Author Topic: mystery roots (Read 13849 times)

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #20 on:** January 30, 2007, 21:23:26 »

I see a couple of roots that look like couch, others that look like bindweed, and fibrous stuff that looks like neither. Whatever it is, you'll soon find out.

telboy · « **Reply #21 on:** January 30, 2007, 21:41:56 »

The hint is in the description!
Yellow (roots) in colour. You see the fibrous roots also.
I'll place my bets on NETTLE!

kenkew · « **Reply #22 on:** January 30, 2007, 21:49:02 »

I'd like to see something like a film canister alongside to get the size right...a ruler?....something like that, maybe a hand?

dandelion · « **Reply #23 on:** January 30, 2007, 21:56:54 »

Quote from: telboy on January 30, 2007, 21:41:56

The hint is in the description!
Yellow (roots) in colour. You see the fibrous roots also.
I'll place my bets on NETTLE!

I hope you're right Telboy! I had nettles too and found them easier to eradicate than couch and bindweed. I can't remember the roots 'snapping' easily like bindweed though.

By the way, IMO the worst weed of ALL is horseradish; roots go down all the way to Australia >:(! I have experience with docks, brambles and dandelions too , and oh forgot creeping buttercups ;D.

Tin Shed · « **Reply #24 on:** January 30, 2007, 22:11:14 »

Looks like bindweed to me. When I first found it on my plot I didn't know what it was and left some bits - what a mistake. But a combination of digging and roundup has got it under control.

ACE · « **Reply #25 on:** January 30, 2007, 22:16:18 »

Mint?

Marymary · « **Reply #26 on:** January 30, 2007, 22:18:21 »

I'm sure you all know a lot more about these things than I do but to me it looks like ground elder - the one thing I am an expert on! If it is pull out as much as you can - I've pulled up buckets full in the last few weeks from my little patch in the garden. Any tiny bit left behind will grow again, it finds it's way round all types of weed suppressant & smothers everything. Apparently some people grow it as you can eat the new shoots.

kenkew · « **Reply #27 on:** January 30, 2007, 22:26:33 »

There's your answer, Norfolklass..........eat it. :P Yummy.

dandelion · « **Reply #28 on:** January 30, 2007, 22:31:45 »

Quote from: Marymary on January 30, 2007, 22:18:21

I'm sure you all know a lot more about these things than I do but to me it looks like ground elder - the one thing I am an expert on!

Ground elder: Ah, finally a weed that doesn't grow on my plot, though there's a jungle of it a few feet away against a wall. Does it prefer shade?

Kea · « **Reply #29 on:** January 31, 2007, 16:44:59 »

Actually whichever weed it is I would get rid of every bit you see because we're all pretty certain it's one of the really nasty ones!

norfolklass · « **Reply #30 on:** January 31, 2007, 16:58:11 »

Quote from: Kea on January 31, 2007, 16:44:59

Actually whichever weed it is I would get rid of every bit you see because we're all pretty certain it's one of the really nasty ones!

yes, that's what I thought!

I have been digging it out of the soil and piling it up on an old tarpaulin – there's a scarily huge pile of it already :o

thanks all, for all your replies. although I've yet to see any bindweed, and am ashamed to say I don't know what couch looks like, I do have quite a lot of ground elder along the boundary fence (mine is the end plot) :'(
I haven't started tackling that yet. have covered it and am 'saving' it for ~~another day~~ a month or seven!

(I thought it would be useful to identify the roots so that I have something specific to focus my venom on ;D)

dandelion · « **Reply #31 on:** January 31, 2007, 17:04:27 »

How about planting a small piece of root in a pot and putting in in a heated propagator? I'm sure it will start to grow in no time at all and the mystery will be solved ;D.

kenkew · « **Reply #32 on:** January 31, 2007, 18:33:44 »

This is a small section of couch....I caught this heading in from next door so it looks quite fresh, but the mass of it in the ground looked very much like yours. Any chance of another pic with something alongside for scale? I use a photo cannister.

louise stella · « **Reply #33 on:** January 31, 2007, 19:40:25 »

That looks like flipping couch to me - i've spent hpurs digging the d**n stuff!

Louise

norfolklass · « **Reply #34 on:** February 01, 2007, 10:27:06 »

ooh, I do have some of that kenkew :( but the majority of what I've been finding is much bigger and knobbly. the couch looks very thin and straight – is it also known as speargrass? one of the old boys said I had some of that... will be down the lottie this weekend with camera, film canister and ruler!

kenkew · « **Reply #35 on:** February 01, 2007, 16:22:13 »

.In the meantime, if you have time. Try searching for info on these weeds.
One of them might be your invader.

Allium Vineale
Alopecurus Pratensis
Andropogon Gerardii
Bromus Inermis
Cyperus Esculentus
Dactylis Glomerata
Elytrigia Repens
Juncus Tenuis
Muhlenbergia Frondosa
Ornithogalum Umbellatum
Panicum Virgatum
Phalaris Arundinacea
Phleum Pratense
Sorghastrum Nutans
Sorghum Halepense
Typha Latifolia
Yucca Glauca

mc55 · « **Reply #36 on:** February 02, 2007, 16:29:04 »

it looks exactly like the bindweed that I'm digging out of my plot ... and its definitely started growing already on my plot

kenkew · « **Reply #37 on:** February 02, 2007, 18:10:17 »

Mc55...Try and get a pic similar to the one shown here for comparison.

redimp · « **Reply #38 on:** February 03, 2007, 13:56:09 »

Quote from: telboy on January 30, 2007, 21:41:56

The hint is in the description!
Yellow (roots) in colour. You see the fibrous roots also.
I'll place my bets on NETTLE!

My first thoughts based on the description - yellow is a clincher in my opinion.

mc55 · « **Reply #39 on:** February 03, 2007, 16:05:35 »

Quote from: kenkew on February 02, 2007, 18:10:17

Mc55...Try and get a pic similar to the one shown here for comparison.

hmm, I burn mine whenever I'm having a big bonfire - its not a great picture, but you can see the long white roots at the front of the fire. I'll try and remember to take another photo next week.

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3449/2027/1600/Allotment-Burning--18-11-06---168.jpg

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Author Topic: mystery roots (Read 13849 times)