Difficult weed to iradicate

[Ulysees]

I have this weed in my front garden that insists on coming back even though I've had the garden landscaped so that it's covered in a membrane and rocks/pebbles/slate. It was a nightmare when we had a lawn but I thought it'd go? It's popping up all over the place again. It's spikey with long stems. Does anyone have any ideas on how to rid or do I just have to put up with it?

Is it sticky - it might be sticky willow (but I don't know how to get rid of it)

is it horsetail, sometimes known as marestail, latin name something like epiphytum? If you can identify it, someone might know how to deal with it. I have extensive experience of horsetail, sadly, and could tell you what I've read about it, and what I'm still trying.

Don't know whether to add to this thread or start my own...oh what the hell.

Buttercups! Always thought they were an innocuous and pretty little weed 'til they set up residence Big Time in my flowerbeds. Have been digging them out today but they have persistent roots and are tangled up in everything. Never had them before and we've lived here 4 years. Are they just going to keep coming back?

They are difficult to get rid of, Marthamoo. Any bit of stem left in the ground seems to develop into a new plant. But if you're persistant you'll get rid of it eventually. I had a lot of buttercup in two beds but it seems to have given up the ghost as I can't recall seeing it this year or last.

Thanks, suedonim - I'll keep digging away at it. I don't think I was particularly thorough yesterday as it was sooooo hot (I'm a fair weather gardener so when the sun comes out there's a lot to do!)

Yes Tiddlypom it is horsetail I looked it up on the net. Oh well, better get some gly(something of other?) and start crushing hundreds of stems. They say it can take 5 months to get rid even with this method!!!

I try to be organic, so I don't use glysophate or whatever it is, although horsetail has sorely tempted me to (except that I actually think it's quite pretty )

The advice I've read includes:

• cover it with a weed suppressing mulch eg old carpet for a couple of years at least (not v practical if it's all over the place, in borders etc)
• keep pulling it up

I've recently tried digging quite far down then flaming it with a weedwand (like a blowtorch, but for the garden). Who knows if that'll work, though.

Generally with organic gardening you're expected to tolerate some persistent weeds, I think, so I'll just have to hope they don't spread even more. The problem is that it's impossible to get all the root out, and so it regrows from what's left in the soil. Unless my weedwand has blasted its cells, perhaps.

Good luck with the glysophate though!

BTW I checked my organic books and another approach is to lay the area down to lawn and mow it regularly - persistent weeds don't like being mowed all the time, they thrive on neglected areas. Same principle as keep pulling them up. If they're growing at the edge of the lawn, just make sure the mower gets them.

thanks tiddlypom. I don't like using chemicals either, have a back garden full of snails to prove it

The horsetail is in the front garden, covered in membrane, pebbles and slate and it still comes through!! Believe me, it doesn't look pretty poking though that lot every few inches