Getting rid of ground elder
 

In article , Franz Heymann
writes

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


How do you get rid of ground elder's network of tough roots to be able
to plant spring flowering bulbs in a bed?

You're too late for weedkiller, but those roots really aren't tough;
just fork them out. Pick out any loose ends while they are fresh and
pale and easy to spot.
Don't compost them :-(

In my experience, that is useless. Every minuscule rootlet left below
ground level regrows with a vengeance.
Only glyphosate has really eradicated them in my previous garden. The
present one, touch wood, has none, but the giant hogweed is a bit of a
problem.

Have you *really* got giant hogweed? The ordinary one grows 5-6 ft. But
if giant, lucky you! - it's a splendid plant. Pity it causes skin
problems.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

Getting rid of ground elder
 

In article , Victoria
Clare writes
The weed that bugs me more than anything else is that dratted small
Epilobium (is it Epilobium montanum?) Seems like every single damn seed
germinates! and the stems pull off just above the roots, so you have to
make sure you don't just pull the top off.

Yes, I have troubles with that one too. I've eradicated rose-bay
willowherb just by pulling it up, but never managed to eliminate the
little one.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

Getting rid of ground elder
 

The message
from "Franz Heymann" contains these words:


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


How do you get rid of ground elder's network of tough roots to be able
to plant spring flowering bulbs in a bed?

You're too late for weedkiller, but those roots really aren't tough;
just fork them out. Pick out any loose ends while they are fresh and
pale and easy to spot.
Don't compost them :-(

In my experience, that is useless. Every minuscule rootlet left below
ground level regrows with a vengeance.
Only glyphosate has really eradicated them in my previous garden.

My advice was in response to the OP's first question, the one which
you failed to address in your four posts to the thread. Glyphosate is
not an option to remove the roots *now*, since he has already removed
the GE leaves; digging and careful removal of root scraps is the only
other option available.

Janet

Getting rid of ground elder
 

In article , Janet Baraclough
writes

My advice was in response to the OP's first question, the one which
you failed to address in your four posts to the thread. Glyphosate is
not an option to remove the roots *now*, since he has already removed
the GE leaves; digging and careful removal of root scraps is the only
other option available.

Janet


What about covering the ground with black Thingy and putting half grown
bulbs through the plastic later on Janet? If you mulched the ground
thickly as well you might get away with stopping the ground elder coming
through if a lot has been taken away.
I did try it on one bed of my vegetable area but sad to say the mulch is
now four foot tall and contains two carpet layers, two layers of very
thick newspaper and lots of grass clipping etc and STILL the ground
elder comes through.................
Sigh ..............

I even though about putting that chemical on the ground that stops ALL
germination for six months, as the area is useless for growing on in,
case I break any more roots of the weed. So I have a 14 foot square bed
that I haven't grown anything in save blackberries for about ten years
................

Janet
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

Getting rid of ground elder
 

In article , Victoria
Clare writes

Oddly, I've never found GE very invasive: must be lucky with my soil...


Sorry Janet B. I have to reply to this bit of the thread though I've
made several replies already :)

Some two years ago there was a big thing being made about a plant that
if grown in a plot of land inhibited the ground elder from growing
though I can't for the life of me remember its name. I know T & M or
some other firm were adverting the seeds or plants and they ran out of
supply.
Did anyone else try it or remember the details?



--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

Getting rid of ground elder
 

In message , Cat
writes

How do you get rid of ground elder's network of tough roots to be able
to plant spring flowering bulbs in a bed?

At this time of year you don't. Their roots aren't very tough either.
The main problem is they are brittle and every bit that breaks off will
be a new plant.

Can I use soemthing like
Roundup, and will it get rid of the roots? Must it be applied while
the ground elder has all its leaves (I rather zealously zipped them
all, so if it does, I will have to wait till they show up again...)

Roundup will weaken it. But it is useless at this time of year. Plants
have stopped growing so using weedkiller will be a waste of time and
money.

The fastest way to eradicate ground elder is to hit it with glyphosate
when the first tender leaves appear in spring wait a couple of weeks and
then dig out the weakened plants. Also to hit it again and again with
any other broadleaf weedkiller whenever you happen to be using it.

You could do it all chemically or Organic(TM) style by sieving the soil.
But a combined approach is more efficient. Small bits of root affected
by glyphosate that get missed do not easily regrow.

How long after a Roundup application can I plant the spring bulbs, and
how long more do I have to plant them in time to get flowers next
spring?

Provided they haven't sprouted you can plant them immediately.
Roundup has to hit the plant to take effect.

A bit demanding, I am... But an answer would be truly appreciated!

You will have to dig the stuff out to be in time for this years bulb
planting.

Regards,
--
Martin Brown

Getting rid of ground elder
 

In article , Kay Easton
writes

Have you *really* got giant hogweed? The ordinary one grows 5-6 ft. But
if giant, lucky you! -

Eh???????
It's one of these super weeds like JKN and is notifiable!!!

--
Jane Ransom in Lancaster.
I won't respond to private emails that are on topic for urg
but if you need to email me for any other reason, put ransoms
at jandg dot demon dot co dot uk where you see

Getting rid of ground elder
 

"Kay Easton" wrote in message
...
In article , Franz Heymann
writes

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


How do you get rid of ground elder's network of tough roots to be
able
to plant spring flowering bulbs in a bed?

You're too late for weedkiller, but those roots really aren't tough;
just fork them out. Pick out any loose ends while they are fresh and
pale and easy to spot.
Don't compost them :-(

In my experience, that is useless. Every minuscule rootlet left below
ground level regrows with a vengeance.
Only glyphosate has really eradicated them in my previous garden. The
present one, touch wood, has none, but the giant hogweed is a bit of a
problem.

Have you *really* got giant hogweed? The ordinary one grows 5-6 ft. But
if giant, lucky you! - it's a splendid plant. Pity it causes skin
problems.

Mine is approximately 7 ft if left undisturbed. And yes, the reason why we
have to eradicate it is because neither my wife nor I can get near it
without skin problems. (Plus the fact that it chose to make its home bang
in the middle of a little group of potentillas).

Franz

Getting rid of ground elder
 

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


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


How do you get rid of ground elder's network of tough roots to be
able
to plant spring flowering bulbs in a bed?

You're too late for weedkiller, but those roots really aren't tough;
just fork them out. Pick out any loose ends while they are fresh and
pale and easy to spot.
Don't compost them :-(

In my experience, that is useless. Every minuscule rootlet left below
ground level regrows with a vengeance.
Only glyphosate has really eradicated them in my previous garden.

My advice was in response to the OP's first question, the one which
you failed to address in your four posts to the thread. Glyphosate is
not an option to remove the roots *now*, since he has already removed
the GE leaves; digging and careful removal of root scraps is the only
other option available.

I thought that it went without saying that he is simply *not* going to
successfully remove the roots *now*. I thought I pointed out that his best
hope of eradicating the ground elder would be to wait until it is growing
well, and then kill it stone dead with glyphosate.

Franz

Getting rid of ground elder
 

"Janet Tweedy" wrote in message
...
In article , Janet Baraclough
writes

[snip]

What about covering the ground with black Thingy and putting half grown
bulbs through the plastic later on Janet?

Twelve months of covering ground elder with black polythene certainly does
not eradicate them. I tried it and failed.

If you mulched the ground
thickly as well you might get away with stopping the ground elder coming
through if a lot has been taken away.
I did try it on one bed of my vegetable area but sad to say the mulch is
now four foot tall and contains two carpet layers, two layers of very
thick newspaper and lots of grass clipping etc and STILL the ground
elder comes through.................
Sigh ..............

Quite.

I even though about putting that chemical on the ground that stops ALL
germination for six months, as the area is useless for growing on in,
case I break any more roots of the weed. So I have a 14 foot square bed
that I haven't grown anything in save blackberries for about ten years

Hence my oft repeated mantra to get on with the glyphosate. It works.
Nothing, nothing else will eradicate ground elder.

Franz

Getting rid of ground elder
 

"Victoria Clare" wrote in message
.209...
Jaques d'Altrades wrote in
:

However, if you decide to use the ground elder, the bulbs will be up and
flowered before the weed has properly woken up. My lovingly tended
ground elder has a lot of spring bulbs amongst it.

Mine too. I think the OP could probably plant early bulbs under the
ground
elder now then glyphosphate it late next year after they have flowered and
died down.

Oddly, I've never found GE very invasive: must be lucky with my soil...

The weed that bugs me more than anything else is that dratted small
Epilobium (is it Epilobium montanum?) Seems like every single damn seed
germinates! and the stems pull off just above the roots, so you have to
make sure you don't just pull the top off.

More of a nuisance to me than ground elder, bindweed and brambles combined
(OK, well maybe not the brambles...)

Yes. That one is a real little *******, if you will excuse my language. It
gets into all the most impossible crooks and nannies and is the most
prolific seeder in my garden and grows with the speed of light. It is
helped along by the fact that one of my neighbours has a paddock which he
seems to use specifically for cultivating E montanum

Franz

Getting rid of ground elder
 

"Janet Tweedy" wrote in message
...
In article , Victoria
Clare writes

Oddly, I've never found GE very invasive: must be lucky with my soil...


Sorry Janet B. I have to reply to this bit of the thread though I've
made several replies already :)

Some two years ago there was a big thing being made about a plant that
if grown in a plot of land inhibited the ground elder from growing
though I can't for the life of me remember its name. I know T & M or
some other firm were adverting the seeds or plants and they ran out of
supply.
Did anyone else try it or remember the details?

If it was successful, it would not have disappeared from gardening circles,
considering the extent to which GE is still a nuisance.

Franz

Getting rid of ground elder
 

Jane Ransom wrote:

In article , Kay Easton
writes

Have you *really* got giant hogweed? The ordinary one grows 5-6 ft. But
if giant, lucky you! -

Eh???????
It's one of these super weeds like JKN and is notifiable!!!


That's what I thought, but whom should we notify, please?
--
Nick Wagg

Getting rid of ground elder
 

On Thu, 23 Oct 2003 10:22:24 +0100, Nick Wagg
wrote:

Jane Ransom wrote:

In article , Kay Easton
writes

Have you *really* got giant hogweed? The ordinary one grows 5-6 ft. But
if giant, lucky you! -

Eh???????
It's one of these super weeds like JKN and is notifiable!!!


That's what I thought, but whom should we notify, please?

The HS&E.
--
Martin

Getting rid of ground elder
 

in article , Franz Heymann at
wrote on 23/10/03 9:59 am:

snip

Few people can get near it without skin problems. A friend of ours became
very ill after trying to get his out and suffered for quite some time. Be,
very, very careful.
--

Sacha
(remove the 'x' to email me)