Weeding Out The Enemy!

Be brave, as we look at the worst weeds – ever

- Graham Clarke

Giant hogweed can reach 10ft (3m) tall

There is one group of plants that every gardener, in the world, grows with absolute success: weeds. For most of us, the dandelion, dock, annual grass, plantain, daisy, and so on, are just a nuisance, and you pull them up as you’re walking past. But this week I want to take your weed awareness to the next level. There are a select number of weeds that rank as the ‘worst’ – the sortyou should remove now, rather than just the next time you walk by.

These weeds cause you to make your excuses from a garden party, and for you to whip out the border fork or strongest herbicide on the shelf, even while the drinks are being poured!

There isn’t a minute to waste! Let’s take a sideways look at some of the ‘worst weeds’ ever!

Himalayan balsam can be a problem on riverbanks

Top 10 worst weeds

ACCORDING to the nationwide weed control company KleerKut ( kleerkut. co.uk, 0141 319 8210), the following are the 10 worst weeds for gardeners:

Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica): in summer, the bamboo-like stems shoot to more than 7ft (2.1m).

Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum): originally from Russia, it can reach 10ft (3m) in height.