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Bittercress type weed spreading rapidly

RubyRossRubyRoss Posts: 124
in Problem solving
This weed is spreading rapidly cross my veg patch. It seems to be a type of hairy bittercress - similar leaf and white flower, but unlike hairy bittercress, it's very difficult to pull out. It forms a mat and I need to slice off the top of the soil. Any ideas how I should try to get rid of it?




Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    A sharp Dutch hoe followed by a good raking over and gathering up and binning ... at regular intervals. 


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





  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307
    And do it before it flowers and sets seeds!
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Could that dark green bigger plant in the  right hand photo be a ladies Smock/ Cuckoo Flower plant, I always leave those. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I think there's a fair bit of chickweed in there ... we get a lot of that around here ... 

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





  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    @Dovefromabove. What about this one, I leave those when weeding.

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Can't really see it clearly enough to ID it.  What I do, if I think something might be worth keeping, is I pot it up and watch it.  

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





  • RubyRossRubyRoss Posts: 124
    Thanks everyone - helpful as always. I'll pot up that dark green one and see what happens and be a bit more diligent with the hoeing.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It does look a bit like Cardamine, but you could always leave that and see what happens.
    I think the rest looks far more like chickweed than bittercress, and the latter is definitely very easy to pull out. It's our most common annual weed here.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    If little weeds are hard to pull up, it suggests to me that the soil might be compacted. Are you doing no-dig? I think I'd get the fork to it, loosen up the top 4 or 6 inches then the weeds would be easier to pull or rake out. There looks to be quite a lot of grass in there too, which can form a mat of roots (think lawn).
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
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