[Help] Gardeners Question Time.

[Weststander]

I've just spent hours cutting Chamaerops leaves. They are vicious! Unfortunately my three clumps have a virus and the leaves end up looking crap.

I would also like to add Dasylirion to the list. Before mine perished, I was forever cutting myself on its leaves.

I bought this at the Eden Project a few years ago and cannot for the life of me remember if it's a Puya. Anyone got any ideas?

View attachment 203086

Looks Triffid.

 

[Coldeanseagull]

How did you deal with an inch of topsoil over subsoil/flints/solid chalk?

The modern advice is very much ‘no dig’, partly because it doesn’t release carbon, also it doesn’t help germinate countless weed seeds.

I ignore that because it’s literally an inch of poor soil, I did deep, take chalk/flints to the tip and enrich the new hole or trench for planting.

I did this in my yoof, now I raise the beds to accommodate my advancing years and hatred of digging

I've just spent hours cutting Chamaerops leaves. They are vicious! Unfortunately my three clumps have a virus and the leaves end up looking crap.

I would also like to add Dasylirion to the list. Before mine perished, I was forever cutting myself on its leaves.

I bought this at the Eden Project a few years ago and cannot for the life of me remember if it's a Puya. Anyone got any ideas?

View attachment 203086

It does look like a sheep killer....won't hazard a guess on which one as they all look like alpestris when smallish

 

[Jack Straw]

I've just spent hours cutting Chamaerops leaves. They are vicious! Unfortunately my three clumps have a virus and the leaves end up looking crap.

I would also like to add Dasylirion to the list. Before mine perished, I was forever cutting myself on its leaves.

I bought this at the Eden Project a few years ago and cannot for the life of me remember if it's a Puya. Anyone got any ideas?

View attachment 203086

Consulted a couple of my very good, plant ID friends, and we all believe it's a Puja of some sort.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Consulted a couple of my very good, plant ID friends, and we all believe it's a Puja of some sort.

Thanks! That's what I thought but my memory these days....

 

[Coldeanseagull]

Consulted a couple of my very good, plant ID friends, and we all believe it's a Puja of some sort.

Even if you spelt it wrong...I refuse to stick a "j" in a place where "y" belongs .....too south americany....same goes for when people put one in BUDDLEIA!

 

[chickens]

Looking for advice on managing horsetail, which has crept into my garden via the next door property that has been empty for about 18 months.

There is someone purchasing it now, but the bloody stuff has taken over their garden and now clearly has designs on mine. I’ve read that if you deprive the plant of light for a year or two you can kill the entire root system as well as the surface growth, but I don’t have the desire or patience to cover my entire garden in black tarp for two years.

 

[Weststander]

Looking for advice on managing horsetail, which has crept into my garden via the next door property that has been empty for about 18 months.

There is someone purchasing it now, but the bloody stuff has taken over their garden and now clearly has designs on mine. I’ve read that if you deprive the plant of light for a year or two you can kill the entire root system as well as the surface growth, but I don’t have the desire or patience to cover my entire garden in black tarp for two years.

@Jack Straw and @jevs will have the best answer. In the meantime.
https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/solve-problems/field-horsetail/

 

[fly high]

Looking for advice on managing horsetail, which has crept into my garden via the next door property that has been empty for about 18 months.

There is someone purchasing it now, but the bloody stuff has taken over their garden and now clearly has designs on mine. I’ve read that if you deprive the plant of light for a year or two you can kill the entire root system as well as the surface growth, but I don’t have the desire or patience to cover my entire garden in black tarp for two years.

I feel for you. RHS seems to think you shouldn't worry about it, biodiversity and all that. But has a few tips. A bit contradictory as on one hand it says dig up rhizomes and on the other says do not disurbe?

Horsetail / RHS

Instantly recognisable, horsetail is a prehistoric perennial native to the UK. Producing a dense clump of growth and deep rhizomes, it is unwanted by many gardeners and needs regular management to control its spread.

www.rhs.org.uk

 

[tedebear]

Horestail is difficult to get rid of, you need to dig it out, and do this successively until its gone as you'll miss bits here are there. You can't use poison unless you intended to lose everything around it and not plant there for a few seasons...It likes it damp, so drainage and drying it out helps too...

 

[tedebear]

Very warm dry spring enjoyed by all in my garden...all fruit and veg coming on strong too, both here and in the allotment...

 

[Weststander]

Very warm dry spring enjoyed by all in my garden...all fruit and veg coming on strong too, both here and in the allotment...

View attachment 203182

Stunning garden. Love the brick or brick pavers.

 

[Weststander]

I’ve been replacing a falling apart York stone retaining wall, with Gabion cages filled (on the face) with Welsh blue slate. Incorporating randomly placed tubes for solitary bees.

 

[Jack Straw]

I’ve been replacing a falling apart York stone retaining wall, with Gabion cages filled (on the face) with Welsh blue slate. Incorporating randomly placed tubes for solitary bees.

View attachment 203191View attachment 203193

There's some work gone in to those gabions. Excellent stuff.

 

[Jack Straw]

Looking for advice on managing horsetail, which has crept into my garden via the next door property that has been empty for about 18 months.

There is someone purchasing it now, but the bloody stuff has taken over their garden and now clearly has designs on mine. I’ve read that if you deprive the plant of light for a year or two you can kill the entire root system as well as the surface growth, but I don’t have the desire or patience to cover my entire garden in black tarp for two years.

The RHS link posted by Fly High covers it all. However, if you're a fan of herbicides...

 

[chickens]

The RHS link posted by Fly High covers it all. However, if you're a fan of herbicides...

I’ve now done more reading on the subject, and covering in tarp appears to be a non-option anyway. Apparently the plant springs back into life when the tarp is removed.

The chemical brigade are recommending Vitax SBK, which I’ve no experience of, but the alternative appears to be digging down up to 2 metres and trying to remove every last scrap of root.

 

[Jack Straw]

I’ve now done more reading on the subject, and covering in tarp appears to be a non-option anyway. Apparently the plant springs back into life when the tarp is removed.

The chemical brigade are recommending Vitax SBK, which I’ve no experience of, but the alternative appears to be digging down up to 2 metres and trying to remove every last scrap of root.

 

[Jack Straw]

It seems SBK contains Triclopyr. I used to use that in a product called Garlon, on Convulvulous. Very highly effective, and it doesn't come back. It doesn't kill grass either, so it could be the way forwards for you?
The labelling on SBK states it's for Marestail, so should be fine.
If this is the way you choose, ensure that you follow the dilution rate on the label, exactly. You won't gain anything by adding more concentrate than recommended, in fact some chemicals aren't as effective if it's too strong.

 

[chickens]

It seems SBK contains Triclopyr. I used to use that in a product called Garlon, on Convulvulous. Very highly effective, and it doesn't come back. It doesn't kill grass either, so it could be the way forwards for you?
The labelling on SBK states it's for Marestail, so should be fine.
If this is the way you choose, ensure that you follow the dilution rate on the label, exactly. You won't gain anything by adding more concentrate than recommended, in fact some chemicals aren't as effective if it's too strong.

Really appreciated. I prefer to avoid weed killer wherever possible, but what I’m reading about this stuff suggests that it might be justified in this case, I’m amazed at how far and quickly it’s spread.

 

[Jack Straw]

Really appreciated. I prefer to avoid weed killer wherever possible, but what I’m reading about this stuff suggests that it might be justified in this case, I’m amazed at how far and quickly it’s spread.

Most of us are in the same boat re pesticides, but there are occasions when there's no other sensible alternative.

 

[A mex eyecan]

Really appreciated. I prefer to avoid weed killer wherever possible, but what I’m reading about this stuff suggests that it might be justified in this case, I’m amazed at how far and quickly it’s spread.

Surely though no matter what you do your side of the fence unless your new neighbours are equally thorough won’t it just come back after a while?