I'm about three years into dealing with blue alkanet. There's some good advice above
First, tear off all foliage leaving root, you can use that to create a high potash fertiliser . when it grows back two week later, use a glysophate based weedkiller. I've never ever successfully been able to dig up, or "keep weakening it".
One last point , another weed type I've had to persist with is a really bad self seeder, and that's going to take a few years normally if you have an abundance of them already.....the seeds they set are viable for years, so the strategy you need is different basically for different weeds.
It's a war that you can nearly win, as the years go by and you learn more and weed more, you do win every battle too!
Not sure why so many people are anti weedkiller, it is a tool. No one ever says “would rather not use a rake to rake”
I didn't want to use it as someone said to me once that it gets into the water table below the ground, and affect what you grow in the future... However If i get it directly onto the leaves, i can't see it being a problem?
I'm about three years into dealing with blue alkanet. There's some good advice above
First, tear off all foliage leaving root, you can use that to create a high potash fertiliser . when it grows back two week later, use a glysophate based weedkiller. I've never ever successfully been able to dig up, or "keep weakening it".
One last point , another weed type I've had to persist with is a really bad self seeder, and that's going to take a few years normally if you have an abundance of them already.....the seeds they set are viable for years, so the strategy you need is different basically for different weeds.
It's a war that you can nearly win, as the years go by and you learn more and weed more, you do win every battle too!
Okay, that sounds promising..
I've actually cut it right down to the ground, so it's only about 1/2 an inch tall... will that take a good few weeks/months to grow back to a state where i can put weed killer on the leaves?
Not back to knee height! But enough growth for glyphosate, if you're going to use it.
Ah okay, thank you for your replies! Based on how much there is in the garden, and how deep some went, I think they've been ignored for years by the previous owners, so I may go down the root of weed killer to target it.
It’s a worry that Glyphosate / Round-Up is so prevalent and appears to be the only solution to our thuggish weed problems. I do believe it can cause a lot more harm than we’re being made fully aware of. The recent cases in American where two groundsmen have been diagnosed with terminal Lymphoma after using Glyphosate for their jobs has caused us much concern. A family member has recently been diagnosed with Lymphoma so it won’t be seeing the light of day in our garden. I will just continue to battle the weeds manually.
A lot of these replies sound like an immense effort that's completely unnecessary. Too many people are suckered in by headlines in the papers.
Weedkiller is what you want to kill weeds. It's broken down and inert in soil, doesn't affect the soil balance, insect life or water table. Don't drink pints of it every day and it's not likely to give you cancer! Same as a lot of things.
It’s a worry that Glyphosate / Round-Up is so prevalent and appears to be the only solution to our thuggish weed problems. I do believe it can cause a lot more harm than we’re being made fully aware of. The recent cases in American where two groundsmen have been diagnosed with terminal Lymphoma after using Glyphosate for their jobs has caused us much concern. A family member has recently been diagnosed with Lymphoma so it won’t be seeing the light of day in our garden. I will just continue to battle the weeds manually.
Glyphosate is not the only weedkiller. The fact the poor guys used it daily on an industrial scale should give you a clue to the issue, not sure anyone here is advocating that.
ammonium sulphamate is an alternative, just accidently spill all over the garden on your way to the compost heap....
Thanks for all the replies everyone. I think, based on the location of some of the weeds (being by walls that I can't get under/around), and one being deeper than my shoulder and showing no signs of stopping there, I will probably get the old weed killer out and then keep at and then also keep on top of any other new weeds with a hoe (that I need to purchase)
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First, tear off all foliage leaving root, you can use that to create a high potash fertiliser . when it grows back two week later, use a glysophate based weedkiller. I've never ever successfully been able to dig up, or "keep weakening it".
One last point , another weed type I've had to persist with is a really bad self seeder, and that's going to take a few years normally if you have an abundance of them already.....the seeds they set are viable for years, so the strategy you need is different basically for different weeds.
It's a war that you can nearly win, as the years go by and you learn more and weed more, you do win every battle too!
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/popular-weed-killer-s-alleged-link-cancer-stirs-widespread-concern-n989721
Weedkiller is what you want to kill weeds. It's broken down and inert in soil, doesn't affect the soil balance, insect life or water table. Don't drink pints of it every day and it's not likely to give you cancer! Same as a lot of things.
The scaremongering is ridiculous.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/business/world/112392487/roundup-ingredient-glyphosate-not-likely-to-be-carcinogenic-says-us-epa-despite-court-cases?fbclid=IwAR2s7RGDkmQflYF3I7z2WJOOY69m0o_LBiuh7pFCvqab-18BOXFNL1xPn60
ammonium sulphamate is an alternative, just accidently spill all over the garden on your way to the compost heap....