Topic: is weedkiller a naughty word?

[queen of the cobs]

Is everyone here organic?

I'm really suffering with weeds on one of my beds - just seems to be covered with everything you can think of and all the hoeing and pulling is just a losing battle. Was thinking of putting weedkiller on the lot and then raking in some growmore, ready to plant out my cucumbers, courgettes, peas, squashes etc in the next couple of weeks.

(On my onions and shallots bed, I've managed to keep it pretty weed-free by just weeding it each time I go down. Plus been putting a horse manure 'tea' down to encourage them.)

How long should I leave between weedkiller and fertiliser, and between fertiliser and planting out?

thanks!

[Eristic]

It's not really up to anyone but yourself to decide whether or not to use weedkiller although I think they are unnecessary. If you have one bed clear I would have thought the other one should respond well to your current treatment. Weeding is an ongoing task and fertile ground will produce fertile weeds.

What sort of weeds are giving you problems? Is it just because the bed is empty and therefore not getting so much attention? I would lightly fork over the bed prior to planting out, removing all weeds in the process. Plant your plants then feed with fertiliser is probably best but varies according to your chosen feed.

[MattD]

Nope, not a naughty word, at least on my plot.

But two weeks is probably not enough time to clear tough perennial weeds using glyphosphate as it takes a while for the weed to take it up and die fully.  The last thing you want is to weedkiller the leaves, chop off the top and then have the roots regrow.

If you use something really nasty (pathclear type stuff ) you might kill them quicker but I wouldn't want to eat anything you'd grown in that bed for a year.

Why not clear 2 foot diameter circles to put the plants in, which is probably the size of hole you'd need to dig anyway for a hungry squash,  and then mulch the other bits with something thick like manure, straw, cardboard etc. which will keep the weeds down and keep the moisture in the soil.

Matt

[cleo]

I feed my soil and use a hoe-but if I want to use weedkiller to help me out I have no problems using it.

[caroline7758]

Or strim it to the ground, cover with black plastic and plants your curgettes and squashes through the plastic- I've done this successfully,but not sure about peas.

[cleo]

I`m going to be slightly controversial here. In these days of worrying about disposal of waste and stuff that does not breakdown is black plastic anymore `friendly` than a weedkiller that breaks down in the soil?

It`s a question I wrestle with.

It`s not that folk use DDT or Agent Orange now is it?-I just am in a quandry-a hoe and a fork seems to be the only answer?

[jennym]

Think you've got a fair point there cleo - and when you've spent the last 7 years finding bits of plastic embedded in the soil, you do get a little embittered.
But how about cardboard? large boxes available from supermarkets, electrical stores etc are very good as a weed suppressant, and they do break down in time. (Ok, I know they should be made from renewable sources etc, but it's a question of degree?)
I know many people that now garden 'organically' but started off with a dose of Roundup first - in some cases, people just would get depressed with the weed problem and give up, so on balance maybe it's not quite so bad.

[davyw1]

I don,t think there is anything wrong in using weed killer providing its not the sodium  chlorate type. Roundup and Weed all are fine they break down on contact with the soil and you can plant after two days of using it and when you think about if your weeds are covering the soil how much actually gets onto the soil if you are using a spray.
I prefer to weed by hand getting my weeding tool under the roots and lifting them out. I have a home made weeder  that works just great allowing you to get right up against your veg i will put a photo on tomorrow. Also when it come to weeding i always prefer hot breezy days as the roots dry out quickly and die

[Columbus]

Hi all  :)

I am concentrating on learning to use my hoe properly and frequently this year but I`m tempted to use Roundup on bindweed which is all over my number one plot. I plan to squirt it inside a short piece of drainpipe held so its surrounding the weed.

Col

[davyw1]

You may find it more effective if you crumple the tips and spray them

[mc55]

You may find it more effective if you crumple the tips and spray them

why is that ?   I find that round up has little effect on my bindweed ...

[davyw1]

Because you are letting the poison into the stems of the plant

[davyw1]

Weedkillers : - A systemic herbicide like Glyphosate is the best option. When it's growing through other plants untangle as much as possible, lay on a plastic sheet or drape it over some pea sticks before treating. After digging up as much as possible, train any regrowth up a cane to allow enough leaf area to develop for treatment. Crushing can help the uptake of the herbicide. One method of application is to use a sponge or a wollen glove placed over a rubber one to soak up the herbicide then clutch the plant as it grows up the support.

[kt.]

But how about cardboard? large boxes available from supermarkets, electrical stores etc are very good as a weed suppressant, and they do break down in time. (Ok, I know they should be made from renewable sources etc, but it's a question of degree?)

Last year I moved plots to inherit the jungle of Britain. Once I chopped down the thick of it, I used round up / deeproot and left it, and dug out roots. The last quarter of my plot didn't seem to have been affected much - so I turned it over then left it covered in black plastic for 5 months, on the winter dig I covered with heavy duty brown cardboard boxes & kept covered for another 5 months. 2 Weeks ago I removed the cardboard and voila....... the roots were still there though not green so I removed them all by hand. This cardboard. First time I used cardboard and my opinion is now that the cardboard theory for me is a load of old cobblers from now on.

[queen of the cobs]

thanks for all the comments and advice - a very friendly forum.  :-*

I think I'll try and get the weeds out with m'hoe. Someone mentioned that perhaps I hadn't been giving it as much attention as the bed that was full, and that's probably true.

Off to the allotment now, taking my lunch with me - gonna be achey tonight!

[SueSteve]

Hi,
We used Glyphosate, the concentrated that you mix up in a watering can.
We used it 4 times over about 10days and now 2 weeks later, all the weeds are yellow and dried up.
This is the only weed killer that we use, it is ok to use around pets and children, and does not harm the soil, it works direct on the weed.
Do be careful though if spraying, if it catches in the wind, you could be spraying your neighbours crop - thats why we use the conc and dilute in a watering can, you have more control on where it goes!
We had Rasberries amongst our weeds, and managed to not get any on them! As we watered close to the ground, below the raspberry leaf height!
Hope this helps,
Sue

[David R]

there's no law against using weedkiller, so its up to you if you want to use it. At the end of the day, its better to use it and get a plot that you can maintain rather than get despondant and give up after a seemingless endless task. Personally I do not use chemicals, so might be regarded as organic, but that was'nt always the case as I have had some hefty "weeds" to sort out.

Its easier to "become" organic than to be organic from the very start. The main thing is to keep gardening, and ENJOYING it. Good luck.

[Jeannine]

My two penneth.

I have never used weed killer but it has been going thriugh ny ming recently.

We rested one of our plots last year due to illness and the weeds took over,John dug and pulled  in the Spring and it seemed to be done but all over now there is grass coming up and I fear we are losing the battle.

 Squash are already planted on it  , they are 4  or 5 feet apart so I am not sure what to do. It is growing faster than we can do it manually now. We are even considering buying a flame gun. We might have to lose the squash patch to deal heavily with the weeds.

I have no experience of weed killers so just don't know which way to go with this.

 XX Jeannine

[janet h 1948]

What is the problem with sodium chlorate please. My daughters gardener is about to use it in her garden. I think it's on the paths. Is that ok.

[Suzanne]

Personally, I don't use any weedkillers because at the end of the day I feed what I grow to my family. On my second allotment where I am only just finishing digging the perennials out I know there is a lot of annual weed seeds left - which at the first bit of rain germinate. I use deep layers of mulch to prevent germination and the hoe regularly. It worked on lottie one - so hopefully will do the same here.

My consolation is prior to 2004 I was spending around £300 a year or more in gym membership to keep fit. My two allotments cost me £20 a year. And I have enough veg to feed myslef, my parents and my sisters family.