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Old 21-10-2003, 11:43 PM
Cat
 
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Default Getting rid of ground elder


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

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

Thanks in advance to all the amateurs and experts!
Cat(h)
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Old 22-10-2003, 12:23 AM
Bob Hobden
 
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Default Getting rid of ground elder


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


Roundup would and does work, but as you suspect it needs green leaves to
enable it to do it's job. You would also probably need more than one
application to do a thorough job. The herbicide gets down to the roots and
kills them too.
Once the herbicide is dry on the plants you could plant underneath, few
hours say.
I've seen Dafs planted at Christmas make flowers the following spring.

--
Regards
Bob

Use a useful Screen Saver...
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
and find intelligent life amongst the stars, there's bugger all down here.



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Old 22-10-2003, 02:02 AM
Janet Baraclough
 
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Default Getting rid of ground elder

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 :-(

Janet.
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Old 22-10-2003, 02:22 PM
Jaques d'Altrades
 
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Default Getting rid of ground elder

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? 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...)
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?


If you must get rid of them - until the flower they make a fine green
vegetable or flavouring for casseroles etc. - dig as much out as you can
this winter, then spray with roundup when they are growing vigorously
next spring.

This means you'll have to wait a year before planting your bulbs.

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.

--
Rusty Hinge
horrid·squeak&zetnet·co·uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm
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Old 22-10-2003, 04:12 PM
Janet Tweedy
 
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Default Getting rid of ground elder

In article , 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? 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...)
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?

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

Thanks in advance to all the amateurs and experts!
Cat(h)



How disappointing ......... I thought the thread was referring to a
solution on "getting rid of ground elder"!


I don't think it matters what you douse the shoots or roots in, from
napalm to undiluted acid. The things will still rear their healthy heads
in the spring.


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


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Old 22-10-2003, 04:12 PM
Janet Tweedy
 
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Default Getting rid of ground elder

In article , Bob Hobden
writes

Roundup would and does work,


I've sprayed mine with roundup for the last three years but I have to do
it every year as there's always some degree of grow back......


--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk
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Old 22-10-2003, 04:12 PM
Janet Tweedy
 
Posts: n/a
Default Getting rid of ground elder

In article , Janet Baraclough
writes

You're too late for weedkiller, but those roots really aren't tough;
just fork them out.



Ha! They may not be tough to touch or break, but on no account break
them, every little piece will regrow..............

They are certainly tough on survival



--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk
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Old 22-10-2003, 04:22 PM
Nick Maclaren
 
Posts: n/a
Default Getting rid of ground elder


In article ,
Janet Tweedy writes:
|
| How disappointing ......... I thought the thread was referring to a
| solution on "getting rid of ground elder"!
|
| I don't think it matters what you douse the shoots or roots in, from
| napalm to undiluted acid. The things will still rear their healthy heads
| in the spring.

Well, I have done it in one year, using no chemicals, and using
that patch to the full :-)

I dug it over and removed as much as I could stand, and planted
potatoes. I dug up stray bits where I saw them. When I dug up
the potatoes, the ground was clear. Of course, the dry summer did
help - ground elder dislikes drought even more than potatoes do.

If someone can tell me how to get rid of bindweed ....



Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
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Old 22-10-2003, 05:32 PM
Franz Heymann
 
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Default Getting rid of ground elder


"Cat" wrote in message
...

How do you get rid of ground elder's network of tough roots to be able
to plant spring flowering bulbs in a bed? Can I use soemthing like
Roundup, and will it get rid of the roots?


Glyphosate, of which Roundup is one example, is about the only thing which
will successfully eradicate ground elder, root and all. But remember that
is is active only when absorbed via the leaves of the plant.

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...)


Yes. The more active the growth is, the better the glyphosate works.

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?


As soon as you wish, providing you are within the planting season. The
glyphosate is deactivated for all practical purposes within hours after it
hits the ground.
By the way, don't be in a hurry, as you are almost certainly already too
late to do something about it this year.

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

Thanks in advance to all the amateurs and experts!


Franz


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Old 22-10-2003, 06:02 PM
Victoria Clare
 
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Default Getting rid of ground elder

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...)

Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--


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Old 22-10-2003, 07:02 PM
Franz Heymann
 
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Default Getting rid of ground elder


"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.

Franz


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Old 22-10-2003, 07:02 PM
Franz Heymann
 
Posts: n/a
Default Getting rid of ground elder


"Janet Tweedy" wrote in message
...
In article , 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? 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...)
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?

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

Thanks in advance to all the amateurs and experts!
Cat(h)


How disappointing ......... I thought the thread was referring to a
solution on "getting rid of ground elder"!

I don't think it matters what you douse the shoots or roots in, from
napalm to undiluted acid. The things will still rear their healthy heads
in the spring.

Glyphosate really did kill off a large colony of ground elder in my previous
garden.

Franz


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Old 22-10-2003, 07:02 PM
Franz Heymann
 
Posts: n/a
Default Getting rid of ground elder


"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
Janet Tweedy writes:
|
| How disappointing ......... I thought the thread was referring to a
| solution on "getting rid of ground elder"!
|
| I don't think it matters what you douse the shoots or roots in, from
| napalm to undiluted acid. The things will still rear their healthy

heads
| in the spring.

Well, I have done it in one year, using no chemicals, and using
that patch to the full :-)

I dug it over and removed as much as I could stand, and planted
potatoes. I dug up stray bits where I saw them. When I dug up
the potatoes, the ground was clear. Of course, the dry summer did
help - ground elder dislikes drought even more than potatoes do.

If someone can tell me how to get rid of bindweed ....


Glyphosate.

Franz


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Old 22-10-2003, 09:03 PM
Jane Ransom
 
Posts: n/a
Default Getting rid of ground elder

In article , Nick Maclaren
writes

If someone can tell me how to get rid of bindweed ....

Hey, Nick, Judith Lea and I have been plugging our bindweed eradication
methods for *years*!!!!!!!
Do you mean to say you have never tried either method???
--
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


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