Page 42 - ALG Issue 2 2022

Removal of annual weeds
The hoe is one of the allotment gardener’s most useful tools. Annual weeds generally have shallow root systems, so hoeing them when young is usually enough to control them. Let them get any bigger and you will have to resort to pulling or digging them up - a much more time consuming activity.
Regularly hoeing of seedlings is the quickest and easiest method of control. The hoe severs the weed stems at or just below ground level, cutting the top growth from its roots. Always sharpen the hoe blade before using it. Hoeing on a warm and/or windy day will mean the weeds quickly dehydrate and die; cool and wet weather can allow the weeds to re-root.
• Annual meadow grass (Poa annua)
• Annual mercury (Mercurialis annua)
• Charlock (Sinapis arvensis)
• Chickweed (Stellaria media)
• Cleavers, goosegrass (Galium aparine)
• Common purslane (Portulaca oleracea)
• Fat hen (Chenopodium album)
• Field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense)
• Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris)
• Hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta)
• Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule)
• Scarlet pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis)
• Shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)
• Sow thistles (Sonchus species)
CHICKWEED
CLEAVERS
COMMON PULSANE
FAT HEN
FIELD PENNYCRESS
GROUNDSEL
HAIRY BITTERCRESS
HENBIT
SCARLET PIMPERNEL
SHEPHERDS PURSE
SOW THISTLE
Aminopyralids
Dear Allotmenteers,
I am writing to you as Chair
of Chinley Allotment site in
Derbyshire. Last year our site suffered from herbicide contamination, which is still having an impact. The herbicide was subsequently identified clopyralid in horse manure. We have been in discussion with Corteva (a subsidiary of Dow Chemicals)
who manufacture this herbicide. They have told us that incidents such as ours are extremely rare. We would like to find out if this is correct.
If your site (or garden) has suffered
from herbicide contamination, or suspected contamination, can you please contact
me? I will then send you a very short questionnaire to complete.
RHS factsheet: https://www.rhs.org.uk/ advice/profile?pid=477
We would really appreciate your help.
Thank you,
Stephen Minter,
Chair, Chinley Allotments steve@minter.me.uk
42 Allotment and Leisure Gardener