Kitchen Garden Forum

My problem weeds on the allotment will be Gallant Soldier/General,Fat Hen and the two most pernicious weeds Marestail and Bindweed if last years experience is anything to go by.

Snooky - what is Gallant Soldier? Never heard of that? I would like a 'Know your weed book' as so many local historic names for weeds. I've only just found out there are 2 types of bind weed - well maybe not, but down here it seems two different plants have the same name. Lucky me has both it seems!

Good Morning Westi,
Gallant Soldier is a bit of thug on my plot.I had probably seen it elsewhere but couldn't put a name to it until one of the women on the site told me what it was.Below are two photographs of it.Rather innocuous looking but a thug if gotten out of hand.It has to be teased out or else it will snap and re -grow from the root.
A link to a wildflower website for you which you should find useful:-http://www.wildflowerfinder.org.uk/.Italso lists FIVE species of Bind weed!!!!!

Cheers Snooky!

Now I don't have that - yet.....? Thanks for the link I shall definitely have a look at that site. The other good things that are total thugs are herbs; especially Lemon Balm, Russian tarragon & Mint. Fortunately I was warned about mint, but the other two pop up everywhere on the plot. Still 3 more types of bindweed to invade will definitely take away the therapeutic feeling of digging the blighters out! I only like the big white flowered vine ones with the one long root, the other smaller one with multiple roots is no where near as fun as only get about 1" of root with them.

Between the members on the forum & the multiple posts about these thugs or invaders KG could publish their own book on 'Naughty Plants'!

My mange tout are about to feed me just need a couple of days to get that bit bigger I might buy a couple of ribeye steaks to celebrate asparagus ,mange tout, but no new spuds yet

Half-past seven on a May evening and it is more like half-past five on a November evening.

Horrendous hail storms here - and a quick dash outside to bring all my French and runner beans back into the greenhouse!

It’s been o proper spring day here up too 3 o’clock ish then it went black and we had 6 hours of torrential rain, hailstone ,I did hear thunder but did not see lightening nature’s own fertiliser,got to say the thunder was in the distance

Brilliant morning on the plot, sun shining, just a T Shirt - then one huge mega rain fall from a not even a dark cloud. It deffo showed itself coming with the increase in wind & drop in temp. But hey had some potting on to do in the tunnel. Rang Mr to pick me up when that was done & just got indoors when the real thunder & lightening struck. Pretty impressive & definitely loud!

More like April showers this month....just had another couple of very heavy downpours.

We had such heavy and copious hail earlier, that we still have a small mountain of ice balls at the bottom of the drainpipe!

What a difference a day makes! One light shower among a host of naughty threatening dark clouds then boom - sun out & it hit 18 degrees. Mind I don't think I am going to see that again for a bit - rain & gales on the weather report again & no cheery little sun in sight on the phone weather.

I heard my first cuckoo in ten years today it was on a programme called heartbeat I don’t think it counts

Well I've planted out all sorts of stuff, often too small, often too tender. Off down South tomorrow for 10 days to poke grandson we haven't met (his ½ birthday and my wife's **) and do all sorts of diy. S & B in-law looking after the garden so I had to keep it simple, no juggling with cold frames etc. just watering. So hoping for nothing nasty.

I know you will be busy while you are away, Geoff but, I hope you both have a wonderful time.