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#1
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Bluebells
We moved into a new house not so long ago and are just discovering what's
going to pop up in our new weed-filled, slightly overgrown garden. We have bluebells - hundreds of them and they are taking over the whole garden, appearing in every possible corner and working themselves across the grass! As much as they look very pretty I don't want them all over the garden. I have searched for other posts about these invasive plants, but can't seem to find any original threads. Is there a way of keeping them at bay? We have a huge amount of work (clearing) to do in this garden and I fear that all the digging up will just spread them further. Jo |
#2
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Bluebells
In message , Jo
writes We moved into a new house not so long ago and are just discovering what's going to pop up in our new weed-filled, slightly overgrown garden. We have bluebells - hundreds of them and they are taking over the whole garden, appearing in every possible corner and working themselves across the grass! As much as they look very pretty I don't want them all over the garden. I have searched for other posts about these invasive plants, but can't seem to find any original threads. Is there a way of keeping them at bay? We have a huge amount of work (clearing) to do in this garden and I fear that all the digging up will just spread them further. I would expect that mowing would weaken and eventually eliminate them from lawns. Otherwise you can reduce the numbers by separating the bulbs from the soil when digging (and selling them on Ebay?), and then control them by weeding them out where they're not wanted when they appear in subsequent years. [I put a few in the allotment "temporarily" when I was cleaning up a bed in the garden. I have found that they produce plenty of seedlings in that environment.] -- Stewart Robert Hinsley |
#3
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Bluebells
Jo wrote:
We moved into a new house not so long ago and are just discovering what's going to pop up in our new weed-filled, slightly overgrown garden. We have bluebells - hundreds of them and they are taking over the whole garden, appearing in every possible corner and working themselves across the grass! As much as they look very pretty I don't want them all over the garden. I have searched for other posts about these invasive plants, but can't seem to find any original threads. Is there a way of keeping them at bay? We have a huge amount of work (clearing) to do in this garden and I fear that all the digging up will just spread them further. I don't know about the lawn, but I've inherited lots of them and found you can just pull out the ones you don't want. Now they're down to manageable numbers and a rather pretty accent to my bumbling attempts to produce an attractive garden. They're easy to dig out with a trowel. There were zillions initially. And poppies. I could've knocked Afghanistan out of the heroin market with my initial poppy farm. I also found out on this ng that something I thought might be a weed was aquilegia, and now I wish I hadn't pulled as many of them up as I did. I'd also be happy to give anybody as much creeping buttercup as they'd like. Ian |
#4
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Quote:
Taking off the leaves wherever you see them means that they are not going to be able to build up their bulb, and each year that they produce leaves only to have you whip them all off is going to weaken the bulb - as Stewart says, eventually they should give up. |
#5
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Bluebells
Ian B wrote:
I'd also be happy to give anybody as much creeping buttercup as they'd like. Arrrrgh! (I have a strawberry patch that is very yellow and buttery-coloured atm!) |
#6
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Bluebells
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#7
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Bluebells
On Mon, 10 May 2010 08:22:19 +0100, "Jo" wrote:
We moved into a new house not so long ago and are just discovering what's going to pop up in our new weed-filled, slightly overgrown garden. We have bluebells - hundreds of them and they are taking over the whole garden, appearing in every possible corner and working themselves across the grass! As much as they look very pretty I don't want them all over the garden. I have searched for other posts about these invasive plants, but can't seem to find any original threads. Is there a way of keeping them at bay? We have a huge amount of work (clearing) to do in this garden and I fear that all the digging up will just spread them further. Jo If you clear space they will move in. -- http://www.Voucherfreebies.co.uk http://www.holidayunder100.co.uk |
#8
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Bluebells
Sacha wrote:
I'd also be happy to give anybody as much creeping buttercup as they'd like. Arrrrgh! (I have a strawberry patch that is very yellow and buttery-coloured atm!) Grow butter. ;-) Buttered strawberries? (hmm, sounding a bit like my new colour scheme for the living room!) |
#9
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Bluebells
Ian B wrote:
(I have a strawberry patch that is very yellow and buttery-coloured atm!) It's amazing how every time you think you've got it all out... give it a couple of days and there's some more, isn't it? I swear, it must contain the long sought secret of eternal life. It's the way that they hide and pretend to be strawberry plants that annoys me. :-( (I can tell the difference if I get close to them, or once they start opening up properly, but the young plants are quite similar until you try to pull them out!) |
#10
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Bluebells
Sacha wrote:
On 2010-05-10 10:28:32 +0100, "Ian B" said: Jo wrote: We moved into a new house not so long ago and are just discovering what's going to pop up in our new weed-filled, slightly overgrown garden. We have bluebells - hundreds of them and they are taking over the whole garden, appearing in every possible corner and working themselves across the grass! As much as they look very pretty I don't want them all over the garden. I have searched for other posts about these invasive plants, but can't seem to find any original threads. Is there a way of keeping them at bay? We have a huge amount of work (clearing) to do in this garden and I fear that all the digging up will just spread them further. I don't know about the lawn, but I've inherited lots of them and found you can just pull out the ones you don't want. Now they're down to manageable numbers and a rather pretty accent to my bumbling attempts to produce an attractive garden. They're easy to dig out with a trowel. There were zillions initially. And poppies. I could've knocked Afghanistan out of the heroin market with my initial poppy farm. I also found out on this ng that something I thought might be a weed was aquilegia, and now I wish I hadn't pulled as many of them up as I did. I'd also be happy to give anybody as much creeping buttercup as they'd like. Ian If anyone is getting rid of genuine English bluebells (as opposed to the Spanish invaders) I think they could well find willing hands to take them, including perhaps local owners of woodland, or even e-bayers. I've just inspected mine, and they all appear to be foreign. Ian |
#11
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Bluebells
On Mon, 10 May 2010 08:45:54 +0100, Stewart Robert Hinsley
wrote: Otherwise you can reduce the numbers by separating the bulbs from the soil when digging (and selling them on Ebay?), and then control them by weeding them out where they're not wanted when they appear in subsequent years. Oh please don't sell them on Ebay if they are Spanish bluebells! Pam in Bristol |
#12
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Bluebells
Janet Baraclough wrote:
I'd also be happy to give anybody as much creeping buttercup as they'd like. Don't part with it! CB is superb compost-heap material (and it won't survive the process). Ditto, nettles, thistles, rosebaywillow herb,bracken and fern. Interesting. We have a separate compost heap for weeds, and I would always put the buttercups on the weeds. Along with nettles (which I know I can compost as long as they're not in seed, but I tend not to) and an awful lot of twitch and dandelions! |
#13
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Bluebells
"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message ... Ian B wrote: I'd also be happy to give anybody as much creeping buttercup as they'd like. Don't part with it! CB is superb compost-heap material (and it won't survive the process). Ditto, nettles, thistles, rosebaywillow herb,bracken and fern. Janet Do NOT throw your bluebell bulbs on the compost heap. I was digging up 'active' Bluebell Bulbs as I was turning a heap yesterday and they were well over 2 feet down and 'heading up' Mike -- .................................... Today, is the tomorrow, you were worrying about, yesterday. .................................... |
#14
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Bluebells
"kay" wrote in message ... Stewart Robert Hinsley;886817 Wrote: I would expect that mowing would weaken and eventually eliminate them from lawns. Otherwise you can reduce the numbers by separating the bulbs from the soil when digging (and selling them on Ebay?), and then control them by weeding them out where they're not wanted when they appear in subsequent years. -- Stewart Robert Hinsley I'd be hesitant about selling them on ebay. There's been a lot of trouble in recent years of unscrupulous people digging up large quantities of bluebells from native bluebell woods for sale to outlets who are not fussy about their sources. Making your own bluebells available for free (eg Freegle) helps to reduce that market, selling them has the opposite effect. Taking off the leaves wherever you see them means that they are not going to be able to build up their bulb, and each year that they produce leaves only to have you whip them all off is going to weaken the bulb - as Stewart says, eventually they should give up. I suspect they are of the Spanish sort. In which case dig them up and burn them. |
#15
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Bluebells
Jo wrote:
We moved into a new house not so long ago and are just discovering what's going to pop up in our new weed-filled, slightly overgrown garden. We have bluebells - hundreds of them and they are taking over the whole garden, appearing in every possible corner and working themselves across the grass! As much as they look very pretty I don't want them all over the garden. I have searched for other posts about these invasive plants, but can't seem to find any original threads. Is there a way of keeping them at bay? We have a huge amount of work (clearing) to do in this garden and I fear that all the digging up will just spread them further. They won't spread by digging them up - they seed nicely though, and the bulbs will divide, think - though I might be wrong about that. The bulbs often grow from quite a depth, though. Now if they're native bluebells, there are dozens of people on this nesgroup who would love to tae the bulbs from you. If they are Spanish, then no-one's going to cry if you paint the leaves with glyphosate, Native bluebells are slightly smaller, have thinner stems, and the flowers all hang predominately from one side of the stem. -- Rusty |
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