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Clearing weeds rapidly

tangotonybtangotonyb Posts: 3
in Tools and techniques
If rose bushes are pruned back to wood and allowed to seal, would they be unaffected by glyphosphate?

My mother has a number of beds containing old rose bushes that are surrounded by brambles and horsetails and it would be far easier to deal with if we could simply blanket spray the whole area several times.


Posts

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Cut them down and put a plastic bag over each one.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Ordinary glyphosate is not enough on its own to deal with horsetail.  Have a read of this from the RHS - 

    https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=257 

    Brambles are a pest but, unless they've become a thicket, are fairly easy to pull out by hand and with a good garden fork, especially after rain when the soil is softer.  You'll need something stronger than glyphosate for them too and it's the wrong time of year.  It needs to be applied when the foliage is growing strongly, not dying down for the winter.

    Info and advice here - https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=256 
    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)."
    Plato
  • tangotonybtangotonyb Posts: 3
    Thank you. Good advice and links. 
    We were aware about the horsetail issue. I'd suggested using a lawn rake on them to bash and scratch them. 
    Good info on the brambles too. I had to smile though reading the link where it said bramble shoots can grow up to 8ft in length. I chopped a few off that were around 8 metres! 

    I'll tell my mum to try to deal with the rest and next time I'm home ill have a go at digging up the brambles. Bit too physical I think for her! 

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    edited September 2019
    I think the 8' is one year's growth.

    I would suggest using a good strimmer and some loppers to cut down the lot to soil level, being careful round the roses, and remove everything to the bin, not compost.   Then in spring you can do the normal pruning of the roses, removing all dead or damaged stems then pruning the rest down to an outward facing bud.

    Once that is done, cover them with a bin bag and spray with the stronger weedkillers mentioned in the link above then remove the bags and give the roses a feed.   Repeat the bagging and spraying as needed over the next few months.
    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)."
    Plato
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Pulling infestations of brambles out isn't too difficult in itself, but often it's the process of getting to them that's the problem!
    Make sure you have some good arm/hand/body/face protection before you start  ;)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • tangotonybtangotonyb Posts: 3
    Obelixx said:
    I would suggest using a good strimmer and some loppers to cut down the lot to soil level, being careful round the roses, and remove everything to the bin, not compost.   Then in spring you can do the normal pruning of the roses, removing all dead or damaged stems then pruning the rest down to an outward facing bud on the rest.
    OK - I didn't think about the timing of the pruning, but having read up on it, I see that NOW is absolutely NOT the time to do it! Sigh - nothing is ever straightforward - this probably isn't going to work - the main issue being that my mother is old, tends to start things and then leave them for months (so anything requiring constant effort is out of the question), and I'm only going to be there for a couple of weekends between now and spring! Thanks for all the input!
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    How about taking the roses out, and potting them up temporarily, so that you can clear the beds?
    You could then add a few evergreen shrubs and groundcover plants in spring, along with the roses, to make a border that would be more easily maintained. 

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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