Getting rid of alkanet

[Asteroidneenee]

I am desperate.... You try to kill it it grow again... My garden is like a big field of it.

I need to change my garden pH I think but really I need help understanding how...any good gardener with advice?

[intexasatthe moment]

Well I can offer lots of sympathy .It is very invasive .

I think it's a question of digging as much of the roots out as possible and then being vigilant and pulling out plants as they sprout .

And do your best to get them out before they flower as that adds seeds to the dastardly work of the roots .

It's a question of keeping at it .

I don't think ( but might be wrong ) that changing the soil's PH will help .

Onwards - you'll get there !

[L16579]

These plants have long rap roots that will easily regrow if you break the root when pulling them out. After a 3 year battle I have mostly extinguished them from my back garden. It's best if you can get any seedlings early on so the roots are still small and as intexas suggests before they flower. Good luck.

[Sue]

They are a nightmare, and easily confused with foxglove seedlings when small (until you try to get them out).

Agree, pick off the flowers so they can't seed (shame, as the flowers are very pretty).

If you are really desperate Roundup (contains glyphosate, a systemic weedkiller which carries the glyphosate through the plant and kills them from the roots up) would probably work.

It takes a while to see results as the leaves die last.

But you have to do it on a day with no wind (or forecast rain) and shield other plants very carefully for obvious reasons, so it may not be practicable.

Also you may not want to use chemicals.

Now - bluebells ......

[intexasatthe moment]

Oh yes bluebells ....I'm growing to dislike them .Impossible to retain the delicate English ones and the brutish spanish ones just take over ,growing through the plants you want to retain .

[Sue]

intexasatthe moment Wrote:

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> Oh yes bluebells ....I'm growing to dislike them

> .Impossible to retain the delicate English ones

> and the brutish spanish ones just take over

> ,growing through the plants you want to retain .

And the bulbs seem to be about ten metres deep in the ground, so they are impossible to get out ....

[jaywalker]

Sue wrote:

"If you are really desperate Roundup (contains glyphosate, a systemic weedkiller which carries the glyphosate through the plant and kills them from the roots up) would probably work.

It takes a while to see results as the leaves die last.

But you have to do it on a day with no wind (or forecast rain) and shield other plants very carefully for obvious reasons, so it may not be practicable."

My experience is that Roundup works well on this. Actually, with this plant the leaves die within a few hours of being sprayed, it takes longer to get down to the root, and a second application may be required for a large group of plants. As Sue says, take precautions (this chemical is probably not carcinogenic, but was recently thought to be so by some so the EU were in the process of banning it. They only changed their mind in March this year). Do not inhale (the other reason for choosing a calm day) or use the roll-on version. Wear plastic disposable gloves. Above all, do not rub your eyes until you have thoroughly washed your hands. I have found to my cost that any overspill will kill what it touches. It will also kill anything living in water so avoid pond areas etc. The garden centre on Croxted Road also has a super-powerful version that will kill pretty much anything, but you really don't need that for this.

[Sue]

The super powerful version is exorbitantly expensive 😀

[intexasatthe moment]

I think I've read that wrapping as many of the plants as you can in large plastic bag ,spraying into bag and tyeing up neck of bag is effective .

Personally I just keep grubbing them up .

Oh yes to the million little bluebell bulbs being 30 thousand feet down .Embedded under a much loved plant that you really don't want to disturb .

[TE44]

It's poison, dig them up and if you're not able

to, ask your neighbour (who may grow organically).

I'm sure they'd help you dig them out for you.

http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/roundup-quick-death-for-weeds-slow-and-painful-death-for-you/

[jaywalker]

TE44 Wrote:

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> It's poison, dig them up and if you're not able

> to, ask your neighbour (who may grow

> organically).

> I'm sure they'd help you dig them out for you.

>

> http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/roundup-qui

> ck-death-for-weeds-slow-and-painful-death-for-you/

My reaction to this is I don't know. How could I? So be careful how you use it. Yet, it has been around for a while and the toxicity to humans does not show up in meta-data (hence the EU's reversal of its earlier decision). This is NOT to give it a clean bill of health: just that it is not like, say, smoking and humans.

[TE44]

I would not trust Monsanto, there is a disrespect

for nature and people. There is no doubt in my

mind the roots of evil does not lie under the alkanet plant.

[Sue]

There is currently no clear scientific evidence that glyphosate is harmful when used in the sort of amounts and concentrations that are used in horticulture/agriculture.

So far as I am aware, that is why it is not banned.

[TE44]

Not banned here sue

[civilservant]

as it happens i'm also trying to discourage alkanet - it overpowers everything else in the garden

i see that it is said to thrive in soil with high (alkaline) pH, so i thought that lowering the soil pH might make it harder for alkanet to do well and also help my chlorotic hydrangea

any suggestions for reducing the alkalinity of soil?

[Lordship 516]

civilservant Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> as it happens i'm also trying to discourage

> alkanet - it overpowers everything else in the

> garden

>

> i see that it is said to thrive in soil with high

> (alkaline) pH, so i thought that lowering the soil

> pH might make it harder for alkanet to do well and

> also help my chlorotic hydrangea

>

> any suggestions for reducing the alkalinity of

> soil?

Add peat moss or aluminium sulphate; composted manure will also do the job.

[Sue]

civilservant Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> as it happens i'm also trying to discourage

> alkanet - it overpowers everything else in the

> garden

>

> i see that it is said to thrive in soil with high

> (alkaline) pH, so i thought that lowering the soil

> pH might make it harder for alkanet to do well and

> also help my chlorotic hydrangea

>

> any suggestions for reducing the alkalinity of

> soil?

I'm surprised your soil is alkaline?

Have you done a soil test?

[Sue]

TE44 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Not banned here sue

Eh?

I never said it was!

[intexasatthe moment]

Isn't clay alkaline ?

And I was guessing the "not banned here" = " should be banned here because it is elsewhere" ????

Who knows ,the first link I got when googling aluminium sulphate didn't look encouraging ,so use of that could probably also be debated .

[jaywalker]

civilservant Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> i see that it is said to thrive in soil with high

> (alkaline) pH, so i thought that lowering the soil

> pH might make it harder for alkanet to do well and

> also help my chlorotic hydrangea

>

> any suggestions for reducing the alkalinity of

> soil?

the wonder treatment for anything chlorotic like that (and acid loving) is seaweed extract with sequestered iron (you need the version with the iron as it is also available without). It also smells wonderful to apply (like the sea) and is quite green for the environment. Excellent for Camelias, ferns, rhododendrons, magnolia, acers and hibiscus which all tend to struggle on our clay based soil. Truly revivifying.

[Sue]

intexasatthe moment Wrote:

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> Isn't clay alkaline ?

>

Interesting, because I'd always thought clay was acid but I've just looked it up and usually it isn't.

Now I'm confused, because Dulwich Park for example has rhododendrons and azaleas, and I know other places round here which have camellias growing straight into the soil, and to the best of my knowledge all of those need acid soil.

My brain hurts now :))

[TE44]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> TE44 Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Not banned here sue

>

>

> Eh?

>

> I never said it was!

Sorry Sue, readinv my post I can see it's confusing. I meant not banned in this country but it is here

https://backtotheroots.com/blogs/bttr/a-complete-list-of-all-countries-that-have-banned-glyphosate

And many other countries are fighting to have it

banned. I think the business with WHO (world health organisation) stating it was likely to be carcinogenic, after studies back in 2015, feels a half hearted and I do not believe WHO to have our health at the heart of there organisations. WHO knows.

[TE44]

Yes ITATM, replied to Sue before seeing your post.

On phone.

[TE44]

http://www.handimania.com/craftspiration/eco-friendly-hobbit-house-250.html

Clay soils handy as well. Ha ha he rents it out

For milk and crem, love it.

[civilservant]

thanks jaywalker, i will get a bit of the seaweed and iron stuff, and hope to cure the poor little hydrangea

let's hope the wretched alkanet doesn't lap it up as well!

Sue, i think parks do quite a lot of soil conditioning for their acid-lovers - i couldn't afford anything on the same scale!