it keeps coming back

spanish broom is like a hydra

what do you use to get rid of broom?

On 1/16/2021 11:09 AM, paul wrote:
it keeps coming back

spanish broom is like a hydra

what do you use to get rid of broom?

I have never had broom in my garden. However, I have had other
persistent weeds.

Roundup can be your friend. Just wait until the broom is growing
vigorously in the spring.

Mix the Roundup from a concentrate, slightly weak. Full strength might
kill only the top growth without killing the roots. Include a little
liquid soap in the mixture as a wetting agent.

DO NOT SPRAY! Spraying might damage adjacent plants that you want to
keep. Apply from a bucket with a paintbrush. You do not have to cover
each shoot in its entirety, but you should try to apply to at least a
part of each shoot.

--

David E. Ross
http://www.rossde.com/.

The only reason we have so many laws is that not enough people will do
the right thing. (© 1997 by David Ross)

On Sat, 16 Jan 2021 20:09:42 +0100, paul wrote:
what do you use to get rid of broom?

I had this problem first with Morning Glory and then Rose bushes that
went 'wild'.

In the end I turned over the soil every couple of weeks until everything
stopped coming up.

This wasn't a fast process, but where they were planed was not turned
into a hazardous waste site. gl

azigni wrote:

In the end I turned over the soil every couple of weeks until everything
stopped coming up.

they say for scotch & spanish broom not to turn over the soil as the seeds
which last for 30 to 60 years will simply germinate more.

gotta be a better way somehow

David E. Ross wrote:

Include a little
liquid soap in the mixture as a wetting agent.

I read somewhere not to use ionic surfactants.

how would I know if a dish detergent or liquid soap is non ionic?

paul wrote:
azigni wrote:

In the end I turned over the soil every couple of weeks until everything
stopped coming up.

they say for scotch & spanish broom not to turn over the soil as the seeds
which last for 30 to 60 years will simply germinate more.

gotta be a better way somehow

if you are worried about soil disturbance and gemination then
i normally would use the smother and mulch approach as this means
not disturbing the soil or moving the seeds around. several
layers of cardboard with the seams overlapping by 9 inches or so
and then after that is down top it with some other mulch to hold
it in place. this may last a season or more depending upon your
local climate and conditions. it may not be that much work to
scrape the mulch aside and to repeat putting down more cardboard
on top of the old (leave the bits that are not gone as they'll
be worm food eventually) and then put the mulch back. i've yet
to have any plant last more than a few seasons once the top has
been cut back and then treated like this.


songbird

On 1/16/2021 7:30 PM, paul wrote:
David E. Ross wrote:

Include a little
liquid soap in the mixture as a wetting agent.

I read somewhere not to use ionic surfactants.

how would I know if a dish detergent or liquid soap is non ionic?


I really do not know. I know that I use a cheap brand of liquid soap
for any spraying I do, and I always get the desired results.

While I indicated not to spray, I do spray Roundup with a small,
hand-held sprayer on my hill. Yes, my desired ground cover is sometimes
damaged; but new growth eventually replaces the damage. On my paths, I
use the same hand-held sprayer whiile bending low to ensure that only
the weeds are hit. Of course, I only spray when there is NO wind.

--

David E. Ross
http://www.rossde.com/.

The only reason we have so many laws is that not enough people will do
the right thing. (© 1997 by David Ross)

Ditto

On 1/16/2021 8:02 PM, songbird wrote:
paul wrote:
azigni wrote:

In the end I turned over the soil every couple of weeks until everything
stopped coming up.

they say for scotch & spanish broom not to turn over the soil as the seeds
which last for 30 to 60 years will simply germinate more.

gotta be a better way somehow

if you are worried about soil disturbance and gemination then
i normally would use the smother and mulch approach as this means
not disturbing the soil or moving the seeds around. several
layers of cardboard with the seams overlapping by 9 inches or so
and then after that is down top it with some other mulch to hold
it in place. this may last a season or more depending upon your
local climate and conditions. it may not be that much work to
scrape the mulch aside and to repeat putting down more cardboard
on top of the old (leave the bits that are not gone as they'll
be worm food eventually) and then put the mulch back. i've yet
to have any plant last more than a few seasons once the top has
been cut back and then treated like this.

Some commercial agriculture use black plastic film anchored with metal
stakes. The area is irrigated first, and then the film is laid. All
this is done in sunny weather. Sunshine heats the film sufficiently to
cook any seeds and surface roots enough to kill them. However, this
works only for large empty fields, not for home landscapes where the
weeds are growing among desired plants.

The cardboard mulch idea can be used in small areas. However, it will
not eliminate certain seeds that can survive for years in the ground,
such as morning glory.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary

David E. Ross wrote:
....
The cardboard mulch idea can be used in small areas. However, it will
not eliminate certain seeds that can survive for years in the ground,
such as morning glory.

if i'm using an area where the soil will be disturbed
after eliminating a hard to get rid of weed, i have what
is called a stirrup hoe which quickly kills seedlings
before they can get well established again.

if the area isn't disturbed again the 2nd and 3rd year
after this method is used the seeds likely won't sprout
again if the mulch is deep enough, but not all seeds are
the same. it depends a lot upon the plant. morning
glory seeds are a pain in the butt for sure. i no longer
let them grow anywhere on our land if i can see them.


songbird