What`s this weed?!

Discussion in 'Identification Area' started by Krista, Apr 12, 2016.

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  1. Krista

    Krista Apprentice Gardener

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    DSC_0079.JPG When it`s more mature it`s about 12-18" high & has tiny white flowers.It`s becoming a real pest.Just one `chip`of that white root and it grows!And they strike deep so it`s hard to remove it all too.
     
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    • Silver surfer

      Silver surfer PLANTAHOLIC

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      Welcome to the forums Krista!

      Looks like Circaea lutetiana..common name Enchanters nightshade.

      https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Circaea+lutetiana;&rlz=1C1GNAM_en-GBGB687GB687&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwik78jeiIrMAhUGMBoKHcuIB6sQ_AUIBygB&biw=1920&bih=967

      Even a tiny bit of that pesky white root seems to regrow.

      http://www.downgardenservices.org.uk/enchanter.htm

      I made the mistake of thinking I could control it by hand weeding.WRONG!

      Do resort to Roundup to stop it before it forms huge patches.
       
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      • Krista

        Krista Apprentice Gardener

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        Thankyou! I`ll check out that link(when I have more time-grandkids here now) to see if it is that and be back if it`s not.Sorry I don`t use Roundup and neither should you be using it.If you don`t already understand the bee situation please Google it-Roundup(maybe in conjunction with all the other chemicals we use?) DOES effect them. We need Bees more than we need a perfect weed-free garden.Even if you are not an organic gardener(& I`m not entirely)you prob`ly see bees and bugs are sometimes helpful and I`m sure there are other chemicals that can be used more safely.But I appreciate your suggestion/help. :-) Other solutions appreciated....Krista
         
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        • JWK

          JWK Gardener Staff Member

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          If you want an organic solution then dig out as much as possible then cover with a weed membrane for a year.
           
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            Last edited: Apr 13, 2016
          • Krista

            Krista Apprentice Gardener

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            You're right I was not trying to be rude JWK. I started out with a thank you and ended saying I appreciated his help, sorry - I didn't think I was being rude. If you think I was either rude or a bit patronizing, Silver Surfer then I apologize..... Krista
             
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            • shiney

              shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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              @Krista welcome to GC. :dbgrtmb:

              It's always awkward to get ideas across on forums without making a possible faux pas. The use of the smilies helps a lot. :blue thumb: :)

              Most of us on here are aware of the danger to bees and other beneficial insects and do as much as we can to provide habitats for wild life. Some of us have even been awarded a plaque to commend us for providing a wildlife friendly garden. :biggrin:

              Although I haven't used any chemicals on the garden for the last 43 years I'm about to use some now! :sad: I'm going to use Roundup in a gel form on a few plants that I'm unable to remove any other way (can't be dug out because of the position and I physically can't do the work necessary to do it the only other way :old: :heehee:).

              We hope you will be a regular contributor to the forum (we just call it GC) and get to know us. :grphg: We're a friendly crowd with a number of nutters amongst us. :snork: Of course, I'm not one of the latter :whistle:
               
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              • JWK

                JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                Thanks for replying Krista, I think I was also a bit rude so I deleted my reply.

                Welcome to the forum by the way :)
                 
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                • Silver surfer

                  Silver surfer PLANTAHOLIC

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                  To clarify...no one hates using chemicals more than me.
                  I love all wildlife.
                  We had several bee hives... kept in our garden by a friend.
                  We put up 50 bird boxes.
                  Had huge compost heaps ...for smooth snakes.
                  Had bats that roosted .
                  Leaf piles were left for hedgehogs.
                  We had a wild life pond which the local frogs loved to lay their eggs in. We did not need to use slug pellets with so many frogs in the garden.
                  We mulched everything to save having to water.
                  Left piles of wood to rot down for beetles etc etc.
                  We planted many 100's of winter and early spring flowering shrubs and perennials ..(eg. Hellebores, Pulmonaria, Daphne, Rhododendron, Corylopsis, winter flowering Lonicera, spring bulbs etc ) to help the bumble bees. ..as well as flowers that suited honey bees in the summer.etc etc

                  I spent 25 years on hands and knees hand weeding this blinking enchanters nightshade.
                  I lost the battle.
                  It just spread and kept spreading.

                  At the start we slowly cleared a huge woodland area of brambles, creeping ivy and weeds by hand. Just using secateurs and a mattock. No chemicals what so ever. It look years.

                  With hindsight I wish I had just used Roundup ...but only on the Enchanters nightshade.

                  In other areas of the garden we collected friends/neighbours old carpet and laid it over new weed areas. Left for a year it worked well.
                  Later the carpet was lift and the bare ground immediately mulched with composted bark.
                  Then planted it up.

                  35 years later we had tamed a huge wilderness.
                  But it took 2 of us working almost full time to get it as far as we did.
                  Maybe for wildlife it would have been better left as a wilderness.

                  For what it is worth I gave you my advise.
                  Whether you take it or not is entirely up to you!

                  P.S. Just remembered ....about 35 years ago we did use Roundup on bracken and a small patch of japanese knot weed..but then we were told it was completely safe to use.
                  Today I would still use it on these 2 menaces.
                  Bracken can cause cancer and Japanese knot weed in the garden means you will have trouble selling, as buyer won't be able to get a mortgage.
                   
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                    Last edited: Apr 13, 2016
                  • Krista

                    Krista Apprentice Gardener

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                    Thankyou all for your welcome.I may become a regular; your welcome helps :-) Once I get to know the group better I will realise what you all know and make less `boo-boos`.
                    I`m 65,recently retired and have gardened all my life but I`ve also brought up a family-which reduces the time spent on gardening and learning about plants.Besides in all my years I`ve never seen this one and internet searches on plant ID aren`t very successful if you`ve no name.I`ve now had time to look at the link and I`m sure you are right about what it is. It only arrived in my garden about 2-3 years ago and was confined to a few roots in my strawberry patch til now.Now its in my raspberry beds too(transferred by my own compost?) where it has more room to spread out between the taller bushes. :-/ The raspberries are where I get the most Bees so there is no way I`m using Roundup. I`ll dig deeper for the roots now I know about it and look for an alternative if that`s that`s not successful enough.
                    I have bats but,alas,of late no hogs are to be seen. Lots of foxes tho`-which I don`t mind.They leave my cats alone so I`m just happy to have the wild life.....Krista
                    ps-nutters?-oh!-maybe I should have adopted my h2g2 `handle` of Granny Weatherwax then.
                     
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                    • ARMANDII

                      ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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                      I'm pretty sure that Silver Surfer would not have taken offence.......SS is too experienced for that!!:love30::snorky: As for using any chemicals in a garden or allotment there are mixed views on that within GC, but that's how it should be, as if we all had the same views it would be very boring and uninformative.:doh: I don't use any pesticides or fungicides in my garden after noticing, in the early days, just how it affected the beneficial wild life but it is a personal choice and some gardeners use them as they have no real choice.:dunno::coffee::snorky:
                       
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                      • Krista

                        Krista Apprentice Gardener

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                        TY for ur reassurance Armandii :doggieshmooze:
                        I have found the smileys and the rating buttons now Shiney.:yay: And am dying to use a few of the madder ones.:yahoo:
                        Any further suggestions/ideas :ideaIPB:received with pleasure ...Krista :smile:
                         
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                        • WeeTam

                          WeeTam Total Gardener

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                          I dont use chemicals as i let the ground elder strangle the life out of any other weeds in my garden.
                           
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                          • shiney

                            shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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                            If you can't beat 'em, join 'em! Ground elder makes a very nice soup. :dbgrtmb:
                             
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                            • Sian in Belgium

                              Sian in Belgium Total Gardener

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                              ....and it can be steamed lightly, and served with butter, when young, like spinach.
                               
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                              • shiney

                                shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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                                No good for me now! I'm old :old: :heehee:
                                 
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