Weeds from Hell

[green sleeves]

Any advice on getting rid of Mares Tail,
I have tried farm strength Glyoslphate (round up), it has slowed their growth but I can see the new shoots starting to show. At present I am trying to dig them out but it takes a long time as every time I turn the soil I'm getting more roots.
In need of the allotment fairy!

Aiden

[green sleeves]

[supersprout]

arg greensleeves :(
try this:
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,57/topic,555.0
you're not alone! ;)

[DolphinGarden]

yeah, I had it for a few years before I realised what the heck it was. Dug out that small bed and all MT including rambling rose that was annoying me. I put in rhubarb instead. The MT has stayed gone, but just the other week, I was in next door cutting their hedge (as I do every year. I leave it as long as possible as the garden is a waste land) But this time I discovered mares tail WAIST HIGH and it's reappearing in our garden among the base of the hedge and a foot or so out in the grass. I feel like crying. who said the best way to get rid of it is to move. I feel like that now...

[Doris_Pinks]

The house we are trying to buy has masses of the stuff in the front garden, tis my biggest regret about this house! :-\

[OllieC]

Just admire it as a beautiful, and probably the only Jurassic, plant in your possession.

[Robert_Brenchley]

They're older thean the Jurassic; I used to have some fossil ones from the Coal Measures. That's around 350 millioon years back, so it's quite a pedigree.

[sand]

We have mares tail too.  Nearly broke our hearts when we saw the first frond peeping up through the soil of our newly dug veg patch last year, we only moved in last June and bought the house for the huge garden so that we could grow more veg.

I'm so glad we didn't see it before we moved, I'm sure we would have had second thoughts.  But it's been worth it, we've just learned to live with it, dig as much up as possible when we can and pull up the odd frond when we find it among the veggies.  Planting thick does hide it though  ;)

Our worst 'weed' turned up to be an enormous buried greenhouse complete with footings and glass just waiting to be unearthed at every turn of the spade.  Daren't weed without gloves on, could lose a finger at any time.  What some people will do to save a bit of work  >:(

I've loved it all, now I'm panicking about going on holiday next week and leaving it behind, got my garden sitter organised before anything.

sand

[Monika]

With Mare's Tail you can't just spray the weedkiller as it doesn't get into the leaf; apparently you first have to bruise the leaves before applying the weedkiller.

Give it a d**n good thrashing Aiden ;D ;D ;D

[Pigface51]

Just dig them up, but expect VERY long roots....

...on the plus side, the long roots tap the subsoil/bedrock nutrients, so cut up all that are growing and feed your composter!

(Good luck)

[green sleeves]

Thanks for the replys,
looks like I'm not alone on this issue. I'm turning a bit over every day and removeing the roots but it has me feeling a bit Jurassic to say the least.
ah well musent grumble! but it is a bit hot for this time of year.
Aiden

[ipt8]

Dont risk composting it as it may not kill it. Depends how well  your composting works. It will grow from the cut stems.