Very Very difficult weed - any help pls?
 

Hi - I am new to this forum and i am hoping that some of you experts can help me out with this really tricky problem.

We have a weed that grows out from under the block paves on the drive - it is green and looks like little Christmas trees - or like the ends of the branches of the Christmas tree. A sort of brown twig like centre spine with green blades coming of in a herringbone style.

We have tried every make of weedkiller including the 'kills down to the roots' kinds and it keeps coming back.

Can anyone tell us what it is plus if there is a way to get rid of it once and for all - preferably without pulling the drive up :=)

Many thanks

"Teeonethousand" wrote in message
...

Hi - I am new to this forum and i am hoping that some of you experts can
help me out with this really tricky problem.

We have a weed that grows out from under the block paves on the drive -
it is green and looks like little Christmas trees - or like the ends of
the branches of the Christmas tree. A sort of brown twig like centre
spine with green blades coming of in a herringbone style.

We have tried every make of weedkiller including the 'kills down to the
roots' kinds and it keeps coming back.

Can anyone tell us what it is plus if there is a way to get rid of it
once and for all - preferably without pulling the drive up :=)

Many thanks


--
Teeonethousand

Try spraying it with a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water. Wait about a
week and see if it begins to die. If so, spray it again. If not, run.


--
Make it just one gnat to email.

J.C.

"Teeonethousand" wrote in message
...

Hi - I am new to this forum and i am hoping that some of you experts can
help me out with this really tricky problem.

We have a weed that grows out from under the block paves on the drive -
it is green and looks like little Christmas trees - or like the ends of
the branches of the Christmas tree. A sort of brown twig like centre
spine with green blades coming of in a herringbone style.

We have tried every make of weedkiller including the 'kills down to the
roots' kinds and it keeps coming back.

Can anyone tell us what it is plus if there is a way to get rid of it
once and for all - preferably without pulling the drive up :=)


I have a similar weed growing in the cracks of my driveway. I have all but
eliminated it by using the string trimmer on it every week. Each time I zap
it, less comes back. I think I will be able to completely eliminate it this
year without chemicals.

boiling water kills all weeds. I prefer to use it precisely for those
weeds in cracks of pavement, when scraping fails.

The message
from Teeonethousand contains
these words:


Hi - I am new to this forum and i am hoping that some of you experts can
help me out with this really tricky problem.

You are not in a forum. You are posting to an international, but
mostly American newsgroup.

We have a weed that grows out from under the block paves on the drive -
it is green and looks like little Christmas trees - or like the ends of
the branches of the Christmas tree. A sort of brown twig like centre
spine with green blades coming of in a herringbone style.

We have tried every make of weedkiller including the 'kills down to the
roots' kinds and it keeps coming back.

Can anyone tell us what it is plus if there is a way to get rid of it
once and for all - preferably without pulling the drive up :=)

It's called marestail, equisetum. It dates from the dinosaur age,
has black stringy roots 25 ft deep (so digging out is pointless) and is
*seriously* invasive.

Pulling off _every_ stem that appears in spring will help starve it
into submission.

Before poisoning it, you have to thrash the weeds with a stick or
something to thoroughly bruise them. Otherwise, the weedkiller won't
penetrate its hard waxy skin. That's partly why your efforts failed to
make any impression before.

You probably won't eradicate it completely if the huge root system is
alive and well in neighbouring gardens, so this is going to be a
longterm battle, but it's worth the effort to limit the spread and stop
it taking over the whole garden.

Janet.

it sounds really sweet, try selling it on ebay


"Teeonethousand" wrote in message
...

Hi - I am new to this forum and i am hoping that some of you experts can
help me out with this really tricky problem.

We have a weed that grows out from under the block paves on the drive -
it is green and looks like little Christmas trees - or like the ends of
the branches of the Christmas tree. A sort of brown twig like centre
spine with green blades coming of in a herringbone style.

We have tried every make of weedkiller including the 'kills down to the
roots' kinds and it keeps coming back.

Can anyone tell us what it is plus if there is a way to get rid of it
once and for all - preferably without pulling the drive up :=)

Many thanks


--
Teeonethousand

What are you babbling about, Justin Crackpot?

He wants to kill it, not make a salad out of it.

It is best to know exactly what the plant is before trying to use it as a
garnish.


"J.C." wrote in message
m...

"Teeonethousand" wrote in
message
...

Hi - I am new to this forum and i am hoping that some of you experts can
help me out with this really tricky problem.

We have a weed that grows out from under the block paves on the drive -
it is green and looks like little Christmas trees - or like the ends of
the branches of the Christmas tree. A sort of brown twig like centre
spine with green blades coming of in a herringbone style.

We have tried every make of weedkiller including the 'kills down to the
roots' kinds and it keeps coming back.

Can anyone tell us what it is plus if there is a way to get rid of it
once and for all - preferably without pulling the drive up :=)

Many thanks


--
Teeonethousand

Try spraying it with a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water. Wait about a
week and see if it begins to die. If so, spray it again. If not, run.


--
Make it just one gnat to email.

J.C.

Boiling water will ruin the cement too, Einstein.


"simy1" wrote in message
ups.com...
boiling water kills all weeds. I prefer to use it precisely for those
weeds in cracks of pavement, when scraping fails.

Equisetum seems very likely. If so, the usual weed killers will not work
because it is not a flowering plant.


"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from Teeonethousand contains
these words:


Hi - I am new to this forum and i am hoping that some of you experts can
help me out with this really tricky problem.

You are not in a forum. You are posting to an international, but
mostly American newsgroup.

We have a weed that grows out from under the block paves on the drive -
it is green and looks like little Christmas trees - or like the ends of
the branches of the Christmas tree. A sort of brown twig like centre
spine with green blades coming of in a herringbone style.

We have tried every make of weedkiller including the 'kills down to the
roots' kinds and it keeps coming back.

Can anyone tell us what it is plus if there is a way to get rid of it
once and for all - preferably without pulling the drive up :=)

It's called marestail, equisetum. It dates from the dinosaur age,
has black stringy roots 25 ft deep (so digging out is pointless) and is
*seriously* invasive.

Pulling off _every_ stem that appears in spring will help starve it
into submission.

Before poisoning it, you have to thrash the weeds with a stick or
something to thoroughly bruise them. Otherwise, the weedkiller won't
penetrate its hard waxy skin. That's partly why your efforts failed to
make any impression before.

You probably won't eradicate it completely if the huge root system is
alive and well in neighbouring gardens, so this is going to be a
longterm battle, but it's worth the effort to limit the spread and stop
it taking over the whole garden.

Janet.

Good idea. Isn't that what most people do with their weeds nowadays? Make up
some sort of fantastic story and some sucker will buy it for over $100!!!


"Oxymel of Squill" wrote in message
eenews.net...
it sounds really sweet, try selling it on ebay


"Teeonethousand" wrote in
message ...

Hi - I am new to this forum and i am hoping that some of you experts can
help me out with this really tricky problem.

We have a weed that grows out from under the block paves on the drive -
it is green and looks like little Christmas trees - or like the ends of
the branches of the Christmas tree. A sort of brown twig like centre
spine with green blades coming of in a herringbone style.

We have tried every make of weedkiller including the 'kills down to the
roots' kinds and it keeps coming back.

Can anyone tell us what it is plus if there is a way to get rid of it
once and for all - preferably without pulling the drive up :=)

Many thanks


--
Teeonethousand

The message . com
from "simy1" contains these words:

boiling water kills all weeds.

Not this one. Equisetum's roots go 25 feet deep and can regenerate
from any point.

Janet

There you go.

The only thing true about any truism, like most common knowledge, is that it
is usually wrong.

Boiling water is NOT a weed killer.


"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message . com
from "simy1" contains these words:

boiling water kills all weeds.

Not this one. Equisetum's roots go 25 feet deep and can regenerate
from any point.

Janet

Hi - I am new to this forum and i am hoping that some of you experts can
help me out with this really tricky problem.

We have a weed that grows out from under the block paves on the drive -
it is green and looks like little Christmas trees - or like the ends of
the branches of the Christmas tree. A sort of brown twig like centre
spine with green blades coming of in a herringbone style.

This, perhaps?
http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/hrsetail.htm
http://www.hdra.org.uk/organicweeds/...weed.php?id=10
http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0705/equisetum.asp

Janet Baraclough writes in article dated Thu, 14 Jul 2005 16:39:24 +0100:
You are not in a forum. You are posting to an international, but
mostly American newsgroup.

Is there something about this newsgroup that makes it not a forum?

-- spud_demon -at- thundermaker.net
The above may not (yet) represent the opinions of my employer.

Newsgroups and forums are completely different entities.

Do some homework on them, Tater Head, and you will be amazed when you learn
something.

After that, you can take a peek at someone's blog.


"Spud Demon" wrote in message
...
Janet Baraclough writes in article
dated Thu, 14 Jul 2005 16:39:24
+0100:
You are not in a forum. You are posting to an international, but
mostly American newsgroup.

Is there something about this newsgroup that makes it not a forum?

-- spud_demon -at- thundermaker.net
The above may not (yet) represent the opinions of my employer.