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Uncle Marvo · 27-07-2007, 08:57 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening

In reply to Emery Davis ) who wrote this in
, I, Marvo, say :

On Thu, 26 Jul 2007 13:34:31 +0100
K wrote:

I understand that dandelions secrete a chemical which inhibits the
growth of other plants and that may partly account for the length of
time it's taken for the grass/other flowers to fill in the patches,
but I'm now inclined to take the assertion about glyphosate becoming
inactive on contact with the soil with a large pinch of sceptical
salt.

I'm immensely sceptical about assertions that various plants secrete
chemicals that inhibit growth of other plants. It's said about a lot
of different trees, and in a lot of cases, absence of growth can
easily be explained by shade, lack of moisture and impoverishment of
the soil.

Hello K,

I agree that allelophathy -- the name for the process in question --
is easily made a scapegoat for poor culture. None the less plant
allelopathy is a very well documented and researched area of botany.
Are you
saying you "don't believe in it?"

It's an interesting one. I planted some garlic mustard in a Big Wooden Tub
last season, along with some other salady stuff.

I think there is definitely some truth in it :-)

Garlic mustard now goes in its own small pots.