Topic: Weed killer

[grumpaflump]

Hi Everyone...
I am taking delivery of my first ever allotment next Wednesday......it is a lovely plot....but I would like to kill the weeds growing through the fencing on both sides......if I use an everyday killer will it affect my veg, as in the ability to eat it safely.

[squeezyjohn]

You can use a weedkiller and as long as it only touches the weeds then it will only kill the weeds!  But be careful to do it when it isn't windy as even using a watering can a single splash on any of your vegetables will seriously knock it back as it gets absorbed in to the whole plant.  Whether or not it is toxic to the soil or it affects the edibility any other plants grown there afterwards is a moot point - but plants will grow once the weeds have died back.

If the fence lines are shared borders with a neighbouring allotmenter it would be polite to ask if they mind.  I choose to garden organically and get quite angry when my neighbour takes it on themselves to use weedkiller on the fence line and spraying my side of the fence ... in fact it has killed some of my plants near the border in the past and I was not amused.

[grumpaflump]

You can use a weedkiller and as long as it only touches the weeds then it will only kill the weeds!  But be careful to do it when it isn't windy as even using a watering can a single splash on any of your vegetables will seriously knock it back as it gets absorbed in to the whole plant.  Whether or not it is toxic to the soil or it affects the edibility any other plants grown there afterwards is a moot point - but plants will grow once the weeds have died back.

If the fence lines are shared borders with a neighbouring allotmenter it would be polite to ask if they mind.  I choose to garden organically and get quite angry when my neighbour takes it on themselves to use weedkiller on the fence line and spraying my side of the fence ... in fact it has killed some of my plants near the border in the past and I was not amused.

Thank you.....at the minute there is no vegetation in the plot....will speak to neighbours....how's could I kill them organically?

[squeezyjohn]

The organic way to get rid of weeds is by weeding!

[Hector]

Hi there. We are putting a perimeter barrier using multiple layers of cardboard topped with weed suppressing membrane. We are embedding/digging in the edges of the membrane. We tried this two years ago and were pleased with it :)

[Pescador]

It all depends what type of weedkiller you plan to use. Roundup or one containing glyphosate will be absorbed by any green leaf or stem it come into contact with, and go down to the roots and then kill the plant from the roots up.
There are then several soil acting herbicides which will burn the green leaves and then prevent any further germination or growth in the soil that it has touched.
Be sure to know exactly what you are trying to achieve, and which product you are using. If applying through a sprayer, keep the pressure as low as possible and make sure there is now wind.

[ancellsfarmer]

Try to identify the offending herbage.,the more persistant ,ground elder, couch, nettles, marestail Creeping buttercup justify rigorous attention. The various grasses require just cutting before they seed. You cannot reasonably stray across your boundary but often a strip alongside the boundary could usefully be used as a path, and be mowed. If there is bindweed within it, cut along each side, with an edging iron, and mow. selective spot treatment of the persistant weeds with glysophate. Generally you shuld nt need to treat cultivated areas once tamed, unless you fail to cultivate. Organic methods: gas powered flame torches give good (and satisfying!) results, albeit quite expensive to run.
Once planted, the maintenance should be by hoeing or individual lifting with a hand fork. Do not become paranoid about weeds, often they are simply plants (maybe edible) in the "wrong place" Many excellent crops are harvested from plots containing weeds. Its all a matter of priority.

[johhnyco15]

as already said you can use weedkillers i took a new plot  a couple of months ago full of weeds i strimmed it the fork dug it over a couple of weeks one spit across the plot every day removed all roots and now its all planted and i just hoe once a week to deal with small weeds