The Poultry Keeper

sirfrancis · Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 71 Location: northumberland

how do you get rid of this stuff, weve tried digging, double digging, weedkiller (supa strength) but nothing seems to work, even the hens wont eat it

Bhindi · Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 11:20 pm Post subject:

My girls eat it, and I wish they didnt, it is meant to be toxic. The problem with digging it up is that every segment that gets broken off becomes another plant, so its critical to get it all. I have managed to kill it with a weed killer. I dont know what it is but i used it out of desperation as I am opposed to using chemicals, It was a roll on type in red plastic bottle, . I tipped it upside down, and cut the bottle open and decanted it in to a jar. Then with a firm small paint brush, paint it on the entire length on most of the fronds, and then cover it up. Supposedly this weed killer breaks down in to harmless residue, but I use it sparingly. It was succesful, but time consuming.. sorry i cant remember the name but it was like a red watery jelly!

sirfrancis · Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 71 Location: northumberland

im willing to try anything, only thing is weve got about 25 sq foot of the stuff, its gonna take some painting,

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 6807 Location: isle of lewis

i've got tons it's an interesting plant though ,you can use it as a scourer Shocked

,it tends to like wetter areas ,which is why i have it along my front ditch and next doors lawn is covered in it ,i use the red jell as well .i carn't remeber what it's ,lent the rest of it to my neighbour who was going to dig up and throw way all her fathers rubarb (her fathers been gone 50 years )as she had an invasive weed in it .if you want to spary it if you trapple it a bit it breaks up the surface and it takes the weed killer in better ,and a trick i heard from a gardening lecture was to add a tablespoon of washing up liquid to the weed killer if you are sparying it breaks down the outside of the plant better and sticks to it
you can also so cut it down again and again this uses up the plants energy
but it will take ages ,black plastic may work ,
but i've got some growing through my tarmac Rolling Eyes

sirfrancis · Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 71 Location: northumberland

thanks girls, i,ll employ the family in to do the trampling, its even growing thru the greenhouse floor and thats concrete!!!

Loudmouth Schnook · Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 9:26 am Post subject:

I've got loads of the stuff too - but not in the fields where the horses are. They like the stuff! It is a scourge. As bad as the docks, which are as high as trees in one field! Evil or Very Mad

But I've got a pair of wwoofers in and a couple of scythes to sort that out!

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2245 Location: South Cumbria

a tip given to me at our first house was wear a rubber glove with a cotton glove over the top and apply the glyphosate (I think) with the glove gets a better cover thats after the bruising ! have fun Very Happy

Bhindi · Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 3:28 pm Post subject:

Thats a good tip, but why a cotton glove in the equation?

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2245 Location: South Cumbria

it holds quite a lot of the weedkiller it would run off the rubber one I guess ?

when we lived in Scarborough the painters doing the railings on the sea front empoyed a similar idea but the gloves were sort of sheepskin fabric !
I suppose you only need fabric on the palm if there is such a glove !!!

Clucky · Joined: 22 Jul 2006 Posts: 2152 Location: Shropshire

My brother, a gardener says the best way to get rid of a persisent weeds is to get jam jars filled with weed killer, make a hole in the lid and put the top of the plant in through the hole and let it sit in the chemical. Worked well with bind weed which is a b****r

The only problem is if you have stock wandering around Confused

Henwife · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 2715 Location: Monmouthshire

It's hardly surprising that mares tail is difficult to eradicate, it's one of the oldest surving plants we have. You find it fossilised!

sirfrancis · Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 71 Location: northumberland

yes, i did hear that it was planted on railway embankments in victorian times to prevent land fall, thanks everyone, karen and tony