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Hoovie
Devon DIYer
Joined: 27 Jul 2007
Posts: 8036
Location: East Devon
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 Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 6:39 am Post subject: Garden turned into a Jungle |
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With all this Rain, not been into the garden for ages and braved it at the weekend 
Grass is mega high and about 10 foot by 40 foot area is covered by some kind of Vine Creeper that has carpeted what was mainly bare earth (our future veg patch) and send creepers into the lawn.
Any tips on best way to deal with it? I have pulled it all away from the grass and spend about 2-3 hours gathering it together (some much intertwinned it is REALLY strong) but still only about 20% done - is it just a manual piece of work or can I spray a killer on it, let it die off and then clear it? or maybe get a gas torch on it a bit to help clear it? (small plumbers one rather then a flamethrower type thing  )
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ultimatehandyman
Site Admin
Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 9740
Location: Darwen, Lancashire
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| Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 8:24 pm Post subject: |
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I once had a similar problem when a tenant left a property in a real mess.
I had to cut the grass with a strimmer as it was over two feet tall.
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AuntiePink
Senior Member
Joined: 12 Aug 2008
Posts: 147
Location: London/Essex
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| Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 9:10 pm Post subject: |
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I'd go for the torch option, I love my weed wand (when I can get the gas refills!  )
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Tina
If I can't fix it with a hammer it's an electrical fault. |
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peter c
Senior Member
Joined: 14 Sep 2007
Posts: 333
Location: Suffolk
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| Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 8:05 am Post subject: |
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Hoovie try Round Up, I have used it with devastating effect on the mass of nettles etc that I have in part of my garden. It takes a while and may need a second or third application. The great thing abot it is it kills the roots also does not affect the soil. They also do a super version but I think you can only get it in agricultural merchants.
Peter C
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Hoovie
Devon DIYer
Joined: 27 Jul 2007
Posts: 8036
Location: East Devon
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| Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:13 am Post subject: |
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I bought some powered weedkiller - uses same stuff as in roundup but greater strength (can't spell the ingrediant - Gyps... something?) which I intend to mix up and apply with one of those hand-pumped pressure sprayers I have knocking around.
I was feeding the stuff (vines that is) into a mulcher/chopper thing and it kept getting wrapped round th blade - right pain 
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I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, "Where's the self-help section?"
She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose. |
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Hoovie
Devon DIYer
Joined: 27 Jul 2007
Posts: 8036
Location: East Devon
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| Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 9:39 am Post subject: |
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Just been reading this .... What's the problem with Japanese knotweed?
That's the stuff I had in my garden
"Planting it or dumping it can lead to two years in prison, a large fine, or both, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Contaminated soil is classed as controlled waste. It has to be buried at least 10 metres deep on site or taken away by a licensed operator to a designated landfill site and buried to a depth of five metres.
Many landfill operators do not accept it and those that do need advance warning of its arrival and charge a premium rate because of the requirement for deep burial. "
Bloody Hell 
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I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, "Where's the self-help section?"
She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose. |
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AuntiePink
Senior Member
Joined: 12 Aug 2008
Posts: 147
Location: London/Essex
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| Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 2:41 am Post subject: |
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Oh my gawd! What did you do with it in the end? *crossing fingers that you didn't slip it in with the household refuse*
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Tina
If I can't fix it with a hammer it's an electrical fault. |
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Hoovie
Devon DIYer
Joined: 27 Jul 2007
Posts: 8036
Location: East Devon
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| Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 7:45 am Post subject: |
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reading a bit more, it *may* have been bindweed which is similar? bamboo-like stalks seems to be part of the description of knotweed  didn't have that - went to the tip with whatever it was would've burnt it if I read what I did on Monday at the I cleared it.
But even then, apparently even burning the knotweed does not really kill it - it just lies dormant again ready to attack! 
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I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, "Where's the self-help section?"
She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose. |
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AuntiePink
Senior Member
Joined: 12 Aug 2008
Posts: 147
Location: London/Essex
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| Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 11:03 pm Post subject: |
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It's worse than the triffids I tell ya!
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Tina
If I can't fix it with a hammer it's an electrical fault. |
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Raf
Senior Member
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 159
Location: Lancs
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| Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 1:35 pm Post subject: |
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| i heard about that weed taking over the country; they're importing some bugs (look like crickets) to eat the weed up... here's hoping the new bugs dont mess about with the natural ecosystem. |
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Hoovie
Devon DIYer
Joined: 27 Jul 2007
Posts: 8036
Location: East Devon
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| Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 1:51 pm Post subject: |
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be like that childrens nursery rhyme coming true - about the old lady that swallowed a fly
I heard that is how the Cane Toad first got into Australia and has now taken over!
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I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, "Where's the self-help section?"
She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose. |
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ultimatehandyman
Site Admin
Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 9740
Location: Darwen, Lancashire
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| Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 7:18 pm Post subject: |
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That Japanese knotweed is amazing.
Just imagine if you had some land nearby and the council were going to build some scummy flats on it. You could get hold of some of that stuff and contaminate the land
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Last edited by ultimatehandyman on Thu Oct 16, 2008 7:40 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Hoovie
Devon DIYer
Joined: 27 Jul 2007
Posts: 8036
Location: East Devon
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| Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 7:28 pm Post subject: |
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as if anyone would do that!
did you read about the council - I think - in Newbury? wanted to build a roinmdabout and to remove the stuff would have cost £500,000 so they used chemicals killer and put the work on hold for 4 years
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I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, "Where's the self-help section?"
She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose. |
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ultimatehandyman
Site Admin
Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 9740
Location: Darwen, Lancashire
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| Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 7:40 pm Post subject: |
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| Hoovie wrote: |
as if anyone would do that!
did you read about the council - I think - in Newbury? wanted to build a roinmdabout and to remove the stuff would have cost £500,000 so they used chemicals killer and put the work on hold for 4 years |
That is what gave me the idea
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