I did as you advised trillium and composted the leaves and stems and the rest will go to the council. I filled two thirds of a compost bin. Amazing what I found hidden underneath them, bluebells, primroses. Yeah ! Now to plan what I can fill the gaps with.
Oh I take it the alkanet will come back, I took out as much root as I could but it breaks off easily. If I just keep attacking it, will it eventually give up and go away ?
You can paint any new leaves with a glyphosate weedkiller, then leave it to be absorbed into the roots - glyphosate is pretty effective with alkanet and it won't affect any other plants if you paint it on.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Glyphosate? And have you got any idea what this does to wildlife...bees...no thanks, I'd rather live with green alkane. I find that any domineering weed eventually disappears and leaves place to something else...The beauty of Nature
I wish someone would tell my ground elder, bindweed and brambles to pack up and disappear of their own accord, not to mention the Japanese Anemones pushing up the slabs in my front garden
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
My garden is now full of alkanet, it grows in an area where nothing else will. The bees seem to love it so having read the above I am reluctant to treat it with weedkiller, but I am losing the battle. I keep trying to dig it out, but the roots are so deep and if they break off it just seems to keep coming. Help............... Marion
Could you submerge the entire weed in a large bucket/trug of water for a month or two? Then dump it over the compost heap? I assume that would kill off the seeds too? Use the liquid as a plant feed.
I just discovered what the plant was yesterday when I finally decided to find out if it was comfrey. As soon as the flowers go away or we get to late spring when there are lots of other flowers about (for the bees' sake), I'll be snipping the stem to prevent seeds forming and chucking that in the council bin.
I am now also going to PREY upon the plants for their leaves to compost. I read elsewhere that they are rich in nitrogen- similar to comfrey, which makes sense. Like comfrey, the deep tap root can extract nutrients from far down. From now on, the green alkanet will be my compost supply of green leaves- if it wants a place in my garden, let's see if it can afford the cost in leaves.
Hi all, just joined up.. Sorry to drag this two years plus thread up again, I've just discovered what this bloody nuisance is that I have sprouting up all over the place. My Mum had it in her front garden and I have it in mine. Those roots are unreal.. I've not got the bottom of any of them. I'm reluctant to use the recommended weed killer as it is harmful to bees, they have a tough enough time as it is without adding to their woes.
Anyway, I'm going to have another bash at getting rid of some of it today, along with some brambles and buddleia.. Oh happy day..! ?
Posts
I did as you advised trillium and composted the leaves and stems and the rest will go to the council. I filled two thirds of a compost bin. Amazing what I found hidden underneath them, bluebells, primroses. Yeah ! Now to plan what I can fill the gaps with.
Oh I take it the alkanet will come back, I took out as much root as I could but it breaks off easily. If I just keep attacking it, will it eventually give up and go away ?
You can paint any new leaves with a glyphosate weedkiller, then leave it to be absorbed into the roots - glyphosate is pretty effective with alkanet and it won't affect any other plants if you paint it on.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
What is it with anti-Glyphosate fanatics today?
I wish someone would tell my ground elder, bindweed and brambles to pack up and disappear of their own accord, not to mention the Japanese Anemones pushing up the slabs in my front garden
My garden is now full of alkanet, it grows in an area where nothing else will. The bees seem to love it so having read the above I am reluctant to treat it with weedkiller, but I am losing the battle. I keep trying to dig it out, but the roots are so deep and if they break off it just seems to keep coming. Help...............
Marion
Could you submerge the entire weed in a large bucket/trug of water for a month or two? Then dump it over the compost heap? I assume that would kill off the seeds too? Use the liquid as a plant feed.
I just discovered what the plant was yesterday when I finally decided to find out if it was comfrey. As soon as the flowers go away or we get to late spring when there are lots of other flowers about (for the bees' sake), I'll be snipping the stem to prevent seeds forming and chucking that in the council bin.
I am now also going to PREY upon the plants for their leaves to compost. I read elsewhere that they are rich in nitrogen- similar to comfrey, which makes sense. Like comfrey, the deep tap root can extract nutrients from far down. From now on, the green alkanet will be my compost supply of green leaves- if it wants a place in my garden, let's see if it can afford the cost in leaves.
Hi all, just joined up.. Sorry to drag this two years plus thread up again, I've just discovered what this bloody nuisance is that I have sprouting up all over the place. My Mum had it in her front garden and I have it in mine. Those roots are unreal.. I've not got the bottom of any of them. I'm reluctant to use the recommended weed killer as it is harmful to bees, they have a tough enough time as it is without adding to their woes.
Anyway, I'm going to have another bash at getting rid of some of it today, along with some brambles and buddleia.. Oh happy day..! ?