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Is this a weed?

keljnrkeljnr Posts: 6
in Plants
Hi all, just been in my front garden and spotted a plant I didn't notice last year... Not sure whether it's a weed or not... I've only been in the house a couple a years.

Could any please advise? Very limited knowledge :-)

Posts

  • Loraine3Loraine3 Posts: 579
    Could be Goat Willow, I also think you have sycamore seedlings, on the right on the bottom two pictures.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Yes ... goat willow and sycamore seedlings. You need to get those all out by the root. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • keljnrkeljnr Posts: 6
    Thank you. Will get it out! 
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Those trees are almost impossible to dig out,  they go down for miles!  Even little ones hang on. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Take out as much as you can and keep an eye out for new ones.  Both goat willow and sycamore self seed with gay and generous abandon and become a nightmare if left.  You can just hoe small ones when you learn to recognise the foliage but once they start getting bigger they put down strong roots.
    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
  • keljnrkeljnr Posts: 6
    Thanks for your replies.. will a strong root/weed killer remove it? Or is it a job I'll have to keep on top of? 
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I got rid of a couple by cutting them down but leaving a stump a foot or so above ground level. Every time a leaf sprouted on it, I rubbed it off. Eventually,they were exhausted and gave up. This worked with an overgrown rambling rector too. No real effort involved, just rub the leaves off as you're passing.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • keljnrkeljnr Posts: 6


    Hi all, after much hard graft, I managed to get this out. Honestly felt like I was digging something the size of a car. Couldn't see much else around the root, few extra branching bits that I managed to grab out. Hopefully that'll be enough. Will keep eye on it. Many thanks... Might be some more weed questions coming through :-) 
  • Silver surferSilver surfer Posts: 4,719
    Well done. Good job.
    Next time you want to remove a young tree may I suggest leaving the trunk much longer.....then you have something to wobble, push, pull, lever out the root ball.
    Even tie a rope to it so more than one person can help to pull.
    Perthshire. SCOTLAND .
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