Climbing weed
 

In article ,
"Steve" writes:
|
| It grows at a prolific rate and has large leaves and tendrils which wrap
| around anything nearby. It also mildly irritates the skin if you handle
| them. As far as I recall from last year it dies away later in the year and
| bears berries.
|
| What is it likely to be (I can post a link to a photo if you like), and more
| importantly what is the best way to get rid of this nuisance? Previous posts
| about climbers seem to just say keep pulling them up.

Please do. If it merely dies back to the stems, and not back to
the roots, and the leaves go reddish in autumn, then it might be
a vine - e.g. Vitis coignetae - in which case you might prefer to
keep it rather than the ivy!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Climbing weed
 

"Steve" wrote in message
...
Last year I had the first appearance of a large climbing weed in a corner of
the garden. This year it is taken over a large area along one wall and is
completely covering some ivy which will no doubt be killed off if I dont get
rid of the weed.

It grows at a prolific rate and has large leaves and tendrils which wrap
around anything nearby. It also mildly irritates the skin if you handle
them. As far as I recall from last year it dies away later in the year and
bears berries.

What is it likely to be (I can post a link to a photo if you like)

Please !

Jenny

Climbing weed
 

In article , Steve
writes
Last year I had the first appearance of a large climbing weed in a corner of
the garden. This year it is taken over a large area along one wall and is
completely covering some ivy which will no doubt be killed off if I dont get
rid of the weed.

It grows at a prolific rate and has large leaves and tendrils which wrap
around anything nearby. It also mildly irritates the skin if you handle
them. As far as I recall from last year it dies away later in the year and
bears berries.

What is it likely to be (I can post a link to a photo if you like),

Yes please. Lots of things have large leaves and tendrils!

and more
importantly what is the best way to get rid of this nuisance? Previous posts
about climbers seem to just say keep pulling them up.

However, aren't there weedkillers which are absorbed through leaves? I know
I can't spray them as some overspray will get onto the ivy and other nearby
plants, but would it be effective to "paint" it onto several leaves of the
weed?

Yes. Look for something containing glyphosate

If it was possible to get the weedkiller onto only the folliage of the weed
and the weed eventually died, would it effect plants nearby perhaps by the
chemical in the weed's roots eventually getting into the soil and being
absorbed by other plants through their roots?

No - it becomes inactive in the soil. It only affects the plant you put
it on.


--
Kay Easton

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

Climbing weed
 

The message
from "Steve" contains these words:

Last year I had the first appearance of a large climbing weed in a corner of
the garden. This year it is taken over a large area along one wall and is
completely covering some ivy which will no doubt be killed off if I dont get
rid of the weed.

It grows at a prolific rate and has large leaves and tendrils which wrap
around anything nearby. It also mildly irritates the skin if you handle
them. As far as I recall from last year it dies away later in the year and
bears berries.

please note - from memory

Sounds as if it might be black bryony, but AFAIK it doesn't have
tendrils. I believe this is the only British representative of the yam
family. Leaves sagitate. Berries red, shiny and slightly ovoid.

White bryony AFAIK isn't an irritant but does have tendrils. That's a
native cucurbit. Leaves palmate. Flowers white, berries red and
spherical.

What is it likely to be (I can post a link to a photo if you like), and more
importantly what is the best way to get rid of this nuisance? Previous posts
about climbers seem to just say keep pulling them up.

However, aren't there weedkillers which are absorbed through leaves? I know
I can't spray them as some overspray will get onto the ivy and other nearby
plants, but would it be effective to "paint" it onto several leaves of the
weed?

Yes: paint a lot of leaves with glyphosate. The roots of both are fairly
large, so you may have to do this several times.

An alternative would be to unsecure several strands, feed them into some
drainpipe or similar, and spray glyphosate down the pipe. Don't worry
too much about the ivy as the leaves are waxy and don't absorb
glyphosate well.

If it was possible to get the weedkiller onto only the folliage of the weed
and the weed eventually died, would it effect plants nearby perhaps by the
chemical in the weed's roots eventually getting into the soil and being
absorbed by other plants through their roots?

No. Glyphosate and Paraquat and similar are neutralised on touching the soil.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

Climbing weed
 

On Thu, 20 May 2004 14:56:47 +0100, Jaques d'Alltrades
wrote:

please note - from memory

Sounds as if it might be black bryony, but AFAIK it doesn't have
tendrils.

There is black bryony and white bryony. I never can remember which is
which, but certainly one has tendrils.
Regard both as poisonous.

Pam in Bristol

Climbing weed
 

Here are a couple of pics - sorry for the delay. I noticed today that it was
starting to produce small flowers, so I added a pic of a flower. The petals
seemed whiter than they appear in the pic.

Can anyone identify it?

http://vaux.port5.com/weed.jpg
http://vaux.port5.com/flower.jpg

It seems to have got a better grip of that part of the garden than I at
first thought. I'll keep attacking the leaves with glyphosate.

How long should I leave between repeated applications?

Hopefully if that kills off the roots I may not have to keep pulling it up
next year.

"Kay Easton" wrote in message
...
In article , Steve
writes
Last year I had the first appearance of a large climbing weed in a corner
of
the garden. This year it is taken over a large area along one wall and is
completely covering some ivy which will no doubt be killed off if I dont
get
rid of the weed.

It grows at a prolific rate and has large leaves and tendrils which wrap
around anything nearby. It also mildly irritates the skin if you handle
them. As far as I recall from last year it dies away later in the year
and
bears berries.

What is it likely to be (I can post a link to a photo if you like),

Yes please. Lots of things have large leaves and tendrils!

Climbing weed
 

In article ,
Steve wrote:
Here are a couple of pics - sorry for the delay. I noticed today that it was
starting to produce small flowers, so I added a pic of a flower. The petals
seemed whiter than they appear in the pic.

Can anyone identify it?

http://vaux.port5.com/weed.jpg
http://vaux.port5.com/flower.jpg

White bryony.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Climbing weed
 

In article , Steve
writes
Here are a couple of pics - sorry for the delay. I noticed today that it was
starting to produce small flowers, so I added a pic of a flower. The petals
seemed whiter than they appear in the pic.

Can anyone identify it?

http://vaux.port5.com/weed.jpg
http://vaux.port5.com/flower.jpg

White bryony.

It seems to have got a better grip of that part of the garden than I at
first thought. I'll keep attacking the leaves with glyphosate.

How long should I leave between repeated applications?

It takes several weeks to work.

Btw, please don't top post. The convention in this group is bottom
posting (or in-line posting), and top posting muddles the thread.

Hopefully if that kills off the roots I may not have to keep pulling it up
next year.



"Kay Easton" wrote in message
...
In article , Steve
writes
Last year I had the first appearance of a large climbing weed in a corner
of
the garden. This year it is taken over a large area along one wall and is
completely covering some ivy which will no doubt be killed off if I dont
get
rid of the weed.

It grows at a prolific rate and has large leaves and tendrils which wrap
around anything nearby. It also mildly irritates the skin if you handle
them. As far as I recall from last year it dies away later in the year
and
bears berries.

What is it likely to be (I can post a link to a photo if you like),

Yes please. Lots of things have large leaves and tendrils!



--
Kay Easton

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

Climbing weed
 

On 23 May 2004 19:13:51 GMT, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:

White bryony.
Yes - Bryonia dioica, our only native member of the cucumber family.
It can become very rampant as an individual, but is not especially
troublesome in terms of spreading through the garden. Unlike true
nuisances such as bindweed, the root is rather carrot like and not
especially difficult to dig out. You might get a bit of regrowth from
remaining root pieces, but these are easily dispatched.

It can smother weaker growing plants, but will die away in early
autumn as the berries ripen. White Bryony is neither ornamental nor
unattractive so whether you allow it to remain is up to you. It is
poisonous though and small children might be tempted by the light
scarlet, pea-sized berries. The smell and taste foul, but quite
severe toxic effects can occur after only a few are eaten. The dried
root was used in the treatment of coughs, pleurisy, pneumonia etc.


Dave Poole
Torquay, Coastal South Devon UK
Winter min -2°C. Summer max 34°C.
Growing season: March - November
Drop 's' when mailing

Climbing weed
 

In article ,
Dave Poole writes:
| On 23 May 2004 19:13:51 GMT, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:
|
| White bryony.
| Yes - Bryonia dioica, our only native member of the cucumber family.
| It can become very rampant as an individual, but is not especially
| troublesome in terms of spreading through the garden. Unlike true
| nuisances such as bindweed, the root is rather carrot like and not
| especially difficult to dig out. You might get a bit of regrowth from
| remaining root pieces, but these are easily dispatched.

!!!

The biggest root I ever had in the garden was c. 5" across, and
broke off over a foot down at 2"+. To dig out such roots, I
should have to treat them like tree-stumps and excavate! It also
regrows vigorously unless I dig it out over 6" down.

It may be that it grows bigger in my soil.

But, as you say, it is not a major problem, and I don't bother
removing it from the wilder parts. The tops come away very easily
and go on the compost heap :-)

| It can smother weaker growing plants, but will die away in early
| autumn as the berries ripen. White Bryony is neither ornamental nor
| unattractive so whether you allow it to remain is up to you. It is
| poisonous though and small children might be tempted by the light
| scarlet, pea-sized berries. The smell and taste foul, but quite
| severe toxic effects can occur after only a few are eaten. The dried
| root was used in the treatment of coughs, pleurisy, pneumonia etc.

All parents of small children should grow chillis, and ensure that
any child that eats berries without permission finds them first.

Given the frequency of white bryony in the hedgerows, in suburbia
as well as in the countryside, an untrained child is more likely to
harm itself the first time it comes across a tempting berry. And
LOTS of them are poisonous, not just white bryony.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.