I noticed today - the dock sprouting everywhere... not too much of a problem where i am digging and getting everything ready for spring BUT... its sprouting where i planted the asparagus and rhubarb. It is impossible to get to the roots of the docks without disturbing what i have planted... so ...
Should I
a) lift eh asparagus and rhubarb crowns, dig and clear the area again and replant?
b) not lift the crowns and just pull the leaves off.
c) sod organic and get the weed killer out
none of the above.
All suggestions welcomed!
we use a daisy grubber where long rooted weeds appear in between stuff, like a long screwdriver with a v at the end, it seems to work :)
Quote from: OliveOil on January 14, 2007, 21:02:08
b) not lift the crowns and just pull the leaves off.
... getting out as much root as possible when you weed. The plant WILL weaken, and with diligence, you WILL win.
Good luck
Derek :)
dock is a sod to get rid of if it achieves any sort of growth. I'd try manicscousers advice first
Ahhh I have one of those tools in my new kit for xmas... wondered what it was... I'll try that. God I hate docks. I'm sure our problem has been worsened by the fact they allotment boss ploughs our spare patches, thus spreading the problem.
Oh well... I'll get my tool out!
If you break a fork you can end up with a two pronged version that is ace for docks and large Dandelions, Brambles etc.... not suggesting you break one deliberately but keep an eye out!!!!
;D
I find that once docks get beyond a certain size, a fork won't shift them. It's one of the few occasions when I deploy the ultimate deterrent, a spade.
I would wait till they have leaves then paint em with glyphosphate (Roundup /tumbleweed etc ) using a small paintbrush ..Making sure they were well soaked..
If my 'tool' doesnt work i think i may get the paint brush and round up out... there are seriously millions of these darn docks dotted all over the plot!
I used to have a real problem with them myself; every time I dug anything there would be a major flush of dock seedlings. Mulching rather than digging solved it in the end, and saved me so much work.
This wet weather has one advantage, anything with long roots pull out easier with the aid of the two pronged fork. I once saw somebody who loosened the soil around a clump of docks, then watered them, after an hour they pulled out easy.
apart from digging them up as my friends have surgested,i would if they are a bunch cover them,with a mulch, or plastic sacks,and then you can remove them with no problem,failing this,then the only course of action would be napalm them