In article ,
stuart noble writes:
|
| Thanks, Nick. That's a policy that's always worked for me but, like most
| things in the garden, it isn't a quick fix.
| The fashion now seems to be to let everything get out of hand, then call
| Groundforce for a makeover.

As my children frequently pointed out, I have never really adapted
to the invention of metalworking and am the sort of person who points
out the advantages of flint-knapping :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 17/5/08 08:33, in article , "stuart
noble" wrote:

Sacha wrote:
snip

Well, this is interesting BUT the OP wants to know how to be rid of it. I
don't think he's over concerned about its botanical name! So - how would
you get rid of it?


It does help to know exactly what it is you're trying to get rid of
though, so I'm grateful for the discussion :-)

I know what you mean but my crystal ball told me this was going to go off
into of those obscure urg discussions before returning about a month later
to the original point! But if you're going to glyphosate it or keep mowing
it, whatever-it-is will be an ex-plant. Just ask the lady whose husband
strimmed one of her young Lavateras to death!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

In article , VivienB writes:
| On 16 May 2008 09:41:56 GMT, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:
|
| You probably mean comfrey or alkanet. In my experience, alkanet
| doesn't regrow from from far below ground, so digging it out to
| 4-6" down is successful.
|
| I have had it regrow, having dug much deeper than that.

Are you SURE it came from the deep roots? I thought it happened to
me, so I checked (more than once). No - I had missed (or buried) a
piece of near-surface root fairly close to the surface in every case.

| It so happens someone asked Helen Yemm about this, her response is at:
| http://tinyurl.com/3twmqo

That doesn't make it right. I am pretty sure that she, like most
other people who say the same thing, have failed to dig out alkanet,
and have assumed that it regrew drom deep roots - without checking.

Also, she is 'encouraged' to recommend the products sold by the
newspaper's advertisers. The companies complain to the proprietors
if they feel that such writers are pushing alternative solutions
too hard, and the Daily Telegraph does not have a wonderful reputation
in that respect, even by the standards of UK newspapers.

Alkanet is fairly resistant to glyphosate, incidentally. I have
tried that a few times, and find digging much more effective.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Also, she is 'encouraged' to recommend the products sold by the
newspaper's advertisers. The companies complain to the proprietors
if they feel that such writers are pushing alternative solutions
too hard, and the Daily Telegraph does not have a wonderful reputation
in that respect, even by the standards of UK newspapers.

Hmm, referring to brand names rather than generic terms does make you
wonder.
As someone said on here recently, the Bayer (hardly novices in the
chemical business) version is on sale in the Pound Shop.

In message , Sacha
writes

Looks like a white bluebell and smells strongly when crushed. Allium
triquetum I think.
As I said, I'm working from memory here. Very frustrating :-)

Aka Ransoms or wild garlic. Dig it up or spray it seems to be the only way.
I rather like it so when I had it in a previous garden, I always kept some
of it. But it absolutely fills the verges of some of the lanes round here.

I don't think that it will be Ransoms (Allium ursinum) as the flowers
although white are not like those of a blue bell - have a look here
http://www.ukwildflowers.com/Web_pag...um_ramsons.htm

The Ransoms which abound in the adjacent wood and in our front shrub
border (despite annual applications of glyphosate for the last eight
years) do not need crushing to release their 'perfume' it is just
omnipresent. I love wildflowers and try to promote their use in our
garden and, whenever I get the opportunity, elsewhere, but Ransoms most
definitely comes under the heading of invasive.

The probable alternative is Three cornered leek/garlic (A. triquetrum)
as indicated above. A non-native plant which I have noticed is present
in quite large drifts at the sides of a local road but has not yet
reached here.

Well, this is interesting BUT the OP wants to know how to be rid of it. I
don't think he's over concerned about its botanical name! So - how would
you get rid of it?


I am delighted that you found my post interesting but I am surprised
that you do not appreciate the usefulness of botanical names when
referring to wildflowers in particular, many of which have several
common names, as indicated above for A. triquetrum where I just noted
two of the many common names. In this case it also flags up the fact
that the plants are both of the allium family which could possibly help
in finding a suitable method of disposal. As indicated I have tried
glyphosate to control Ransoms but with only limited success - others
have now indicated that frequent cutting works. It has always been the
case on this newsgroup that we may offer a partial answer or information
that may simply be of interest in response to questions, as I am sure
you are aware.

--
Robert

On 17/5/08 12:20, in article , "robert"
wrote:

In message , Sacha
writes

Looks like a white bluebell and smells strongly when crushed. Allium
triquetum I think.
As I said, I'm working from memory here. Very frustrating :-)

Aka Ransoms or wild garlic. Dig it up or spray it seems to be the only
way.
I rather like it so when I had it in a previous garden, I always kept some
of it. But it absolutely fills the verges of some of the lanes round here.

I don't think that it will be Ransoms (Allium ursinum) as the flowers
although white are not like those of a blue bell - have a look here
http://www.ukwildflowers.com/Web_pag...um_ramsons.htm

The Ransoms which abound in the adjacent wood and in our front shrub
border (despite annual applications of glyphosate for the last eight
years) do not need crushing to release their 'perfume' it is just
omnipresent. I love wildflowers and try to promote their use in our
garden and, whenever I get the opportunity, elsewhere, but Ransoms most
definitely comes under the heading of invasive.

The probable alternative is Three cornered leek/garlic (A. triquetrum)
as indicated above. A non-native plant which I have noticed is present
in quite large drifts at the sides of a local road but has not yet
reached here.

Well, this is interesting BUT the OP wants to know how to be rid of it. I
don't think he's over concerned about its botanical name! So - how would
you get rid of it?


I am delighted that you found my post interesting but I am surprised
that you do not appreciate the usefulness of botanical names when
referring to wildflowers in particular, many of which have several
common names, as indicated above for A. triquetrum where I just noted
two of the many common names. In this case it also flags up the fact
that the plants are both of the allium family which could possibly help
in finding a suitable method of disposal. As indicated I have tried
glyphosate to control Ransoms but with only limited success - others
have now indicated that frequent cutting works. It has always been the
case on this newsgroup that we may offer a partial answer or information
that may simply be of interest in response to questions, as I am sure
you are aware.


Oh dear.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

It does help to know exactly what it is you're trying to get rid of
though, so I'm grateful for the discussion :-)

I know what you mean but my crystal ball told me this was going to go off
into of those obscure urg discussions before returning about a month later
to the original point!

Wouldn't be usenet otherwise :-)

robert wrote:
.. As indicated I have
tried glyphosate to control Ransoms but with only limited success -

Not surprising. If glyphosate has a weakness, it is with bulbs. I have
found that it doesn't always kill bulbs, but the new leaves which appear the
next year are often somewhat chlorotic and the plant is much weaker. If
healthy leaves eventually appear, it usually means that the plant has
survived. Another spraying or two will then be required.

--
Jeff
(cut "thetape" to reply)

In message , Jeff Layman
writes
robert wrote:
. As indicated I have
tried glyphosate to control Ransoms but with only limited success -

Not surprising. If glyphosate has a weakness, it is with bulbs. I have
found that it doesn't always kill bulbs, but the new leaves which appear the
next year are often somewhat chlorotic and the plant is much weaker. If
healthy leaves eventually appear, it usually means that the plant has
survived. Another spraying or two will then be required.

That is useful - many thanks. It looks as though digging them out is
probably going to be the best option in the long run.

--
Robert

On 17/5/08 12:44, in article , "stuart
noble" wrote:


It does help to know exactly what it is you're trying to get rid of
though, so I'm grateful for the discussion :-)

I know what you mean but my crystal ball told me this was going to go off
into of those obscure urg discussions before returning about a month later
to the original point!

Wouldn't be usenet otherwise :-)


Oh indeed. But by then the weed will either be rampant or it will be autumn
and the question will be academic. ;-))


--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

In article , stuart noble
writes


Looks like a white bluebell and smells strongly when crushed. Allium
triquetum I think.
As I said, I'm working from memory here. Very frustrating :-)


That's an absolute SWINE to get rid of. You can clear the ones you see
and then like blinking bluebells it comes up again the next year only
more so!!I hate it, and have never forgiven a gardening friend who first
gave it to me
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

Janet Tweedy wrote:
In article , stuart noble
writes


Looks like a white bluebell and smells strongly when crushed. Allium
triquetum I think.
As I said, I'm working from memory here. Very frustrating :-)


That's an absolute SWINE to get rid of. You can clear the ones you see
and then like blinking bluebells it comes up again the next year only
more so!!I hate it, and have never forgiven a gardening friend who first
gave it to me

I wouldn't mind if it would tolerate a few other plants growing in the
same garden. It really is a thug

In article , Sacha
writes


Well, this is interesting BUT the OP wants to know how to be rid of it. I
don't think he's over concerned about its botanical name! So - how would
you get rid of it?



According to the gardener who gave it to me, the one good solution is to
move
They come up again like bluebells from tiny little bulbets.
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk