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Produce => Pests & Diseases => Topic started by: cassava on May 02, 2005, 12:58:20

Title: Hot water as weedkiller
Post by: cassava on May 02, 2005, 12:58:20
New allotment, weed infested! Mostly willowherb and bindweed and I'm hostile to using weedkiller and 6 months is a long time to cover it all up with sheeting. Does pouring boiling water over weeds REALLY work? another website said yes.

Otherwise, do I need to grub up the willowherb roots like I do the bindweed?
Title: Re: Hot water as weedkiller
Post by: return of the mac on May 02, 2005, 13:16:38
Ive heard vinegar being suggested here- ill try your method too though. I reckon its time to post a query on what everyone else uses though.
Title: Re: Hot water as weedkiller
Post by: gavin on May 02, 2005, 21:04:07
Hi Cassava - and welcome! :)

Willowherb is pretty easy simply to pull up; there will be a reservoir of seeds in your soil - but a seed can only grow once!  Pull 'em up!

Bindweed - not so easy.  My bindweed comes from next door plot - covered with carpet for a couple of years :(.

I don't have a huge infestation yet, so I've been able, I think, to remove a lot of the roots - and I'm patrolling to remove every single shoot that appears!  I intend to outlast it :)

Good luck - Gavin
Title: Re: Hot water as weedkiller
Post by: Merlins Mum on May 02, 2005, 21:19:48
Welcome to the site cassava.

I try never to use weed killer, and never ever where I grow things we'll eat.  I just keep digging them up.  You can't always get all the root but next time it tries to grow I dig it up again.  Battle of wills  ;D

MM

ps - I tried vinegar but my oh pulled the weed up before I had a chance to see if it worked or not!
Title: Re: Hot water as weedkiller
Post by: lorna on May 05, 2005, 20:17:36
Like Merlins Mum I just keep digging them up and find if I use the hoe they dont have chance to grow. I know that is difficult where the plants are close together. I have found that the weeds between paving slabs out front of bungalow are the most difficult so I just keep strimming them.  Oh and welcome to the board. Lorna.
Title: Re: Hot water as weedkiller
Post by: lorna on May 05, 2005, 20:18:59
Like Merlins Mum I just keep digging them up and find if I use the hoe they dont have chance to grow. I know that is difficult where the plants are close together. I fhave found that the weeds between paving slabs out front of bungalow are the most difficult so I just keep strimming them.  Oh and welcome to the board. Lorna.