Kitchen Garden Forum

I was looking through some old postings and was interested to note that some time ago Johnboy had used a product called "Paraquat" to eradicate marestail. I've not heard of this product and was wondering if it is available to buy from garden centres and the like.

We have a marestail infestation in our garden (luckily not in the veg plot) with the large majority of it growing in the lawned areas. I have now resigned myself to "living with it" since it's just not possible to treat every area! However if there is a weed killer that is effective, it just might be worth while treating the borders, raspberry beds and non-grassed areas to control its growth.

Thanks
HelenH

Hello Helen,

I think paraquat is no longer available, certainly not for garden use, as it was so very toxic if ingested.

Glyphosate (eg Roundup) will work on marestail if it is crushed first to increase the surface area of the plant(otherwise the chemical runs straight off). If you have isolated plants you could try this though it would be rather fiddley. You might need a few applications a few weeks apart to get complete kill. Don't forget the glyphosate will affect every plant it touches, so don't put it all over the lawn!

Hi Helen,
As Pongeroon has said the makers of Paraquat decided not to renew the licence needed and is no longer available.
Marestail needs a good beating, not to reduce the size but to make the plant bleed. Marestail has a very strong skin which will repel most things and, as it was with Paraquat, Glyphosate needs to penetrate that skin in order to have a go at the plant. If you are going to spray with Glyphosate may I suggest that you invest in some Horticultural Soft Soap and mix that in with the Glyphosate this will give it more clinging power.
The last time I had to have a go at Marestail was before Glyphosate was invented and I was living in another part of the country. Still plenty of weeds here but thankfully no Marestail.
Best of luck.
JB.