Wealden Times | WT184 | June 2017 | Kitchen & Bathroom supplement inside

Garden
Repeated application of systemic
weedkiller may be needed for
pernicious weeds like nettles
Green alkanet
Some weeds have such deep
roots that they are almost
impossible to dig out. Examples
include bindweed, ground
elder, horsetail, dandelion
and will also improve the soil’s structure – the worms
and microorganisms will cultivate the soil for you.
Burning – there are special gardening blow torches
available that will burn off the top growth, but this
can be a haphazard and laborious task if the weeds
are among other plants, or there are lots of them.
Contact weedkiller – these types of weedkiller act like
a chemical hoe and will kill off the top growth, so are
only effective for annual weeds. Be careful and only use
in very still conditions, so that the spray doesn’t drift
onto your precious plants. Weedkillers can be harmful
to wildlife, especially residual weed treatments that
persist in the soil for up to six months or more.
Perennial weeds set seed and also replicate asexually,
which means that they can re-grow from the tiniest piece
of root that may have been left in the soil. Some, like
couch grass and creeping buttercup send out runners near
the soil’s surface, others have such deep roots that they are
almost impossible to dig out. Examples include bindweed,
ground elder, horsetail, dandelion, dock, couch.
Controlling perennial weeds
Perennial weeds do not seed around quite as quickly as the
annuals, but they make up for this with toughness and tenacity
and are not as easy to dig out as the annuals. The roots of
horsetail, for instance, have been known to grow several
metres down into the ground, so a combination of methods
may be required for some of the more pernicious perennials.
Removal by hand – it is not enough to just hoe off the
top growth of perennial weeds, as they will just grow back.
Digging out the roots of weeds like bindweed, couch grass and
ground elder can seem like an impossible task, but persistence
(sometimes over many years) does eventually pay off.
Weed membrane (or a covering of light excluding black
plastic) pegged down over the infested area will eventually
starve out perennial weeds, but the barrier may have to be
in place for several seasons. Using weed membrane (with a
cosmetic cover of mulch) can be effective in low maintenance
or shrub borders, where plants remain in permanent positions.
Systemic weedkiller – contains glyphosate and is
absorbed by plant leaves and taken down to the roots so
that the whole plant is eventually destroyed. Repeated
application may be needed for pernicious weeds like nettles
and brambles. Use with care (there is some controversy
on the use of glyphosate and the environment/human
health at the moment). Gel applicators can be used to
paint individual leaves where weeds are growing among
cultivated plants and there are specialised herbicides
available for eradicating broad-leaved weeds in lawns.
Monstrous invaders
Japanese knotweed is in a category all of its own, because it
is becoming a huge problem. Introduced by the Victorians as
an ornamental plant, it was found originally on Mount Fuji,
where it is able to withstand the inhospitable environment
of the volcanic slopes. This is partly why it is so invasive
here, as even the worst of garden soil is very welcoming
by comparison. It is almost impossible to eradicate – to
the extent that it has caused problems to homeowners
147 wealdentimes.co.uk