On 13/11/2014 13:28, Bob Hobden wrote:
"Martin" wrote ...

"Bob Hobden" wrote:

"Martin" wrote
You can buy a membrane that is opaque, but water permeable. Using
this it
takes
at least a year to kill the couch grass under the cover. You need to
kill
the
couch grass on a strip of land along the edge of the cover first
otherwise
the
couch grass under the edge of the membrane grows outwards towards the
light.
Use glyphosate while you can, before it is banned. From 1 January
2015 in
the
Netherlands there will be a ban on the use of glyphosate, except for
agriculture. In particular local authorities and private individuals
are
banned
from buying and using it. It was found that glyphosate applied to
roads and
pavements by local authorities was sometimes being washed down the
drains
by
rain before it had time to break down.

That is not a problem with the chemical it's a problem with the use
so why
ban it, just stipulate where/when it can/can't be used by local
authorities
(No hard surfaces for example

That eliminates its main use by local authorities in the Netherlands.
Urban
roads are covered in bricks/pave.

), makes no sense and forces users to resort to
much worse and long lasting chemicals. I bet they haven't considered
what
the alternative is.
Sometimes I despair of those in authority.

The local authority alternative appears to be killing weeds with
steam. Dutch
local authorities have already stopped using glyphosate.

Well I have heard that Japanese Knot weed is edible when cooked!

The young shoots