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BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Steve Shaw Date: 17 Jul 17 - 07:10 PM Well, Jon, you've just illustrated why we botanists prefer Latin names! Samphire can mean Salicornia, the saltmarsh plant known as marsh samphire that posh restaurants serve their fish on top of, or rock samphire (Crithmum) that Henry VIII sent his servants to Cornwall for and which used to be pickled, or golden samphire (Inula crithmoides) that grows on sea cliffs or salt flats, which you can eat raw or boiled when young. I find marsh samphire to be a bit pointless. Give me tenderstem any day! I've tried both the others and I find their taste to be far too manky. I suppose tastes change through the centuries! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Jon Freeman Date: 17 Jul 17 - 07:25 AM Different plant but a local (Norfolk coast) wild growing delicacy is samphire. I don't know why but I've tasted it delicious and not so pleasant on different occasions. May be the time in the season with that one? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Steve Shaw Date: 17 Jul 17 - 07:11 AM You're supposed to boil or steam the young shoots just before flowering, then eat them with butter. I found the taste to be strong and pretty unpleasant. Could be I did something wrong! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Jon Freeman Date: 17 Jul 17 - 07:06 AM Alexanders was quite abundant in part of the garden where we were in N Wales. I've not tried to eat it though. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Steve Shaw Date: 17 Jul 17 - 07:00 AM I've never seen Oxford ragwort growing in pasture. It simply can't compete in dense grassy swards. I'm not arguing against its toxicity, but I simply can't imagine it getting into hay or silage except via extreme wanton carelessness. Common ragwort, on the other hand, needs be be removed before haymaking or silage-making. Senecio is a very large genus (it includes common groundsel) and the level of toxicity among the species is widely varied. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Senoufou Date: 17 Jul 17 - 06:47 AM Oxford Ragwort (Senecio squalidus) is just as toxic to livestock as Common Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea). All the ragworts contain alkaloids which damage the liver and kidneys. Oxford Ragwort is very common here in Norfolk as it colonises dry pasture but avoids rich, dense grassy fields. Most of our fields are dry, with spare soil. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Steve Shaw Date: 17 Jul 17 - 06:43 AM Giant hogweed can grow in places where children have access. Its impressive appearance can be attractive, its huge flower heads forming a canopy that looks like a den, and its tempting thick stems make nice sticks to play with. Skin contact with it is capable of causing severe scarring that can last for years. That isn't the kind of alien we need in this country. The common hogweed, in contrast, is much beloved by herbivores and the young shoots can be cooked and eaten. I've tried it but I didn't like it one bit, though I'm still here. I also tried Alexanders, a related plant that grows a lot round here. Don't know what those Romans ever saw in it. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Jon Freeman Date: 17 Jul 17 - 06:40 AM Steve knows more than me, S. I'd take his advice with the Giant hogweed. Beyond that, yes, there are dangerous things growing - you'd not even want to eat the fruit of the potato and of course there are some toadstools... We'd never be totally safe from anything you might touch or eat but I think some things can be special menaces all the same. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Steve Shaw Date: 17 Jul 17 - 06:35 AM You're mistaking common ragwort for Oxford ragwort. The latter grows only in waste places, never in meadows or pastures. It is unpalatable to animals, like hundreds of plants, but is not a threat. . |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Senoufou Date: 17 Jul 17 - 06:26 AM Oxford Ragwort came here from Sicily in about 1700. It's very toxic to animals, and a small amount getting into silage can cause irreversible kidney damage. Farmers are obliged by law to get rid of it from their pastures (but we see it everywhere here in Norfolk) It is a habitat/food for the Cinnabar Moth caterpillars however. Giant Hogweed just sits there. If one doesn't touch it, it does no harm. It doesn't run about chasing people. One might as well command that all adders are exterminated, and all yew trees uprooted and burnt. Children should be educated about these things. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Jon Freeman Date: 17 Jul 17 - 05:48 AM Thinking of things spreading, I have been surprised by mint. Lovely herb but it is capable of taking over here. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Steve Shaw Date: 17 Jul 17 - 05:29 AM Some alien weeds aren't too bad. More like visitor wild flowers really. In the south-west the roadsides in May and early June are adorned with beaked hawksbeard, which is quite jolly. There's Oxford ragwort, a native of Mount Etna, that cheers up the railways in the London area. I went up Etna looking for it a couple of years ago and couldn't find a single specimen! We have three-cornered garlic, impressive enough en masse but which is too aggressive and which ousts native hedgerow plants in Cornwall and Scilly. But Japanese knotweed and giant hogweed? No thanks. They are unalloyed menaces. Exterminate! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Jon Freeman Date: 17 Jul 17 - 05:27 AM I think this one belongs firmly in the Bullshit or other manure and all's going well down here... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler Date: 17 Jul 17 - 05:16 AM Genesis did "The return of the Giant Hogweed". Not sufficient to move this thread above the line! Robin |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Jon Freeman Date: 16 Jul 17 - 11:48 AM I've found Hydrangea Valley it does look pretty impressive! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Steve Shaw Date: 16 Jul 17 - 11:37 AM If you visit Trebah garden in Cornwall in August or September you'll see a most impressive show of hydrangeas growing en masse. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Jon Freeman Date: 16 Jul 17 - 10:58 AM Coming back to managing things, Pip reckons a couple more hydrangea instead of whatever goes in there would make the upkeep of the back bed at the front of the house easier. Apparently they should fill an area nicely and not need too much attention. We'll get a couple of Hydrangea macrophylla Magical Coral for her birthday then. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Jon Freeman Date: 14 Jul 17 - 08:32 AM In fairness to R & T, having posted my anger earlier in the thread, I feel I should note that they company kept their word, the trimmer has been delivered and the matter was, ultimately, dealt with professionally. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 13 Jul 17 - 11:35 PM Just need to add in my experience of glyphosate: Asked to get rid of thos weeds in a garden; someone just sprayed them and left them. Yeah! Sprayed them with Roundup! With gloves, long sleeves, long pants, I racked them up, put them on a sheet and wrapped them upp and put them in the back of my car, took the sheet out and dumped the weeds over the bank, never to be a bother again. Except that I ws sick for a month. I really do not care if it is carcinogenic or not, anything that takes a month out of my life should not be on the market. It is known to cause birth defects in frogs and lots more - KNOWN. 15% vinegar. I had a weed burner that had been made to be a burner for a pottery kiln, hooked up to a propane cannister, did a great job of killing weeds in paving and the like. As for chain saws - treat with respect. Here in the wilds of logging country Canada, I do not hear horror stories. There are frequent safety trainings. For several years, a friend and I cut up a full truck load of logs in prep for winter - VERY carefully. But we did it. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Steve Shaw Date: 13 Jul 17 - 07:21 PM Giant hogweed is an alien in this country and is a dangerous plant if it comes into contact with humans, especially children. It should be eradicated as soon as it's seen. It's in the same league, though for different reasons, as Japanese knotweed. Sentiment be damned. Hemlock and hogweed (giant or not) are in the same family 'tis true. But so are carrots, parsnips, angelica, coriander, parsley and chervil, among other comestibles. Potatoes, aubergines, peppers, chillies and tomatoes are in the same family as deadly nightshade, mandrakes, thorn-apples and tobacco. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: gnu Date: 13 Jul 17 - 05:26 PM Glyphosate. You'd better read up on that. CA just labelled it carcinogenic. As for mass weed destruction... https://www.volcanovaporizer.com/us/en/ Weeds? Vinegar, dish soap, water, pump spray canister. Bob's yer cheap eco-uncle. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Jon Freeman Date: 13 Jul 17 - 05:11 PM I won't be getting one but that it is, for you, a better tool than your older petrol Husqvarna sounds a pretty good recommendation for the Greenworks saw. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Bill D Date: 13 Jul 17 - 04:52 PM I did..(still do) have a petrol saw, (husqvarna ) which requires careful gas/oil mixing and several choke/throttle adjustments and the 'art' of holding it still while yanking on the starter cord. I suspect that experts 'tune' them for ease of use. This chainsaw is as 'gentle' as possible. It has a button to turn on the power, a button plus trigger to start the chain, and a chain brake to stop it almost instantly. It of course requires basic safety procedures... basically keeping the anti-kickback teeth in touch with the work...plus just getting used to the 'feel' of a power tool. I have a workshop with many power tools, so the habits are fairly well ingrained. When I got the Greenworks saw, I went out and quickly caught up on reducing a pile of useless timber pieces to manageable sizes. It is MUCH quieter than the old saw and lighter and better balanced.. I assume there are videos about using chainsaws... if one is not sure, I'd suggest watching some...or even better, finding someone local to demonstrate and/or show the tricks. I also have a Ryobi battery 18 volt circular saw for smaller jobs on limbs up to maybe 4 inches.... (Yes, I have heard sad stories of chainsaw accidents, too. Almost anything that whirls or cuts can get you. I have a small scar on my thumb from hurrying on a band saw! 30 years of woodworking, and that's my only real injury beyond scrapes & splinter.) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Senoufou Date: 13 Jul 17 - 04:02 PM I know two men (brothers) who are tree surgeons. They have all the qualifications and the correct protective clothing for the use of chainsaws. They've told me some ghastly horror stories about accidents with the things. I wouldn't recommend any 'amateur' buying one. Our aforementioned neighbour was far out in the countryside working alone years ago, and he sliced the tops off all his fingers on one hand with a chainsaw. He had to run to a nearby cottage dripping blood and get them to call an ambulance. He now has very short fingers and no nails on that hand. Makes me shudder... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Jon Freeman Date: 13 Jul 17 - 03:47 PM I'd not heard of greenworks tools, Bill. I have a couple of Ryobi cordless drills (hammer and drill/driver) that have met my own occasional diy needs for a few years. Pip used to use a mains electric mower for the strip of grass I mentioned earlier and, yep, a 30m extension plus whatever cable the mower had did look to me a bit of a bind. We have a petrol mower available now. Having got belted in the face by a big (but properly guarded - I only got a bloody nose) angle grinder, I'm scared of tools that can kick back in that way so that puts me off a chainsaw (OK you can wear protective clothing, anything not ancient will have a break but I still have visions of one clobbering me). Still, I'd be interested to know how yours worked out. Does it do as well as mains or petrol one that I'd guess you had before going cordless? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Bill D Date: 13 Jul 17 - 11:35 AM Since this discussion is mostly UK right now, I offer this http://www.greenworkstools.co.uk/ I have the US version of one of their hand drills and, since May, a 40 volt chainsaw. They seem to make anything not chemical you'd want to cope with botanical intrusion. I have spent so many years dealing with long extension cords strung across the lawn that I yearn for a lottery win in order to buy one of everything using battery power..... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: leeneia Date: 13 Jul 17 - 11:00 AM Dave the Gnome, how is the weed burner working out? Does she like it? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Jon Freeman Date: 13 Jul 17 - 09:50 AM (opps, I think hemlock is related to hogweed, a parsley/carrot?) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Jon Freeman Date: 13 Jul 17 - 09:47 AM I think I'd get rid of it, S. Not sure off hand if I've seen that one but the common variety is familiar and probably to Pip, likeable in the right places. I think it's a relative although maybe toxic in a different way. We did have hemlock start to grow when we were in N Wales. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Jon Freeman Date: 13 Jul 17 - 09:30 AM I want to like rats, clever creatures that they are, but we have ad to be at war with them a few times. Parents invested in some guarding (the 1st row of tiling was removed to fit it) a couple of years back but they still got in the roof space. I think that year may also have been the year we had losses I'd not seen before or since, apples chewed and our handful of sweetcorn chewed. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Senoufou Date: 13 Jul 17 - 09:16 AM By the way, does anyone know that massive plant called Giant Hogweed? We had one down by the ditch in the last house and it was absolutely magnificent. About 15ft tall and positively HUGE. I know the sap is dodgy and can cause terrible burns and blisters (so why touch it?) We called it The Triffid. But when I was last in Scotland, my sister showed me some areas of yellowed, dead foliage by the side of the main road where the council workmen had sprayed and sprayed Giant Hogweeds with extremely strong herbicide to completely eradicate and kill them. It seemed rather a shame. We'd never suffered any burns or similar because we're not daft. However, I believe it's not native to UK. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Senoufou Date: 13 Jul 17 - 09:02 AM Oooh tractors! Our lovely neighbour next-door works on the land, and owns two or three tractors. His son is an agricultural mechanic/engineer. Sometimes they park a massive, gorgeous tractor in front of their house (Last time it was a lovely red-and-yellow monster with gigantic black wheels.) I drooled, and the dad offered to let me ride in it and have a go at the controls. But I'm too darned old and decrepit to clamber up into the cab. He and my husband pushed my bottom from underneath (providing amusement for the entire street; my face was as red as the tractor) and I tried and tried, but we had to give up. He said, "Oi reck'n yer tew owld fer this caper, mawther!" My husband laughed so much I thought he'd need an ambulance! Hedgehogs can be enticed into the garden if one provides corners of wild growth, little 'hedgehog houses' of wood, a compost heap or pile of leaves etc in which to hibernate, and also one can put out saucers of water and small amounts of catfood in a dish. You can tell if one has visited because their poo is very black and a bit sticky (yuk!) Of course, the food might encourage rats. But they are ever with us sadly... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Jon Freeman Date: 13 Jul 17 - 08:07 AM Always fancied a garden tractor (amongst other tractors - I'd quite like one of those old grey Fergusons...) AND one of those quad bikes to ride round our imaginary estate... I can get sold on that sort of thing but our (3 collective) financial resources wouldn't stand it and they wouldn't really have practical use here. Any tips on persuading a hedgehog to come and stay? Re weedkillers, etc.: We do use Roundup but try to keep its usage minimal. We again are not organic in that we eg,. use phostrogen. We avoid insecticides but I don't know what goes on the farm worked part of around 90 acres... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Senoufou Date: 13 Jul 17 - 07:14 AM Hedgehogs nowadays face a whole host of dangers to their existence. Gardens are fashionably 'landscaped' to include little cover or habitat for their food; people put down poison pellets for slugs and the hedgehogs gobble up the dead ones then get poisoned themselves; they suffer from Hookworm, even Tuberculosis. And then there are the strimmer injuries mentioned above. They also fall into water features/ponds and can't get out if the people haven't made a gently sloping 'beach'. They swim desperately for hours then drown. The Hedgehog Hospital has open days (I help to make the tea!) and one can visit the various 'patients' and learn about hedgehogs. Very good for children to learn about wildlife. We had a ride-on mower in that last house. When we weren't fighting over the petrol brush-cutter, we were jostling for a place on the ride-on! It had various items one could tow along behind; distributor for lawn feed; a mini-harrow; a high-sided cart for all the weeds and bits of wood; fun for everyone! Weedol is useless. Not a bit as good as Verdone. Waste of money. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Jon Freeman Date: 13 Jul 17 - 05:33 AM I've been promised delivery for tomorrow. I don't share your enthusiasm, S, but I am all too easily drawn to "gadgets" of several types... I know though that the novelty will wear off and strimming will soon become a chore... We will wind up with 2 trimmers. The one on order is a lightweight one with a U handle which I think will stay with the line head on but there is some heavier brambly stuff to clear too. Not too much, the area of the field with a set of pigsties covered in brambles and blackthorn, etc. seems particularly enjoyed by blackbirds and (perhaps rather oddly) I think provides a home for PussPuss. Good excuse for only widening and keeping clear the access track anyway. That plus that area is outside the patch we rent but logs are delivered here and the septic tank needs emptying and the "road through" gets overgrown. There is a barn between our patch and the hidden pigsties but I can't remember the last time the farm used the track that far or used the barn. Hedgehogs: Again, I can't remember the last time I saw one. There was one coming to our front garden a few years back which we tried to encourage with some cat food but it didn't stay around for long. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Senoufou Date: 12 Jul 17 - 03:40 PM We had a super petrol brush cutter for our last garden, to keep the long ditch clear, and allow the primroses, various frogs and Hissing Sid the grass snake to live there without being overgrown by massive clumps of unfriendly weeds. It had a sturdy leather harness, and once a year was enough to keep the habitat under control. We really didn't want to use chemical herbicides. I loved using it; we often fought over whose turn it was! One has to watch carefully so as not to injure creatures with machinery like that though. The Hedgehog Hospital I support is forever taking in poor little hedgehogs with terrible injuries caused by strimmers etc. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Jon Freeman Date: 12 Jul 17 - 12:00 PM "Drifting on to other garden equipment, we have a brush cutter on order" And am loosing patience. Tried replying to the order email address to no reply and today (still no reply), have written this to Radmore & Tucker on their "contact us" form: I did email the rtorders address on Monday but have received no reply, perhaps you don't answer that one? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Steve Shaw Date: 07 Jul 17 - 01:02 PM It's shocking. I knew that "dessicants" are used on linseed so that the crop is completely dry before harvest but I wasn't aware of its use on cereals (and potatoes). However, the outrage doesn't really extend to my use of glyphosate on my gravel. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Jack Campin Date: 07 Jul 17 - 12:34 PM Bad news about glyphosate, at least as used by agribiz. The tone of this article is crazy Greenpeace-like scaremongering but there is a core of plausibility to it. http://www.realnews24.com/the-real-reason-wheat-is-toxic-its-not-the-gluten |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Senoufou Date: 07 Jul 17 - 11:19 AM Some elderly neighbours up the road have had all their lawn taken up by a machine, the drive broken up and a thick plastic membrane extended over the lot. Next, a massive pile of broken slate chips (in a dreary grey) arrived and was spread over the entire area. I suppose it's completely labour-free, but it looks horribly stark and brutal. The slate isn't even a local stone. And of course, nothing will grow there. They got the idea from a man further along, who did the same, and who has now proudly placed a tiny pot containing some geraniums right in the middle. A sop to Cerberus! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Steve Shaw Date: 07 Jul 17 - 10:08 AM Following the glyphosate controversy is what I meant to say. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Steve Shaw Date: 07 Jul 17 - 10:06 AM Well anything that ends in -cide is going to be tricky. My solution is to use it in small amounts, only in suitable weather conditions and only in places where I never want any vegetation to grow. I can't even begin to think of hand-weeding the drive. Using a weed wand would be expensive, results in metallic waste and releases copious carbon dioxide. I could pave the drive but that would create serious runoff. Glyphosate in strictly limited amounts is my compromise. I've been following the glyphosate with concern for a good while and, as far as I can glean as honestly as I can, the jury is still well and truly out. Don't get me started on neonicotinoid insecticides though. Unbelievably, you can still buy them for garden use. Not only will their continued commercial use see off all pollinating insects, it will also threaten human food supplies big time. It's insane that they are allowed to be used at all. Look out especially for imidacloprid on the label, though there are others. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Senoufou Date: 07 Jul 17 - 09:00 AM It's a problem isn't it Steve? I hate chemicals too, and feel awful resorting to Weedol lawn weeder, Pathclear and Roundup (which contains glyphosate, a chemical with a bit of doubt about its safety. However, there's been a 'stay of execution' on banning it for 18 months until further research is undertaken. Possible link to cancer) We had an ants' nest on our front doorstep. Husband wanted to paint the step a cheerful red, but the ants kept making little piles of sand. I got an ant-killer powder, but watching the little creatures busily marching about, I just hadn't the heart to murder them. We gently brushed them aside with a soft brush and he quickly painted before they returned. Luckily the paint dried rapidly in the heat. Daft pair of softies! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Steve Shaw Date: 07 Jul 17 - 08:46 AM I have a half-acre garden that's been growing like mad this summer. The drive and parking space are gravel. That's the only bit of the garden that's allowed weedkiller. Sodium chlorate, which you can't get now anyway, had a nasty habit of spreading sideways so it was hard to judge how close to the grass I could go. These days the gravel gets a couple of doses of glyphosate per annum from those little bottles of spray from Poundland. It doesn't spread and is rapidly inactivated. Apart from that everything is organic. I suppose I'm disqualified from bragging that my garden's organic, but sometimes I think it's OK to indulge in a very limited transaction with the world of technology! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: leeneia Date: 06 Jul 17 - 12:12 PM Salt is bad for the environment. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Raggytash Date: 05 Jul 17 - 04:07 PM Unfortunately Joe with the amount of rain we get in the UK the garden has normally gone on a rampage in a VERY short time. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Joe Offer Date: 05 Jul 17 - 02:51 PM If you have trouble with weeds, hire my stepspn to water your garden while you're off on vacation. When you get home, everything will be dead. We took no chances on our recent vacation. We put automatic timers on all the hoses, and everything got watered despite my stepson's best efforts to kill the garden... But hey, he took good care of the dogs. -Joe- |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Senoufou Date: 05 Jul 17 - 02:01 PM Haha Raggytash! It's much more fun dreaming than weeding the blooming garden. Maybe those crocodiles could get stuck in after the performance is over? Before he headed off to work, my husband kindly (?) placed the garden wheelie bin round the back for me to get going with the toil. It's still sitting there totally empty. Can't face it I'm afraid. He hates gardening if truth were told. I have to wait until I'm in the mood and feeling like Morgan the Mighty. (a rare event) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Jon Freeman Date: 05 Jul 17 - 09:35 AM I remember sodium cholrate (and sugar mix?) making bangs in childhood but I think it was older kids than me. Memory at the moment seems confined to match ends, keys and a bit of string. Paraquat's the stuff you (No, not really...) want, S... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Weapons of mass weed destruction From: Raggytash Date: 05 Jul 17 - 09:33 AM "Sigh. I sometimes dream of a nice tidy little window box..." And singing crocodiles !! |
