spent over £20 on various weedkiller which did absolutely nothing. Infact it seemed to be feeding the damn stuff rather than killing it!

I've now found out exactly what the weed is.....mares tail, or horses tail which is spreading like a scene out of the triffids. Reading up about it on Google sent me into a state of manic depression! It seems it's one of the worst weeds around with roots growing down as deep as four feet or more.

I've been told the only weedkiller available which will tackle it is Deep Root, which at £10 to make up just 3 litres is going to prove pretty costly as I reckon I will probably get through a few gallons....never mind litres!

I've searched the internet to try and find a cheaper supplier of Deep Root but there doesn't appear to be any unless any of you folk out there know??

Short of getting a JCB in and scooping this **** out, ultimately I reckon a few tubs of Napalm would be the best solution to total annhilation ......but I doubt thats available at Garden Centre places.

Any hints, tips, ideas etc etc on getting rid of this stuff would be most appreciated plus if anyone knows where I can buy Deep Root cheaper!

:halp::halp::halp:

 

I think that should shift 'em. :yho:

 

In the event that you can't immediately find that nuclear device at the back of the shed, I offer this suggestion courtesy of my elderly (retired head gardener) neighbour. Try something like 'Tumbleweed', which he tells me, you can get as a gel.

Mares tails is a particularly stubborn blighter and in order to get a weedkiller to work on it effectively, you need to cut the stems (which are waxy and thus repel water) and paint something onto the exposed ends - hence the above suggestion of using a gel type substance. As I say, I've never had to use it, but anything which you can 'spot' use, has got to be less expensive than ad-hoc (and hope) watering. You'll probably have to treat it more than once, possibly several times, but should see something happening in about 2 weeks.

Just as a BTW, said neighbour suggests that if you can't actually buy it as a gel, get the concentrated stuff make it up to about 1½ strength then mix it with some wallpaper paste to make your own gel and paint it on with an old paintbrush.

 

If i were to spray this i would be using Tordon 22k, but this i think is only available if you have a pesticides licence, do you know anyone who works for a council gm dept? (we have this stuff on tap). However if not google picloram as Tordon contains 240 g/litre (21.1% w/w) picloram as potassium salt, anything containing this at these levels will do the trick, before we spray an area we will walk all over it kicking and bruising the shoots to break the waxy seal we have found striming it to be less effective.

 

Try this stuff >

http://www.escience.bayercropscience.co.uk/BCSWeb/ES/BCS_UK_GreenWS.nsf/id/UK_Pistol?open&ccm=100030

It works out cheaper in the long run than most of the stuff you can buy over the counter and is very effective. It's used by many local councils and parks departments.

 

No unfortunately I don't, but have recently spotted something/someone who may have access.

A property development taking place in my area on ground which has stood derelict for years is littered with an array of the usual Health 'n Safety signs on the access gate. One sign in particular is interesting. It states that the area is hazzardous due to ongoing work to remove Japanese Knotweed.....and gives the name and phone number of the company contracted to remove it. I'm tempted to contact them and ask if they can supply me with anything.

 

I spent a lot of money getting rid of one problem with the intention of making life easier, only to find it's not just in danger of being ruined, but has created another problem.

Because I didn't know what it was I took some cuttings to a local Garden centre. A guy there took one look at it and said, "bloody hell mate...you haven't got that **** in your garden have you?"

You can imagine how I felt!

 

Fidgetsmum Tumbleweed has been banned, in all forms, for about 10 years.:gnthb:

 

I didn't see any pics ,Bulletguy, but from your description I take it we are talking about Mare's Tails.
Sorry, but there is only one way to be rid of them - move house .
You can never eradicate them - but they can be kept under control with Glyphosphate.
I found the weedkiller worked better if they were wet with soapy water first - helps the weedkiller to bind on.
I'm so sorry for you. If gardening is what you're interested in I think I would nuke them, sell up and move on.
Or just learn to love them.

 

Yeah of little faith!! Our garden has japanese knott weed growing in it when we moved in, the first season we were there we had no idea what it was so left it to its own devices. It had spread throughout our garden and was well established, research suggested it was next to impossible to remove - and expensive, as well as being listed on government 'naughty plants' lists - no soil could be removed from site without it being burnt etc etc ...

Our garden is now clear of this pesky plant, yes it took a while, 4 years, and a fair bit of effort, but it was no where near as dramatic as people who have had me believe! We also have mares tail, and it is next on the hitlist!!

 

Well done Airassisted.
Do let us know how you did it.