Allotments 4 All

Lovely picture Mc55 - looks like Hell!  Burning is a good idea but whatever you do don't put it anywhere near the compost heap.  I think that's how we spread it all over the garden.

Live & learn. ;)

I really feel for you but it's better than having marestail I can tell you

I compost nettles; they've never survived the process yet.

I compost them or make stinky tea.  But then again Robert, we have been here before.  We compost everything and burn very little and nothing survives the compost process as long as it is left long enough.

I've got my composter going now - but wouldn't contemplate putting my bindweed in there - I've burned the equivalent of a couple of full size waterbutts so far.

Soak it in water for a couple of weeks and make compost tea out of it and then stick it on the compost.  That'll definitely do for it.

Quote from: redclanger on February 03, 2007, 17:39:12
I compost them or make stinky tea.  But then again Robert, we have been here before.  We compost everything and burn very little and nothing survives the compost process as long as it is left long enough.

That's about the size of it. When I started, I was finding a fair few docks and bindweed roots that were still alive; I got them out as best I could (the bindweed grew new roots which were incredibly thin, and went everywhere), but they never seemed to re-establish themselves anyway. I soon stopped worrying, and every year I find less left alive anyway.

here's a pic of couch (I think, going by kenkew's pic), nettle, and the mystery roots side by side for comparison, all to be found in huge quantities on my plot:

and one of my paw, for size:

i think it,s bindweed, ihtink their might be a small and a large leafed one
it looks like the roots my nighbour leaves on the dividing grass path

Now that stuff is a heck of a lot thicker than I first thought from the first pic. If that's couch it's the biggest stuff I've ever seen!

If it was me, I'd have a go at following it and see if you can a leaf or at least something poking out of the ground.
If you can pic that, an ID is easier from the top growth.

I did manage to find a bit that had the beginnings of a leaf at one end, so I took it home and planted it in a pot. will wait to see what sort of triffid emerges and post another pic!

I'm still betting on bindweed.........I found some again on my plot today when I dug up some bulbs to be moved, does the root look white inside when you snap it, its quite fragile? If so, bindweed it is!   ::)

Quote from: norfolklass on February 05, 2007, 13:34:58
here's a pic of couch (I think, going by kenkew's pic), nettle, and the mystery roots side by side for comparison

I think you're spot on with all 3! Bindweed has that knobbly look. The newest roots will be white but older ones can be yellow-ish on the outside.

Quote from: Deb P on February 05, 2007, 16:28:30
I'm still betting on bindweed.........I found some again on my plot today when I dug up some bulbs to be moved, does the root look white inside when you snap it, its quite fragile? If so, bindweed it is!   ::)

Pic, Pic, Pic...............! Comparison.

Quote from: kenkew on February 05, 2007, 16:44:36

Quote from: Deb P on February 05, 2007, 16:28:30
I'm still betting on bindweed.........I found some again on my plot today when I dug up some bulbs to be moved, does the root look white inside when you snap it, its quite fragile? If so, bindweed it is!   ::)

Pic, Pic, Pic...............! Comparison.

I'll take a photo when I go on Wednesday, I'm sure I'll find some more!

That's bindweed. You need to arrange for it to cease to exist.

Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on February 05, 2007, 18:58:37
You need to arrange for it to cease to exist.

;D ;D  ;D

In my very unprofessional opinion, I would say that , at least in my lottie, couch grass roots tends to grow horizontally, while bind weed roots tend to grow vertically. But then again, I could be wrong ???

cj :)

You're right about couch; left to itself, the roots are always pretty shallow. When it gets down deep, it's been dug in accidentally! Bindweed can go deeper than a spade's depth without my assistance.