Hi,

I have several occurrences of a weed known as "Selfheal" in my lawn.
It has not reached the point where it is becoming rampant but I have
pulled up approximately 20 of the spreading web like shoots that I
have so far located.

On reading a bit about it I think I need to take some positive action
now rather than later to control the weed.

Can anyone please recommend an efficient treatment that I can purchase
in the UK to get rid of the "Selfheal" that will not compromise my
lawn.


Regards
"Anxious In Surrey"

On 29/7/08 17:35, in article ,
"tbg" wrote:

Hi,

I have several occurrences of a weed known as "Selfheal" in my lawn.
It has not reached the point where it is becoming rampant but I have
pulled up approximately 20 of the spreading web like shoots that I
have so far located.

On reading a bit about it I think I need to take some positive action
now rather than later to control the weed.

Can anyone please recommend an efficient treatment that I can purchase
in the UK to get rid of the "Selfheal" that will not compromise my
lawn.


It's not a weed, it's a wild flower and is called Selfheal because it's used
to cure mouth ulcers and sore throats. It's a little ironic to think that
others might pay quite a lot of money for a wild flower garden containing
it! Perhaps you could allow at least a little patch to flourish?
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

In message , Sacha
writes
On 29/7/08 17:35, in article ,
"tbg" wrote:

Hi,

I have several occurrences of a weed known as "Selfheal" in my lawn.
It has not reached the point where it is becoming rampant but I have
pulled up approximately 20 of the spreading web like shoots that I
have so far located.

On reading a bit about it I think I need to take some positive action
now rather than later to control the weed.

Can anyone please recommend an efficient treatment that I can purchase
in the UK to get rid of the "Selfheal" that will not compromise my
lawn.


It's not a weed, it's a wild flower and is called Selfheal because it's used
to cure mouth ulcers and sore throats. It's a little ironic to think that
others might pay quite a lot of money for a wild flower garden containing
it! Perhaps you could allow at least a little patch to flourish?

I grow some in our wildflower areas as it is a good butterfly and bee
plant as well as having attractive blue flowers. In a lawn it can be a
bit of a problem as mowing, even relatively close mowing, does not
control it. Scalping the lawn or grazing with sheep will but I don't
suppose that you want to go down that route. The only organic
alternative is to dig the plants up before they spread to far. Failing
that you will need to try repeated applications of a selective weed
killer such as Verdone.

--
Robert Hibell

On 29 Jul, 17:35, tbg wrote:
Hi,

I have several occurrences of a weed known as "Selfheal" in my lawn.
It has not reached the point where it is becoming rampant but I have
pulled up approximately 20 of the spreading web like shoots that I
have so far located.

On reading a bit about it I think I need to take some positive action
now rather than later to control the weed.

Can anyone please recommend an efficient treatment that I can purchase
in the UK to get rid of the "Selfheal" that will not compromise my
lawn.

Regards
"Anxious In Surrey"

First of all - why? it's an attractive native plant as Sacha has
already said. However if you must, it is a typical plant of rather
impoverished lawns that are probably very compacted and have probably
been mown too short. You can reduce it a lot by helping the grass to
compete more effectively. Mow frequently but set the mower a bit
higher. Do some work on relieving the compaction, a good feed now and
plenty of water if the monsoon hasn't yet arrived in your neck of the
woods. Scarify vigorously as well. I'd see how you do over a couple of
seasons of that before resorting to selective weedkillers. You'll be
surprised to see how the mix of grasses and other plants changes
according to how you manage it.

"
I have several occurrences of a weed known as "Selfheal" in my lawn.
It has not reached the point where it is becoming rampant but I have
pulled up approximately 20 of the spreading web like shoots that I
have so far located.

On reading a bit about it I think I need to take some positive action
now rather than later to control the weed.

Can anyone please recommend an efficient treatment that I can purchase
in the UK to get rid of the "Selfheal" that will not compromise my
lawn.

Regards
"Anxious In Surrey"

First of all - why? it's an attractive native plant as Sacha has
already said.

Could you not bring yourself to leave it alone, I have lots of it on my
lawns and in the paddock and it is a beautiful little plant.

kate

On 29/7/08 18:46, in article
, "Rod"
wrote:

On 29 Jul, 17:35, tbg wrote:
Hi,

I have several occurrences of a weed known as "Selfheal" in my lawn.
It has not reached the point where it is becoming rampant but I have
pulled up approximately 20 of the spreading web like shoots that I
have so far located.

On reading a bit about it I think I need to take some positive action
now rather than later to control the weed.

Can anyone please recommend an efficient treatment that I can purchase
in the UK to get rid of the "Selfheal" that will not compromise my
lawn.

Regards
"Anxious In Surrey"

First of all - why? it's an attractive native plant as Sacha has
already said. However if you must, it is a typical plant of rather
impoverished lawns that are probably very compacted and have probably
been mown too short. You can reduce it a lot by helping the grass to
compete more effectively. Mow frequently but set the mower a bit
higher. Do some work on relieving the compaction, a good feed now and
plenty of water if the monsoon hasn't yet arrived in your neck of the
woods. Scarify vigorously as well. I'd see how you do over a couple of
seasons of that before resorting to selective weedkillers. You'll be
surprised to see how the mix of grasses and other plants changes
according to how you manage it.

Does what you are describing mimic land grazed by sheep, Rod? I know I'm
off on a dream of my own here but I wonder if our Surrey gardener can't be
persuaded to start a new fashion in his corner of Surrey? (says she who
lived in Haslemere for a little time and thought then, in the 70s, that
Hostas were 'boring'!)

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

Dig them out.

One mans meat is another mans poison, hence, I have decided to poison
the weed with a vigorous effort by attacking it with a selective
weedkiller with a follow up treatment later on.

In addition I shal make efforts to improve the general well being of
the lawn by aeration etc.

Now, wheres my nearest stockist of a large box of 2,4 dichlorophenoxy
acetate, prunella vulgaris will be vulgar no more, it will be dead.

Rgds

On Jul 30, 6:32 am, tbg wrote:
One mans meat is another mans poison, hence, I have decided to poison
the weed with a vigorous effort by attacking it with a selective
weedkiller with a follow up treatment later on.

In addition I shal make efforts to improve the general well being of
the lawn by aeration etc.

Now, wheres my nearest stockist of a large box of 2,4 dichlorophenoxy
acetate, prunella vulgaris will be vulgar no more, it will be dead.

Rgds

You could just use tarmac or if you want a green look, try astroturf
or just get an apartment with no garden.

On Jul 30, 1:34*pm, Des Higgins wrote:
On Jul 30, 6:32 am, tbg wrote:

One mans meat is another mans poison, hence, I have decided to poison
the weed with a vigorous effort by attacking it with a selective
weedkiller with a follow up treatment later on.

In addition I shal make efforts to improve the general well being of
the lawn by aeration etc.

Now, wheres my nearest stockist of a large box of 2,4 dichlorophenoxy
acetate, prunella vulgaris will be vulgar no more, it will be dead.

Rgds

You could just use tarmac or if you want a green look, try astroturf
or just get an apartment with no garden.

:-) Some people have too much time on their hands, or plan to use
their lawns for putting practice.
My lawn is chocfull of weeds, including the selfheal in question, a
couple of patches. Lots of daisies, and white clover, the odd
thistle, docks and god knows what else.
But when clipped tight - which weather permitting I try to do every
week end - it looks lovely and densely green, and it is particularly
nice for a kickaround, or even to lie out on on the couple of days in
the year that that odd shiny hot object appears in the sky.
Between clippings, it is lovely and "enameled" (as they apparently did
in medieval times) with white and gold daisies, purple selfheal and
white clover.
Life's too short to be anal about lawns, in my book :-)

Cat(h)

On 30/7/08 14:00, in article
, "Cat(h)"
wrote:

On Jul 30, 1:34*pm, Des Higgins wrote:
On Jul 30, 6:32 am, tbg wrote:

One mans meat is another mans poison, hence, I have decided to poison
the weed with a vigorous effort by attacking it with a selective
weedkiller with a follow up treatment later on.

In addition I shal make efforts to improve the general well being of
the lawn by aeration etc.

Now, wheres my nearest stockist of a large box of 2,4 dichlorophenoxy
acetate, prunella vulgaris will be vulgar no more, it will be dead.

Rgds

You could just use tarmac or if you want a green look, try astroturf
or just get an apartment with no garden.

:-) Some people have too much time on their hands, or plan to use
their lawns for putting practice.
My lawn is chocfull of weeds, including the selfheal in question, a
couple of patches. Lots of daisies, and white clover, the odd
thistle, docks and god knows what else.
But when clipped tight - which weather permitting I try to do every
week end - it looks lovely and densely green, and it is particularly
nice for a kickaround, or even to lie out on on the couple of days in
the year that that odd shiny hot object appears in the sky.
Between clippings, it is lovely and "enameled" (as they apparently did
in medieval times) with white and gold daisies, purple selfheal and
white clover.
Life's too short to be anal about lawns, in my book :-)

Cat(h)

The preoccupation with lawns seems to be an intensely British passion. That
slab of bowling green is essential to some peoples' peace of mind. In Crete
we saw several villas with immaculate lawns nobody ever sat on because they
all sat on the terraces of their pools. It infuriated the locals, to whom
water is immensely precious, to see it wasted on these meaningless bits of
greenery which aren't even useful to a goat! Our lawns have daisies, a few
dandelions, violets, some clover, and enchantingly, white violets on one of
them. Under a tree we have cyclamen, bluebells, daffs.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

On Jul 30, 2:00 pm, "Cat(h)" wrote:
On Jul 30, 1:34 pm, Des Higgins wrote:



On Jul 30, 6:32 am, tbg wrote:

One mans meat is another mans poison, hence, I have decided to poison
the weed with a vigorous effort by attacking it with a selective
weedkiller with a follow up treatment later on.

In addition I shal make efforts to improve the general well being of
the lawn by aeration etc.

Now, wheres my nearest stockist of a large box of 2,4 dichlorophenoxy
acetate, prunella vulgaris will be vulgar no more, it will be dead.

Rgds

You could just use tarmac or if you want a green look, try astroturf
or just get an apartment with no garden.

:-) Some people have too much time on their hands, or plan to use
their lawns for putting practice.
My lawn is chocfull of weeds, including the selfheal in question, a
couple of patches. Lots of daisies, and white clover, the odd
thistle, docks and god knows what else.
But when clipped tight - which weather permitting I try to do every
week end - it looks lovely and densely green, and it is particularly
nice for a kickaround, or even to lie out on on the couple of days in
the year that that odd shiny hot object appears in the sky.
Between clippings, it is lovely and "enameled" (as they apparently did
in medieval times) with white and gold daisies, purple selfheal and
white clover.
Life's too short to be anal about lawns, in my book :-)

Cat(h)

We have 2 bumble bee nests in our garden and a wall of knee high
thistles, docks and ragworts in our wild bit. It depresses me when
people want gardens to be sterile and freak at the slightest oddity
and want instant chemical solutions. Yer man has selfheal in his lawn
because the lawn is shite not because he has been lax with his
chemicals. If he wants a nice lawn, he has to put some time in.
Spraying it will waste the money and give him a patchy lawn with bare
bits and the weeds will regrow in a while. If he wants a nice lawn he
has to scarify, aerate, feed and mow correctly.

I saw a clip on Nationwide a few weeks ago where some folks in
Cabinteely have made a wildflower meadow in the fantastic Cabinteely
Park. I was pleased to see that until, I saw one of them "weeding".
They explained that they did not want docks and thistles. I wonder
did she ask why greenfinches and chaffinches are now so uncommon in
the cities. They cannot feed on hanging baskets or weed suppressing
membranes.

I am in grumpy old man mood.

Des

On Jul 30, 2:26*pm, Des Higgins wrote:
On Jul 30, 2:00 pm, "Cat(h)" wrote:





On Jul 30, 1:34 pm, Des Higgins wrote:

On Jul 30, 6:32 am, tbg wrote:

One mans meat is another mans poison, hence, I have decided to poison
the weed with a vigorous effort by attacking it with a selective
weedkiller with a follow up treatment later on.

In addition I shal make efforts to improve the general well being of
the lawn by aeration etc.

Now, wheres my nearest stockist of a large box of 2,4 dichlorophenoxy
acetate, prunella vulgaris will be vulgar no more, it will be dead.

Rgds

You could just use tarmac or if you want a green look, try astroturf
or just get an apartment with no garden.

:-) *Some people have too much time on their hands, or plan to use
their lawns for putting practice.
My lawn is chocfull of weeds, including the selfheal in question, a
couple of patches. *Lots of daisies, and white clover, the odd
thistle, docks and god knows what else.
But when clipped tight - which weather permitting I try to do every
week end - it looks lovely and densely green, and it is particularly
nice for a kickaround, or even to lie out on on the couple of days in
the year that *that odd shiny hot object appears in the sky.
Between clippings, it is lovely and "enameled" (as they apparently did
in medieval times) with white and gold daisies, purple selfheal and
white clover.
Life's too short to be anal about lawns, in my book :-)

Cat(h)

We have 2 bumble bee nests in our garden and a wall of knee high
thistles, docks and ragworts in our wild bit. *It depresses me when
people want gardens to be sterile and freak at the slightest oddity
and want instant chemical solutions. *Yer man has selfheal in his lawn
because the lawn is shite not because he has been lax with his
chemicals. *If he wants a nice lawn, he has to put some time in.
Spraying it will waste the money and give him a patchy lawn with bare
bits and the weeds will regrow in a while. *If he wants a nice lawn he
has to scarify, aerate, feed and mow correctly.

To be fair to the guy, he said this was exactly what he proposed to
do.
My idea of a lawn is obviously more relaxed than his, but it doesn't
either correspond to a wild meadow. I like my lawn to be reasonably
clipped tight and green. I would take action if I had bare patches.
My front tiny lawn is probably 40% moss, but I only scratch it once in
a blue moon. Once, I tried the feed and weed stuff - only to end up
with lots of nasty black patches around the place. I'd rather green
moss than black patches.


I saw a clip on Nationwide a few weeks ago where some folks in
Cabinteely have made a wildflower meadow in the fantastic Cabinteely
Park. *I was pleased to see that until, I saw one of them "weeding".
They explained that they did not want docks and thistles. *I wonder
did she ask why greenfinches and chaffinches are now so uncommon in
the cities. *They cannot feed on hanging baskets or weed suppressing
membranes.

Very true. I can afford to weed *and* have plenty of birds because I
am surrounded by horse and cattle paddocks and hedgerows.


I am in grumpy old man mood.


It befits you wonderously.

Cat(h)

Cat(h) wrote:
On Jul 30, 1:34 pm, Des Higgins wrote:
On Jul 30, 6:32 am, tbg wrote:

One mans meat is another mans poison, hence, I have decided to poison
the weed with a vigorous effort by attacking it with a selective
weedkiller with a follow up treatment later on.
In addition I shal make efforts to improve the general well being of
the lawn by aeration etc.
Now, wheres my nearest stockist of a large box of 2,4 dichlorophenoxy
acetate, prunella vulgaris will be vulgar no more, it will be dead.
Rgds
You could just use tarmac or if you want a green look, try astroturf
or just get an apartment with no garden.

:-) Some people have too much time on their hands, or plan to use
their lawns for putting practice.

My lawn is chocfull of weeds, including the selfheal in question, a
couple of patches. Lots of daisies, and white clover, the odd
thistle, docks and god knows what else.

I draw the line at buttercups, dandelions, thistles and docks. They are
not welcome although sometimes tolerated against the hedge or fence. I
encourage clover and various low growing wildflowers. I make a token
effort to discourage daisies once a year.

But when clipped tight - which weather permitting I try to do every
week end - it looks lovely and densely green, and it is particularly
nice for a kickaround, or even to lie out on on the couple of days in
the year that that odd shiny hot object appears in the sky.
Between clippings, it is lovely and "enameled" (as they apparently did
in medieval times) with white and gold daisies, purple selfheal and
white clover.
Life's too short to be anal about lawns, in my book :-)

I agree. Besides I like having some flowers in it. Some of the smaller
bellis plants will grow OK in a regularly cut lawn which allows for
daisy like flowers with a wider range of colours.

Regards,
Martin Brown
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

"Cat(h)" writes

:-) Some people have too much time on their hands, or plan to use
their lawns for putting practice.
My lawn is chocfull of weeds, including the selfheal in question, a
couple of patches. Lots of daisies, and white clover, the odd
thistle, docks and god knows what else.
But when clipped tight - which weather permitting I try to do every
week end - it looks lovely and densely green, and it is particularly
nice for a kickaround, or even to lie out on on the couple of days in
the year that that odd shiny hot object appears in the sky.
Between clippings, it is lovely and "enameled" (as they apparently did
in medieval times) with white and gold daisies, purple selfheal and
white clover.
Life's too short to be anal about lawns, in my book :-)

On the same day as the OP posted his plea, I was celebrating because my
lawn has just produced its first clump of self-heal, to go along with
the white clover, daisies, et al.
--
Kay