On Wed, 28 May 2014 17:00:29 +0100, Roger Tonkin wrote:

How about eating it!

Funny you should mention it. A family friend suggested eating it. But
they're the sort of person who is full of heartfelt recommendations,
without ever having tried the things themselves... you probably know the
type. So not to put too fine a point on it, but we assumed it was BS.
Only while researching hogweed at a later point to find they were right!
Still, we already eat ground elder, sorrel, dandelions and nettles, not
to mention much of the local fauna. Eating a plant that can give bad
burns is a little too close to Japanese fugu; maybe tasty, maybe not
worth the risk!

-E

--
Gardening in Lower Normandy

In article ,
says...

Actually persecuting any pernicious weed with whatever means you happen
to be using at the time is not a bad strategy.

The one I use. Each year I pick on a particular weed for persecution
and (depending on its habit) either pull up every seedling I spot, use
a dagger to slice through stems above ground or tap roots below;
limiting photosynthesis and preventing any seeding

I've successfully eliminated several large infestations this way
including dock and bracken (at last place), and dandelion broadleaf
plantain and groundsel here. Creeping buttercup is still around but at a
manageable level. This year's enemy is hairy bittercress.

Spanish bluebell has been a harder nut to crack:-(

Janet.

In article ,
Janet wrote:

Actually persecuting any pernicious weed with whatever means you happen
to be using at the time is not a bad strategy.

The one I use. Each year I pick on a particular weed for persecution
and (depending on its habit) either pull up every seedling I spot, use
a dagger to slice through stems above ground or tap roots below;
limiting photosynthesis and preventing any seeding

I've successfully eliminated several large infestations this way
including dock and bracken (at last place), and dandelion broadleaf
plantain and groundsel here. Creeping buttercup is still around but at a
manageable level. This year's enemy is hairy bittercress.

Good luck - my money is on the bittercress!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 28/05/2014 19:03, Janet wrote:
In article ,
says...

Actually persecuting any pernicious weed with whatever means you happen
to be using at the time is not a bad strategy.

The one I use. Each year I pick on a particular weed for persecution
and (depending on its habit) either pull up every seedling I spot, use
a dagger to slice through stems above ground or tap roots below;
limiting photosynthesis and preventing any seeding

I tend to zap all the weeds with whatever I have going when I get a
chance. Then dig out the weakened plants for final elimination.

I have a huge reservoir of ground elder in an adjacent field and so
maintain a cordon sanitaire on the boundaries.

I've successfully eliminated several large infestations this way
including dock and bracken (at last place), and dandelion broadleaf
plantain and groundsel here. Creeping buttercup is still around but at a

You can get rid of tap rooted weeds in lawns very satisfyingly with a
12" screwdriver. I generally do one hit of weed & feed in spring but I
don't persecute anything small growing with nice flowers.

manageable level. This year's enemy is hairy bittercress.

Good luck with that one. My efforts against that have merely resulted in
dwarfism and a faster time to flowering.

Spanish bluebell has been a harder nut to crack:-(

Dig em up. You might even be able to sell them to someone else.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

In article ,
Martin Brown wrote:
On 28/05/2014 19:03, Janet wrote:

manageable level. This year's enemy is hairy bittercress.

Good luck with that one. My efforts against that have merely resulted in
dwarfism and a faster time to flowering.

Mine now seems to go from germination to flowering without a growth
phase :-(


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 28/05/2014 21:44, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Martin Brown wrote:
On 28/05/2014 19:03, Janet wrote:

manageable level. This year's enemy is hairy bittercress.

Good luck with that one. My efforts against that have merely resulted in
dwarfism and a faster time to flowering.

Mine now seems to go from germination to flowering without a growth
phase :-(

I agree. It responds to persecution by getting smaller and going from
germination to flowering in no time flat.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown