Q We have moved into a medium-sized, well-laid out garden, but it has become very weedy. I’ve noticed some ground elder, couch grass and bindweed. What should I be doing over winter to control these weeds?
Emily Pritchard, Sawston, Cambridgeshire
A Perennial weeds will have spent autumn absorbing nourishment back into their creeping underground stems known as rhizomes, though we tend to refer to them as roots. Leaves will have withered, but as you have spotted where they are growing, it is worth using periods when the ground is neither frozen nor waterlogged to loosen the soil using a fork, and winkle out as many roots as you can. Come spring, regrowth will be sparse and easier to deal with.
In my experience, perennial weeds infest different borders in a garden, so you might have an outcrop of bindweed here and couch grass there. Avoid the temptation to move cultivated plants around, because they are likely to have tiny portions of weed rhizome hitching a lift on their roots. In spring, take basal cuttings of Michaelmas daisies, lupins, phlox, anthemis, penstemons and other perennials, and once they’ve rooted, dispose of the weed-infested parent plants. The roots of perennial weeds must not go on the compost heap, as few domestic heaps reach temperatures high enough to kill them off.
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Denne historien er fra December 11, 2021-utgaven av Amateur Gardening.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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To dig or not to dig?
Should we be carrying out a full dig on plots now? Bob considers the pros and cons of the 'autumn dig' debate
The box ball blues
As if his beleaguered box hadn't already taken a beating, Toby now has to deal with some hungry box caterpillars
Save your own seeds
Masterclass on: seed saving
Strange sightings
Three unusual insects turn up in Val's garden in one day
A bolt from the blue!
Cornflowers are perfect for garden and vase
Winter moth prevention
Ruth shows you how to avoid maggoty tree fruits
Create a winter container
There are as many options as in summer
Lightweight gardening tools
AS well as being good for our mental health, gardening is also great exercise.
Autumn price round-up
AG finds better bargains in lesser-known brands
Rudbeckias
Rudbeckias are ideal for sunny summer patios and borders, with some able to survive our coldest winters