G'Day China & Terry

Thanks heaps for getting back to me with this info. With respect to the
blackberries, I look forward trying out both drilling the stem as well as
cutting the stem and using the glyphosate in a jar method. Would you mind if
I asked a follow-up question? That is, about how much stem length should be
left from the ground? (does this matter?) I have all sizes to choose from

China - thanks for the extra advice on the bindiis (buzzies as they are
known in Tas). From what you say it seems that the resident wallabies would
do a fine job encouraging these plants. They keep the grass too short (like
the greenkeeper) and no doubt bring in more seeds on their fur. But I
wouldn't be without them, otherwise I would be spending too much google
surfing time on the mower ;-)

Regards
Jonesey
Tas


"China" wrote in message
...

--
G'day SJ,

You wrote:

.....thought about using a syringe to inject the stems....

Great theory, but unless you pre-drill the hole you will get nothing
in
to the tissue, just a bent needle (...been there...done that....even had
the
weeds to prove it....). If the stems are large enough, drill them with
the
Black and Decker, then pour/inject a strong mix of the glyco, and top it
up
as it soaks in over the following days. As Terry said, digging them out is
feasible, but you must be vigilant for new growth from missed roots.
Otherwise I would cut them down to ground level and then REGULARLY glyco
the
fresh new shoots.

You wrote:
......what mixture ratio would be if I did that....

The manufacturer would usually recommend full strength, but I'm a
fish, as they say, and have always had success with a 50% solution, (i.e.
glyco is usually 360g/l when you buy it, so half water, half glyco for
this
use).

You wrote:

...."buzzies" are in the lawn and I hoped there was a sort of weed&feed
solution.....

I've never heard them called "buzzies" , but bindii's ( Jo-Jo's?)
I
know! They look like clover?, possible the only green spots in the
lawn?,
the kids and dogs won't go outside?, people are saying things behind your
back when you have them around for a barbie?, sounds like bindiis to me.
The big problem with these types of lawn weeds is that by the time you
feel
them in your feet, you have already left it to late to stop a whole fresh
crop of seeds being set all ready for next year.

You wrote:

.....best success I have had to control this is pulling it out by hand,
but
over an acre or so its too big a job to ever finish...

If you already have quantities of seed set on the lawn and it's too bloody
hot to pull or cut them off, ( beware...pulling weeds up often results in
you bringing to the surface a large quantity of weed seeds that the
insects
have stored away for the future), then I would spray them first, and a
few
days later mow and catch the lawn on a notch lower than usual and compost
/
dispose of the clippings, that WILL be full of seed. With a bit of
practice
you will come to recognise the seedlings, and you must deal with them
REGULARLY. Their main flush of growth occurs in the early spring, and
that's
the time to hit them hardest, but you must follow up REGULARLY. It is a
long
term solution, but I don't know of any others that are realistic. Realise
that most people cut their lawns far to short, (..have a look at your
local
bowling club and consider how many manhours it takes to maintain a lawn
kept
that short (...and for the price of a schooner you can probably get to
talk
to the greenkeeper..)), stressing the grasses, and thus encouraging lawn
weeds. A healthy lawn is the eventual cure, but of course, those critical
guests at you next barbie probably brought in fresh seed on the bottom of
their thongs, (bindii's are good like that).

You wrote:

...I had used a clover & bindi spray but I have never had any success...

I have had success with a ' Chemspray' product called ' BIN-DIE'.
It's a similar price to the rest, safe on most grasses (get some buffalo
runners), and well, it works for me. The 'weed&feed' plan has it's own
vagaries. The theory goes that you spread a dry crystal ( mostly sulphate
of
ammonia ( nitrogen ) with a few additives) over the lawns, wait till it
burns the tops off all the plants, and once you water it in, a few days
later, as the grasses have the most persistent root system, should grow
vigorously and flush. Trouble is, some times it rains to soon (we wish),
some times it is the final straw for a lawn already under stress, some
times
it takes out plants around the edge of the lawn , and it never does
anything
about the seed that is already set.


You wrote:

...from doing a bit of google surfing I was surprised to find that both
"buzzies" and blackberries were in the rose family.....

I knew blackberries were in the rose family, ( after all, like the
old English briar rose, they are over thorny, over vigorous and over
here.... {:-) ), but the bindii's heritage was a surprise, they are a
clover ( and leguminous, I understand ) , but maybe they are all related.
Any way it's too bloody hot to care at the moment, and I am very glad of
this excuse to sit inside and fiddle with the keyboard instead of going
outside and mow the lawns as I was asked to do.

You wrote:

.... know very little about gardening unfortunately...However, from doing
a
bit of goggle surfing....

The heat is my excuse, not yours! So get out there! Less goggle
more gardening! It's always a good way to build up a thirst. {:-)....As
Terry might say, ... ' It works for me! '... And also hit your local
library, gardening books are a great read and inspiration on a hot evening
with a cold one.

China
Wingham
NSW


p.s. I have just re-called something an Architect friend once told me....
'
If you have a problem, make it a feature!'.... have you considered the
marketability of blackberries....{:-).