Thank you all for your replies. I think I will have to bite the bullet and use manual labour (without rotating, that was a no go at the onset ) and take my time prioritising sections as I go.
In terms of glyphosphate I'd prefer to go the organic route if I can, as I'd like to grow some veg down the line, so might spot treat once I've dug things over.
It woul dbe better to use glyphosate at the start to get the worst out of the way and then spot treat in future. They clami it becomes inert once it hits the soil so it won't affect furture plants and crops. However, recent research shows it does leach into water ways if people are not careful when using it.
I have recently sprayed a former donkey paddock - 29m x 25m - to get rid of nettles, goosegrass, bindweed and tussocky grass ready for a mini digger to come in and turn it over and level it for us. We'll then be making raised beds for an organic potager with grass paths between and using a rotavator to dig the beds over for spring planting and hoeing in between crops thru the rest of the year.
If time is short or weeds are bad you need to use every weapon available to get a plot prepped and then adopt good husbandry to keep it chemical free with a good natural balance to allow beneficial organisms form microbes to insects, worms and birds to thrive along with your plants..
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)."
My understanding is that glyphosphate is safe, but there are some concerns about the detergent used to make glyphosphate soluble in water. The EU will rule by the end of 2017 apparently and Roundup etc may be withdrawn.
Chances are you're consuming glyphosphate already. I found out some time ago that farmers frequently use glyphosphate on cereal crops to ensure that the grains are all ready for harvest at the same time. It put me right off my porridge, I now buy organic oats.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Would you use pure glyphosphate as opposed to a brand name like roundup?
I used the former on Japanese knotweed before and it did the trick (cutting some of the banboo like stems and filling with the liquid, during flowering season). But I wasn't growing edibles there.
Pete, the irony is that if it's "banned", it'll only be us gardeners who can't use it. There are no plans to stop Farmers and , eg, Highways Agency using it.
I think, and I might well be wrong, it's used by some farmers to desiccate the crops for ease of harvesting.
I mean, how many gardeners would use it on food crops?? None I know of
Buzzy - I loathe everything Monsanto do and stand for so no, I would never by their Roundup or anything else. I only use other products containing glyphosate in extremis for things like this big potager we want to prepare well.
I have a weed gun and a fork and assorted hoes for dealing with other weeds as they appear.
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)."
Hi, I have been following this thread & hope you don't mind me putting in my Twopenneth!
I think you can tell from all the replies there is no really quick fix even if you resort to weedkiller as it may take several applications. Ironically the bramble is less of a problem than the bindweed as others have said it (the bindweed) will re-grow from the tiniest scrap of root. You could try a combined approach on the worst area. Cover with Black mulch sheet now until end April early May the bindweed will have come up but be weakened by lack of light. Uncover for no more than a couple of days then hit it with weedkiller, all these products need green leaves to work into plant. No-one seems to have mentioned a new type based on Pelargoic acid this is an extract of geranium root. It is available from one of the shopping channels under the flower power brand, but is actually a re-branded version made by Nuedorf available from some of the better garden centres. It works very fast on a bright sunny day but does go into the roots as well. This disadvantages are you need quite a lot of it 17-18 mls per litre, and as an acid, when you spray be careful (bit like spaying vinegar if you can imagine what that is like). I have used this as a customer from both sources mentioned but otherwise have no interest in this commercially.
Another method to spot weed if bindweed or Bramble is growing close to a plant you want is to make up some lawn weedkiller in an old jar or bottle set it firmly so it can't spill & stuff the end into the bottle or jar. The weedkiller then translocates down to the roots. Make sure no children or pets can get at it though & dispose of old container carefully after job is done
Black mulch only would take up to 2 years to work. If you dig out, much will re-grow but if you are REALLY PERSISTENT and pull or hoe out regrowth the moment you see it, eventually you will get on top of it. You may be able to tell I have an ongoing battle on my allotment & have used all these methods including Glyphosate (painted on not sprayed) at some time over the past 30+ years.
Posts
Thank you all for your replies. I think I will have to bite the bullet and use manual labour (without rotating, that was a no go at the onset ) and take my time prioritising sections as I go.
In terms of glyphosphate I'd prefer to go the organic route if I can, as I'd like to grow some veg down the line, so might spot treat once I've dug things over.
Any further ideas welcome:)
glyphosate is neutalised on contact with soil and leaves no residue so I'd happily plant veg there.
Other will disagree so you need to do what suits you.
It woul dbe better to use glyphosate at the start to get the worst out of the way and then spot treat in future. They clami it becomes inert once it hits the soil so it won't affect furture plants and crops. However, recent research shows it does leach into water ways if people are not careful when using it.
I have recently sprayed a former donkey paddock - 29m x 25m - to get rid of nettles, goosegrass, bindweed and tussocky grass ready for a mini digger to come in and turn it over and level it for us. We'll then be making raised beds for an organic potager with grass paths between and using a rotavator to dig the beds over for spring planting and hoeing in between crops thru the rest of the year.
If time is short or weeds are bad you need to use every weapon available to get a plot prepped and then adopt good husbandry to keep it chemical free with a good natural balance to allow beneficial organisms form microbes to insects, worms and birds to thrive along with your plants..
My understanding is that glyphosphate is safe, but there are some concerns about the detergent used to make glyphosphate soluble in water. The EU will rule by the end of 2017 apparently and Roundup etc may be withdrawn.
Chances are you're consuming glyphosphate already. I found out some time ago that farmers frequently use glyphosphate on cereal crops to ensure that the grains are all ready for harvest at the same time.
It put me right off my porridge, I now buy organic oats.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Would you use pure glyphosphate as opposed to a brand name like roundup?
I used the former on Japanese knotweed before and it did the trick (cutting some of the banboo like stems and filling with the liquid, during flowering season). But I wasn't growing edibles there.
Pete, the irony is that if it's "banned", it'll only be us gardeners who can't use it. There are no plans to stop Farmers and , eg, Highways Agency using it.
I think, and I might well be wrong, it's used by some farmers to desiccate the crops for ease of harvesting.
I mean, how many gardeners would use it on food crops?? None I know of
Buzzy - I loathe everything Monsanto do and stand for so no, I would never by their Roundup or anything else. I only use other products containing glyphosate in extremis for things like this big potager we want to prepare well.
I have a weed gun and a fork and assorted hoes for dealing with other weeds as they appear.
Hi, I have been following this thread & hope you don't mind me putting in my Twopenneth!
I think you can tell from all the replies there is no really quick fix even if you resort to weedkiller as it may take several applications. Ironically the bramble is less of a problem than the bindweed as others have said it (the bindweed) will re-grow from the tiniest scrap of root. You could try a combined approach on the worst area. Cover with Black mulch sheet now until end April early May the bindweed will have come up but be weakened by lack of light. Uncover for no more than a couple of days then hit it with weedkiller, all these products need green leaves to work into plant. No-one seems to have mentioned a new type based on Pelargoic acid this is an extract of geranium root. It is available from one of the shopping channels under the flower power brand, but is actually a re-branded version made by Nuedorf available from some of the better garden centres. It works very fast on a bright sunny day but does go into the roots as well. This disadvantages are you need quite a lot of it 17-18 mls per litre, and as an acid, when you spray be careful (bit like spaying vinegar if you can imagine what that is like). I have used this as a customer from both sources mentioned but otherwise have no interest in this commercially.
Another method to spot weed if bindweed or Bramble is growing close to a plant you want is to make up some lawn weedkiller in an old jar or bottle set it firmly so it can't spill & stuff the end into the bottle or jar. The weedkiller then translocates down to the roots. Make sure no children or pets can get at it though & dispose of old container carefully after job is done
Black mulch only would take up to 2 years to work. If you dig out, much will re-grow but if you are REALLY PERSISTENT and pull or hoe out regrowth the moment you see it, eventually you will get on top of it. You may be able to tell I have an ongoing battle on my allotment & have used all these methods including Glyphosate (painted on not sprayed) at some time over the past 30+ years.
Good Luck!