How do you get rid of willow herb and brambles?

Question

OK....so I've done some intensive research into what is actually growing in my garden. The majority of it is brambles and willow herb. They have completely taken over the garden. Any suggestions would be welcome.

Answer 1

The following non-toxic methods can all be used to keep weeds under control in the veganic garden:

1. Remove any weeds that you definately don't want in your garden, as quickly as possible and certainly before they flower and set seed.

2. Use a raised bed, no dig system. Digging the ground brings buried weeds seeds to the surface of the soil and the seeds will germinate as soon as they come in contact with the light.

3. Mulch the surface of your beds (using about 2-4" of an organic mulch). The mulch will exclude light from the soil. And no light, no weeds! Mulching also helps to retain moisture, protect against soil erosion, encourage earthworm activity, adds extra nutrients to the soil (if an organic mulch is used) and can keep crops clean and free of disease. (e.g. by putting straw underneath strawberries.) Unfortunately, mulching can sometimes attract slugs. Mulches which are suitable for use in the veganic garden include: straw, woodchips, leafmould, seaweed, old carpet (not foam-backed), black plastic, cardboard, newspaper (several layers thick, black and white only), compost, well-rotted lawn mowings, sawdust, wilted comfrey leaves, forest bark, shredded prunings and gravel. It is also possible to purchase a special paper mulch from the Organic Gardening Catalogue (address in mail order section) for �9.50/roll. Entirely biodegradable, this paper mulch gradually breaks down and is incorporated into the soil. Incidentally, they also sell a cocoa shell mulch which can deter slugs and many cats (�10.25/bag) and bags of composted bark for �7.95/bag.

4. Never leave the soil bare! This just encourages weeds. Plant green manure crops on any spare land. Most green manure plants compete well with weeds, except bitter lupin which is a poor weed suppressor. (For more information see Green Manure article.)

5. Use ground cover plants to suppress weeds. For example, clover can be grown underneath tall crops such as sweetcorn or Brussels sprouts, or plant courgettes and pumpkins underneath sweetcorn. Many herbs also make good ground cover plants. Grass can be used as ground cover underneath trees and shrubs.

6. Use crop rotation. This will supress weeds, as well as keeping disease under control. Alternate weed susceptible crops e.g. onions and root crops with weed suppressing crops, such as green manures, potatoes, pumkins, courgettes.

7. If you do have to remove weeds, then only use environmentally-friendly methods, such as hand weeding, hoeing (or use scrapper) and if necessary flame gunning.

Answer 2

Basic Training of the Puppy - Read here https://tr.im/H3J67

The new puppy is certainly one of the most adorable and cuddly creatures that has ever been created. It is the most natural thing in the world to shower it with love and affection. However, at the same time it is important to realize that if you want to have a well trained adult dog, you need to begin the training process right away. The dog, like its related ancestor, the wolf, is a pack animal. One of the features of a pack is that it has a single dominant leader. Your new puppy is going to want that leader to be you, but if you do not assume that role from the very beginning, the puppy’s instincts will push him to become the leader.

The most important thing to remember about training the puppy during its first six months of life is that it must see you as the leader of the family pack. The essential thing is gaining the trust and the respect of the puppy from the beginning. You will not do this by allowing the puppy to do whatever it wants to do whenever it wants to do it. On the other hand, a certain amount of patience is required. Most people err in their early training by going to extremes one way or the other. Although you need to begin the basic training process at once, you can not expect your dog to do too much at first. Basic obedience training is fine and should include simple commands like sit, stay, and come. Remember that trying to teach the dog advanced obedience techniques when it is a puppy is much like trying to teach a five year old child algebra.

It is also important to restrain from cruel or abusive treatment of the puppy. You can not beat obedience into your dog, and it certainly is not going to engender feeling of respect and trust. House breaking is an area where this usually becomes a problem because of the anger that is triggered when the puppy fails and creates a mess inside the home. Although this issue must be addressed without anger, it most be addressed. If you allow the puppy to eliminate inside the house, it will continue to do so as an adult dog. The same thing is true of other destructive or dangerous behavior such as chewing and biting. Do not expect the puppy to grow out of it. You are going to need to train the puppy out of it, but you should do so firmly but with a sense of play and fun using positive reinforcement and lots of love and praise for good behavior.

Answer 3

Potatoes... Sow a crop and they will cover everything and starve out your weeds... plus come Autumn you'll be munching on delicious home-grown roasters... I put some down the bottom of my garden and they even starved off the dreaded bind-weed...

Failing that, and being a little more drastic, buy some 'Root-Out'... It's a poison that can be cast directly, diluted and poured or sprayed onto your brambles and weeds. It kills everything, so keep it away from your prize roses... After 6 weeks or so the soil can be turned and dug over... and hey presto... weed free!

Answer 4

Use Round-up. You can let your cats out as soon as it drys. It's actually so safe you don't even have to worry if they are around you when your spraying. Just don't get the stuff in your eyes. The round-up will bind to the soil and deactivate and you can plant most crops the next day. You should wait 7 days before planting grass seeds however. Don't till or mow for 7 days so the chemical will go to the roots and kill the weeds.

Answer 5

Hire a flame-torch for the day/weekend, if you can handle one. Or, buy Roundup and a large pump sprayer and follow instructions to the letter! Takes longer but it'll do the job. U could throw a 'garden clearing' party, just provide the beer...

Answer 6

All I can suggest is that you dig as much of them out as possible - roots and all. There is nothing you can permanently do to get rid of the brambles - apart from shooting ALL the wild birds, as they eat blackberries and the seeds go straight through their systems and out in their ****.

Answer 7

I tried the poison, didnt last long, in the end we asked a local builder to bring along his JCB, he tied it to the digger and pulled. The entire thing including roots came out and has never come back since.

We tried everything and spent the money and obviously now wish we had just done this in the first place.

Answer 8

Try this link and find the site that suits your needs.

Answer 9

move to london

Answer 10

step on them