strange plant
 

I have just dug over an old greenhouse which has been full of nettles and
bindweed for years[1] and I found a weird plant, certainly not one I have
ever seen before, it's very small leaves were green on top and really deep
purple underneath, it was a creeping plant and I had dragged it up out of
the ground before I saw it, it certainly didn't look like a weed....the
leaves were like a clover, split into 3 heart shaped things and coloured as
mentioned above...my qustions are, obviously what is it? and how did it get
into an overgrown greenhouse which hasn't seen any activity in over 5 years?


[1]
I've binbagged all the nettle tops and bindweed tops and disposed of the
roots, can these tops be left to rot down in the bag? - I heard 'nettle
manure' left to rot like this makes good fertilizer next year...the nettles
were in full seed, so I don't want to add them to my compost heap.

TIA

--
If God had intended us to drink beer, He would have given us stomachs.

In article , Phil L
writes
I have just dug over an old greenhouse which has been full of nettles and
bindweed for years[1] and I found a weird plant, certainly not one I have
ever seen before, it's very small leaves were green on top and really deep
purple underneath, it was a creeping plant and I had dragged it up out of
the ground before I saw it, it certainly didn't look like a weed....the
leaves were like a clover, split into 3 heart shaped things and coloured as
mentioned above...my qustions are, obviously what is it? and how did it get
into an overgrown greenhouse which hasn't seen any activity in over 5 years?

Oxalis?

[1]
I've binbagged all the nettle tops and bindweed tops and disposed of the
roots, can these tops be left to rot down in the bag? - I heard 'nettle
manure' left to rot like this makes good fertilizer next year...the nettles
were in full seed, so I don't want to add them to my compost heap.

Worry more about the oxalis ;-)
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

The message
from "Phil L" contains these words:

I have just dug over an old greenhouse which has been full of nettles and
bindweed for years[1] and I found a weird plant, certainly not one I have
ever seen before, it's very small leaves were green on top and really deep
purple underneath, it was a creeping plant and I had dragged it up out of
the ground before I saw it, it certainly didn't look like a weed....the
leaves were like a clover, split into 3 heart shaped things and coloured as
mentioned above...my qustions are, obviously what is it? and how did it get
into an overgrown greenhouse which hasn't seen any activity in over 5 years?

Sounds like one of the sorrels, possibly Oxalis europaea - very invasive
weed, and thank your lucky stars it's still confined to the greenhouse.

[1]
I've binbagged all the nettle tops and bindweed tops and disposed of the
roots, can these tops be left to rot down in the bag? - I heard 'nettle
manure' left to rot like this makes good fertilizer next year...the nettles
were in full seed, so I don't want to add them to my compost heap.

Steep them in a tub of water. The liquor is ready when it smells awful,
but makes a fine liquid feed.

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

Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:
:: The message
:: from "Phil L" contains these words:
::
::: I have just dug over an old greenhouse which has been full of
::: nettles and bindweed for years[1] and I found a weird plant,
::: certainly not one I have ever seen before, it's very small leaves
::: were green on top and really deep purple underneath, it was a
::: creeping plant and I had dragged it up out of the ground before I
::: saw it, it certainly didn't look like a weed....the leaves were
::: like a clover, split into 3 heart shaped things and coloured as
::: mentioned above...my qustions are, obviously what is it? and how
::: did it get into an overgrown greenhouse which hasn't seen any
::: activity in over 5 years?
::
:: Sounds like one of the sorrels, possibly Oxalis europaea - very
:: invasive weed, and thank your lucky stars it's still confined to
:: the greenhouse.
::

Hmm, after searching for Oxalis on google's image search, it certainly
appears to be one of them, but which one I have no idea, I searched for O.
europaea ad it didn't look the same at all, the one I found was a flimsy
plant, with red stems and really dark purple undersides to the leaves.
Having read a bit about them, and from yours and Kay's comments, I gather
they can be troublesome? - this is the first time in my life that I've ever
seen one!


::: [1]
::: I've binbagged all the nettle tops and bindweed tops and disposed
::: of the roots, can these tops be left to rot down in the bag? - I
::: heard 'nettle manure' left to rot like this makes good fertilizer
::: next year...the nettles were in full seed, so I don't want to add
::: them to my compost heap.
::
:: Steep them in a tub of water. The liquor is ready when it smells
:: awful, but makes a fine liquid feed.
::
Thanks for that, I'll put them in a dustbin tomorrow with a few gallons of
water
- And the bindweed and horsetails too?


--
If God had intended us to drink beer, He would have given us stomachs.

In article ,
Kay wrote:
In article , Phil L
writes

I've binbagged all the nettle tops and bindweed tops and disposed of the
roots, can these tops be left to rot down in the bag? - I heard 'nettle
manure' left to rot like this makes good fertilizer next year...the nettles
were in full seed, so I don't want to add them to my compost heap.

Worry more about the oxalis ;-)

Not in my experience - ripe nettle seeds are BAD news :-(


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Nick Maclaren wrote:
:: In article ,
:: Kay wrote:
::: In article , Phil
::: L writes
::::
:::: I've binbagged all the nettle tops and bindweed tops and
:::: disposed of the roots, can these tops be left to rot down in the
:::: bag? - I heard 'nettle manure' left to rot like this makes good
:::: fertilizer next year...the nettles were in full seed, so I don't
:::: want to add them to my compost heap.
::::
::: Worry more about the oxalis ;-)
::
:: Not in my experience - ripe nettle seeds are BAD news :-(

I don't think they were ripe...they were all still green.

I'm using some of the soil out of there for my 10 hanging baskets and 15
planters next week (we are still getting light frosts here on a night)....I
did the same last year and just pulled the seedlings out twice a week for a
month and that was it, no weeds at all got established.

I do intend planting some tomatoes and chillis in that GH though, so I
suppose I'll just have to hoe it regularly - I'm just glad to have got it
back! - the buggers were 6 feet tall! - still, as someone told me on here a
few months ago, they do enrich the soil...I'm a bit new to all this but did
well last year utilising some of this soil.

--
If God had intended us to drink beer, He would have given us stomachs.

The message
from "Phil L" contains these words:

:: Steep them in a tub of water. The liquor is ready when it smells
:: awful, but makes a fine liquid feed.
::
Thanks for that, I'll put them in a dustbin tomorrow with a few gallons of
water
- And the bindweed and horsetails too?

Yes, roots and all, but I'd leave any horsetail fruiting bodies out of it.

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

Phil L wrote:
Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:
The message
from "Phil L" contains these words:

I have just dug over an old greenhouse which has been full of
nettles and bindweed for years[1] and I found a weird plant,
certainly not one I have ever seen before, it's very small leaves
were green on top and really deep purple underneath, it was a
creeping plant and I had dragged it up out of the ground before I
saw it, it certainly didn't look like a weed....the leaves were
like a clover, split into 3 heart shaped things and coloured as
mentioned above...my qustions are, obviously what is it? and how
did it get into an overgrown greenhouse which hasn't seen any
activity in over 5 years?

Sounds like one of the sorrels, possibly Oxalis europaea - very
invasive weed, and thank your lucky stars it's still confined to
the greenhouse.


Hmm, after searching for Oxalis on google's image search, it certainly
appears to be one of them, but which one I have no idea, I searched
for O. europaea ad it didn't look the same at all, the one I found
was a flimsy plant, with red stems and really dark purple undersides
to the leaves. Having read a bit about them, and from yours and Kay's
comments, I gather they can be troublesome? - this is the first time
in my life that I've ever seen one!


[1]
I've binbagged all the nettle tops and bindweed tops and disposed
of the roots, can these tops be left to rot down in the bag? - I
heard 'nettle manure' left to rot like this makes good fertilizer
next year...the nettles were in full seed, so I don't want to add
them to my compost heap.

Steep them in a tub of water. The liquor is ready when it smells
awful, but makes a fine liquid feed.

Thanks for that, I'll put them in a dustbin tomorrow with a few
gallons of water
- And the bindweed and horsetails too?

I have oxalys in my garden. I planted it there on purpose because I like it.

--�
purebred poultry
www.geocities.com/fenlandfowl

On Tue, 17 May 2005 17:01:10 GMT, "Phil L"
wrote:

I have just dug over an old greenhouse which has been full of nettles and
bindweed for years[1] and I found a weird plant, certainly not one I have
ever seen before, it's very small leaves were green on top and really deep
purple underneath, it was a creeping plant and I had dragged it up out of
the ground before I saw it, it certainly didn't look like a weed....the
leaves were like a clover, split into 3 heart shaped things and coloured as
mentioned above...my qustions are, obviously what is it? and how did it get
into an overgrown greenhouse which hasn't seen any activity in over 5 years?

Sounds like oxalis. Does it have little yellow flowers? If it is
oxalis, then IME it's an invasive weed, seeds itself everywhere and is
difficult to eradicate without dedicated persistence. Burn it or put
it in the dustbin, but NOT on the compost heap or it'll re-appear
everywhere (BTDTGTTS!). You'll need to keep a close watch on the soil
in the g/h as well, as the seeds will germinate sporadically over the
next five years or so. Probably been in there for ages, and came in
with something purchased at a garden centre or nursery.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Kay wrote:
In article , Phil L
writes

I've binbagged all the nettle tops and bindweed tops and disposed of the
roots, can these tops be left to rot down in the bag? - I heard 'nettle
manure' left to rot like this makes good fertilizer next year...the
nettles
were in full seed, so I don't want to add them to my compost heap.

Worry more about the oxalis ;-)

Not in my experience - ripe nettle seeds are BAD news :-(


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Yes but you may live long enough to eradicate the nettles!
--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)

"pammyT" wrote in message
...
Phil L wrote:
Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:
The message
from "Phil L" contains these words:

I have just dug over an old greenhouse which has been full of
nettles and bindweed for years[1] and I found a weird plant,
certainly not one I have ever seen before, it's very small leaves
were green on top and really deep purple underneath, it was a
creeping plant and I had dragged it up out of the ground before I
saw it, it certainly didn't look like a weed....the leaves were
like a clover, split into 3 heart shaped things and coloured as
mentioned above...my qustions are, obviously what is it? and how
did it get into an overgrown greenhouse which hasn't seen any
activity in over 5 years?

Sounds like one of the sorrels, possibly Oxalis europaea - very
invasive weed, and thank your lucky stars it's still confined to
the greenhouse.


Hmm, after searching for Oxalis on google's image search, it certainly
appears to be one of them, but which one I have no idea, I searched
for O. europaea ad it didn't look the same at all, the one I found
was a flimsy plant, with red stems and really dark purple undersides
to the leaves. Having read a bit about them, and from yours and Kay's
comments, I gather they can be troublesome? - this is the first time
in my life that I've ever seen one!


[1]
I've binbagged all the nettle tops and bindweed tops and disposed
of the roots, can these tops be left to rot down in the bag? - I
heard 'nettle manure' left to rot like this makes good fertilizer
next year...the nettles were in full seed, so I don't want to add
them to my compost heap.

Steep them in a tub of water. The liquor is ready when it smells
awful, but makes a fine liquid feed.

Thanks for that, I'll put them in a dustbin tomorrow with a few
gallons of water
- And the bindweed and horsetails too?

I have oxalys in my garden. I planted it there on purpose because I like
it.

This could be the basis of a new TV programme. It could be a cross between
Jackass (tedious in my humble opinion but quite popular where people do grim
things to each other (voluntarily) in order to shock adolescents the world
over) and Gardeners World where gardeners voluntarily plant Horseradish,
Horsetail, Bindweed, Ground Elder, and various Oxalis species as well as
encourage all the neighbourhood cats. Anyone know a TV producer who is
looking for a new idea? I reckon Mark Lamarr (never mind teh Buzzcocks)
could be teh frontman. Ohhh also need to plant bamboo hedges.

Des



--�
purebred poultry
www.geocities.com/fenlandfowl

Des Higgins wrote:
"pammyT" wrote in message
[...]
I have oxalys in my garden. I planted it there on purpose because
I
like it.

This could be the basis of a new TV programme. It could be a cross
between Jackass (tedious in my humble opinion but quite popular
where
people do grim things to each other (voluntarily) in order to shock
adolescents the world over) and Gardeners World where gardeners
voluntarily plant Horseradish, Horsetail, Bindweed, Ground Elder,
and
various Oxalis species as well as encourage all the neighbourhood
cats. Anyone know a TV producer who is looking for a new idea? I
reckon Mark Lamarr (never mind teh Buzzcocks) could be teh
frontman.
Ohhh also need to plant bamboo hedges.

No, I've already suggested that the new TV gardening ringmaster can
only be Ainsley Harriott. "Ooohh, we do like a bit of that, ladies
and gentlemen!" Or maybe Graham Norton: "No, no, seriously! Let's ask
the studio audience here at Berryfields -- no cheating, now -- hands
up if you've ever had a root your garden!"

--
Mike.

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
...
Des Higgins wrote:
"pammyT" wrote in message
[...]
I have oxalys in my garden. I planted it there on purpose because
I
like it.

This could be the basis of a new TV programme. It could be a cross
between Jackass (tedious in my humble opinion but quite popular
where
people do grim things to each other (voluntarily) in order to shock
adolescents the world over) and Gardeners World where gardeners
voluntarily plant Horseradish, Horsetail, Bindweed, Ground Elder,
and
various Oxalis species as well as encourage all the neighbourhood
cats. Anyone know a TV producer who is looking for a new idea? I
reckon Mark Lamarr (never mind teh Buzzcocks) could be teh
frontman.
Ohhh also need to plant bamboo hedges.

No, I've already suggested that the new TV gardening ringmaster can
only be Ainsley Harriott. "Ooohh, we do like a bit of that, ladies
and gentlemen!" Or maybe Graham Norton: "No, no, seriously! Let's ask
the studio audience here at Berryfields -- no cheating, now -- hands
up if you've ever had a root your garden!"


bwahahahaha.
You have an eye for this; I can tell.

--
Mike.

Des Higgins wrote:
"Mike Lyle" wrote in [...]
No, I've already suggested that the new TV gardening ringmaster
can
only be Ainsley Harriott. "Ooohh, we do like a bit of that, ladies
and gentlemen!" Or maybe Graham Norton: "No, no, seriously! Let's
ask
the studio audience here at Berryfields -- no cheating, now --
hands
up if you've ever had a root your garden!"


bwahahahaha.
You have an eye for this; I can tell.

I'm by no means sure that was a compliment!

--
Mike.

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
...
Des Higgins wrote:
"Mike Lyle" wrote in [...]
No, I've already suggested that the new TV gardening ringmaster
can
only be Ainsley Harriott. "Ooohh, we do like a bit of that, ladies
and gentlemen!" Or maybe Graham Norton: "No, no, seriously! Let's
ask
the studio audience here at Berryfields -- no cheating, now --
hands
up if you've ever had a root your garden!"


bwahahahaha.
You have an eye for this; I can tell.

I'm by no means sure that was a compliment!

It was it was!
Or how about Reeves and Mortimer doing a planting of herbaceous borders on
mopeds?


--
Mike.