Topic: hymalayan balsam

[weedgrower]

what a pain, beautiful colours but what a pain. i cleared all the balsam of my plot last year but this year a load has grown behind my plot. although it wasn't my responsibility i cut it all down or else it would have gone to seed and the seeds would have blown all over my plot. i then carried on further and cleared an old compost heap that was full of balsam, about 10 feet high. if we don't get rid of it it will keep on spreading. my point is that if we all do a bit then all the jobs get done
                                                                          weedgrower

[Robert_Brenchley]

The good news is that the seeds only last for a year or two in the ground. It's a shallow-rooted annual which is easily pulled out; this is a better bet than cutting as otherwise they'll regrow and still manage to flower. It was all over my plot a few years ago, but once I cottoned on I soon got rid of it. Just be ruthless and pull every plant you see,  as soon as you spot it.

[weedgrower]

cheers robert

[Kepouros]

And if you chop the thicker stems up a bit, or crush them, it does wonders for your compost heap.

[Robert_Brenchley]

That's where mine all went.