the weed from hell-dandelion
peasy
19 years ago
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bry84
19 years agovetivert8
19 years agoRelated Discussions
lawns and living next to the weed garden from hell.
Comments (20)I've always set the cut to 3 inches from advice on a gardening TV show and online reading about keeping a weed free lawn without chemicals. The idea being longer blades allow deeper roots, twice weekly 1/2 inch watering get the water deep in the ground beyond the reach (mostly) of the weed roots. Problem is that advice is dead wrong with respect to Zoysia and Bermuda, and has nothing to do with root depth. As for cutting height depends on the variety. The fine blade varieties like Diamond. Zoro. Emerald (looks like you have one of the finer textured varieties) should be maintained with a reel mower at 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch. The thicker wider leaf varieties like Meyers should be maintained between 1 to 2 inches. It is keeping them short that keeps them weed free, not letting them get tall, causing the grass to shade itself out, thin out, and allow weeds to grow tall and go to seed. When kept short the grass will form a very dense mat and choke out all weeds. Any weeds that do pop up cannot survive keeping their heads chopped off, weakening them, and not allowing them to mature and produce seeds. As for your watering has everything to do with root depth. Your method is tailored to force shallow root growth, not deep leaf growth. You are doing this by watering too frequently and too little water when you do water. Zoysia and Bermuda should not be watered until they show signs of wilt. Once they show signs of wilt, then they should be watered with 1 to 1-1/2 inches all at once to drive the water deep into the soil to 6 to 10 inches. Watering deep will encourage the roots to go deep to seek the water. The deeper the roots the less you have to water. The dryer it is on top the better because it deprives weed seeds from water and germinating. What you are doing is shallow watering, and too frequently. Only the top couple of inches will get wet and the roots will stay right there along with all the weed seeds getting all the water they need to germinate and grow. Here is a couple of pretty good links to reference too: http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/plants/landscape/lawns/hgic1217.html http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/PDFFiles/000020/Zoysiagrass.pdf http://alabama-grass.com/View.aspx?Zoysia-Lawn-Grass-Maintenance http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/LH/LH01100.pdf Note they are all saying the same thing I am telling you....See MoreHelp me! Weed from Hell!!!!!
Comments (15)BINGO!!! Epicactis helleborine or Weedy Orchid is what it is. I have been pulling it out roots and all. In Toronto we can't use herbicides so that's about all I can do unless anyone has a suggestion. How cool this site is that you can get so much help solving a mystery plant! Thanks everyone!!!...See MoreDandelions- More Than Weeds
Comments (3)Culinary Uses: Leaves are used as a vegetable or raw in salads. Flowers used to make wine, buds are pickled, or boiled and served with butter, or battered and fried. Roots are peeled, boiled and sauteed as a vegetable, or roasted and ground as a coffee substitute. Medicinal Uses: Leaves are a powerful diuretic and are also used for the treatment of acne and eczema. They are an excellent detoxifier and a tonic for the liver, gallbladder and kidneys. They treat urinary infections, prostate enlargement, rheumatism, gout, diabetes. Good for food allergy sufferers. White sap treats warts, corns. Dandelion root helps both the kidneys and the liver to improve elimination. Root reduces blood pressure and inflammation and is a liver stimulant. Frequently used in the treatment of diabetes, water retention, poor digestion and liver problems, including hepatitis. Dandelion Coffee Gather dandelion roots in autumn. Cut into rings about 2cm thick. Dry in the sun on trays during the day, but bring them indoors during the night. When completely dry, roast in a hot oven (200�C) for 20 minutes. Put through a coffee bean grinder or in a blender and store in an airtight jar. Use the same way as instant coffee. Dandelion leaves can become tough and bitter when old. To keep them sweeter for salads and teas, remove the older leaves, then cover the plants with a box to keep out the light for several days before using the fresh young leaves. Warning: May cause bed wetting in children from excessive handling. (One of its common names is 'Pis-en-lit/Wet-the-Bed.) Use with caution, and under medicinal supervision, if suffering from gallstones, stomach ulcer or gastritis. The milky latex in the stem and leaves of fresh dandelion may cause an allergic rash in some individuals. May cause heartburn or diarrhoea in some people....See MoreThe weed from hell
Comments (11)I agree that weedkillers are not the best thing ever, but Artemisia Vulgaris will continue to spread aggressively and will soon take over everything if not controlled. It forms a monoculture because its dense roots block out everything else. You can try hand-pulling if the area is small. Start from the sides when the ground is soft and work towards the middle. Try to get as much root as possible (it will grow a whole new plant from a tiny piece of root; that's what rhizomes do). You will need to repeatedly pull new growth, trying very hard to get the rest of the root when you do so. I've had success with hand-pulling in loose soil (think years, not days), no success with hand-pulling in compacted soil. It will happily live forever at mowing heights as far as I can tell, so your control options are limited to hand-pulling or weedkiller. It will grow up through cardboard and other natural mechanical barriers....See MoreGaelicGardener
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