Glyphosate is a non-selective, systemic weedkiller applied to the foliage. It is inactivated on contact with the soil, so there is no risk of damage to the roots of nearby ornamentals.Īs glyphosate is not selective in its action, it is essential to avoid spray or spray drift coming into contact with garden plants. Roundup Ultra, SBM Job done General Purpose Weedkiller or Doff Advanced Weedkiller). This is a deep-rooted perennial weed and it should be possible to eliminate the problem with repeat applications of a glyphosate-based weedkiller (e.g. To prevent germination of weed seedlings, apply an opaque mulching film or layer of bulky organic mulch, such as woodchips, to the soil at a depth of at least 8cm (3in).It is also important to avoid adding any mature weeds, which have set seed, to a home compost bin.As seeds can lie dormant in the soil for long periods of time, this task will be on-going. Hoeing weed seedlings is time consuming and needs doing promptly - before plants flower and set seed - to be effective.Note that the tap root can develop in even quite young plants. Dig deeply to remove roots and hand weed or hoe off any seedlings as they appear.Cultural controlĬultural methods can effectively control this weed. If chemical controls are used, they should be used only in a minimal and highly targeted manner. The RHS believes that avoiding pests, diseases and weeds by good practice in cultivation methods, cultivar selection, garden hygiene and encouraging or introducing natural enemies, should be the first line of control. Where these methods are not feasible, chemical controls may need to be used. Malvern Autumn Show - 22–24 September 2023įirst, consider whether this can be done using non-chemical means such as digging out or suppressing with mulch.RHS Garden Wisley Flower Show - 5–10 September 2023.RHS Garden Rosemoor Flower Show - 18–20 August 2023.RHS Garden Hyde Hall Flower Show - 2–6 August 2023.RHS Flower Show Tatton Park - 19–23 July 2023.RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival - 4–9 July 2023.If you grow potatoes, lay an early cutting of the leaves under each seed potato they will fertilise the developing crop as they decompose. It will mulch out any grass that competes with the root zone of the tree, the flowers bring in pollinating and naturally pest-predating insects and simply mowing or strimming the leaves will act as a cut-and-come-again mulch that releases minerals and nutrients into the tree’s root zone as it degrades. If you have fruit trees, you could do worse than plant comfrey around the base of the tree, leaving a foot or so from the trunk. If you have grape vines or stone fruit, you can use comfrey tea as a foliar feed, spraying it direct onto the leaves where it will be taken in readily.įor plants that need nitrogen for green growth - peas, beans, cut-and-come-again leaves and so on - you can follow exactly this method, but using nettles. I give them a good watering every fortnight from flowering, which they repay later in the season with a heftier, healthier harvest. ![]() The potassium in comfrey tea is especially good for any fruiting plants most of mine goes on aubergines, chillis, tomatoes, courgettes and beans. Once established, you can take three or four cuts of comfrey over the growing season, providing free nutrients and, in turn, more delicious produce. To use it, simply undo the lid, decant what you need and dilute it with about 15 parts water. Over the next fortnight or so, the leaves will break down under the weight of the brick and release a dark liquid. Dilute it if needed, as anything stronger is a waste.Īlternatively, you can invert a large water bottle (leave the cap on), cut the bottom off and fill the bottle with comfrey leaves. It should be the colour of very weak tea. Over a month or so, it will slowly leach its minerals into the water you’ll know when it’s ready to use, as it smells as if something with a very poor diet died a long time ago. The easiest way is to fill a net bag (I use an old onion net) with torn up comfrey leaves and suspend it from a cane into your water butt. I make this a few times a year, starting in spring. There are a number of ways of putting these nutrients to good use. Country Life's Top 100 architects, builders, designers and gardeners.
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