Could that be Potentilla reptans, creeping cinquefoil? The leaves with 5 leaflets look quite distinctive... mature plants have a tap root (like dandelion), but those brown things look much more like shrub roots. They'll look alive for some time after the shrubs have been removed, but most shrubs won't regrow from bits of root. What do you think, @nutcutlet?
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Thank you for all your replies. Glad to know the shrub roots will not regrow from bits of roots. How do you get rid of creeping cinquefoil? Will it invade a new topsoil lawn?
Thank you for all your replies. Glad to know the shrub roots will not regrow from bits of roots. How do you get rid of creeping cinquefoil? Will it invade a new topsoil lawn?
The Potentilla will grow from bits of root, you'll need to dig it out
Agree with nut, Potentilla reptans is a very difficult weed to eradicate and digging out the roots is the most effective way. You could wait until next spring when it has plenty of fresh new foliage and spray it with a systemic weedkiller but then you'll need to wait a minimum or 2 more weeks (I'd recommend 5 weeks for this particular weed) for the poison to translocate to the roots and kill them. After that and re-clearing the ground you could safely lay the lawn. Personally, I'd get stuck in now with a garden fork (and mattock, if the ground is hard) and dig those roots out.
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
Thank you all, especially Bob and Nut for your advice. Checking against my photo with the Google pic of potentilla reptans, it matches apart from I have never seen it with yellow flowers before. I will try and take up the roots as much as I can. Not easy for a gardening beginner like myself but I am sure it will be worth it when I have a nice new lawn. Thank you
Dry soil can be very hard to work so I would advise giving the area a good soak. Either use a sprinkler to do a large area or a spray attachment on your hosepipe to do a few square metres at a time depending on your available time and energy levels. Use a fork to dig over the area and pull up every scrap of weed and root you can.
Be careful round the roots of shrubs you wish to keep as you don't want to damage them. Use a hand fork in those areas.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Dry soil can be very hard to work so I would advise giving the area a good soak. Either use a sprinkler to do a large area or a spray attachment on your hosepipe to do a few square metres at a time depending on your available time and energy levels. Use a fork to dig over the area and pull up every scrap of weed and root you can.
Be careful round the roots of shrubs you wish to keep as you don't want to damage them. Use a hand fork in those areas.
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What do you think, @nutcutlet?
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
In the sticks near Peterborough
Thank you
Be careful round the roots of shrubs you wish to keep as you don't want to damage them. Use a hand fork in those areas.