Weedkiller

[doreen007]

Seems whatever weedkiller I use, they still keep coming back. Surely there must be a product that ACTUALLY does the job? I have a friend who is a market gardener, and he told me to get something like that, have to be in the trade. So have to put up the expensive stuff from the shops for ever and a day?

What are you trying to kill?

All the weedy stuff and grass that I don't want. So many different varieties of weed, but don't know their names?

Are the weeds growing around plants that you like to grow, or in an area that you want to keep bare?

Roundup contains glyphosate and should see off most things, but you may need to make multiple applications. If its a large area, you could try covering with black plastic (or even old carpets), this will kill off most stuff. However persistent things may survive being covered, and any seeds in the ground will still germinate when exposed to sunlight and rain.

Boiling water is very effective for weeds on patios and drives.

What would people recommend for brambles ? (other than burning! Or moving house!)

Move house

PhilODox

Depends how big and how many, but if a smallish clump I'd spray them (BTW, I understand the arguments about not always resorting to chemicals, but sometimes needs must) now, as they are the height of their growing season and the poison will be taken down into their roots. Wait a fortnight, and get stuck in and start chopping back (burn the debris). New shoots will come up, spray and once again after 2 weeks chop back.
That's the easy bit done. In the autumn you need to start digging out the roots - burn them as well. Next year, some will come up, dig them out.
Or move!

Glyphosate will kill the things you spray but it isn't persistent; new weeds will come up. Path Clear is meant to continue working I think but can only be used where you want nothing to grow. I'm using the dab on Roundup at the moment to get rid of cow parsley that has been allowed to prosper under the care of our former "professional" gardeners who simply pulled the leaves off weeds without ever removing any roots. Now the cow parsley has roots the size of parsnips reaching to the core of the earth.
I agree that brambles need constant weedkilling and cutting back. The roots of ours (again prospered under the "professionals") are intertwined through shrub roots so impossible to dig up.

chemenger
As cow parsley is related to parsnips I'm not surprised! On the plus side, the roots are edible.

I'll have a go at pathclear as I also have a rear entrance where weeds keep growing. As for boiling water, good for ants nests.
Been using Roundup and the other one in a green bottle. But although kills the weeds, they always return.

Possibly the root of my cow parsley is not edible because its got a lot of glyphosate in it! I didn't know it was edible at all though, interesting (it's very hard to dig out of our clay soil so I think I'll just keep with the shop bought parsnips).

Roundup is meant to leave the ground ready for planting, it just kills plants on contact with the leaves, its deactivated when it is in the soil. So any weed seeds will grow after you treat with that type of weedkiller.

Thank you, ifailed, I'll have a go.

Roundup (Glyphosate) does kill your weeds. What you are seeing is new weeds germinating. This will happen for some time to come after weeds have been allowed to drop seed for a while.

We used to be able to put down residual weedkillers that prevented new germination but all of those have been banned. What you are left with are chemicals that kill existing weeds but do nothing about the weed seed that is already in the soil.

My advice? Be persistent - buy a hoe and regularly kill the annual weeds as they start growing. Spray as necessary using Roundup. Don't let weeds flower or drop seed. Don't give them a minutes peace.

Unless you live on a very large property the hoe will win the battle with weeds. Just a few minutes once or twice a week. What really doesn't help is letting weeds grow unmolested for months and then trying a once-and-for-all treatment of weedkiller.

The above advice is for weeds in borders. You have already been given good advice for weeds on paths and patios.

Good luck

Steve

@philodox

I cleared a big patch of brambles by digging them out. Wear leather gloves, and cut them back,, then the roots come out really easily in one long string. It felt like an enormous project to take on, but once I fit down to it, it was easy, and took a couple of days.
That was several years ago, and we have fruit trees there now, and no bramble reappearance.