Return to home page WEED PROBLEMS Although weeds do have many benefits, they are very aggressive and if left to their own devices, then they would soon take the place of the plants that you want to grow. Many weeds: Can compete with your cultivated plants for light, water and nutrients. Are poisonous. Can 'attack' or spoil your crops. Can make harvesting difficult. May look unsightly in certain situations. Can spread pests and diseases. competion Onion crops can suffer badly if they are not

Weeded. In the first couple of weeks after germinating the seedlings benefit from a nurse crop of weeds. After this the onions desperately need light to give them energy to feed the growing bulbs. They have thin, strap-like leaves which can easily be shaded out by weeds. If their competitors are not removed, then the potential yield of the onion bulbs can drop by up to 4% a day. Do not leave it too late either, as they do not recover from an early setback. Other plants, such as marrows and potatoes, fight back and smother out weeds, giving as good as they get.

Competition also takes place underground, particularly from the perennial weeds. Horsetail is an example; its thin leaves cast little shade, but the tenacious roots greedily rob the soil of nutrients.

The ability of weeds to compete also depends on the season. Chickweed that germinates in the summer is not usually a problem and can even act as a 'green manure' under maturing plants. In the spring it is a different story, and chickweed can be a real menace in areas such as the seedbed.

Attacking or spoiling crops Bindweed can become a real headache in beds that are permanently planted with fruit or ornamental It uses these plants to climb up to the sun, strangling and shading as it goes. Couch grass, too, can be particularly vicious, as those of you who have used potatoes to shade it out will probably have found. It impails the offending potato tubers with its strong, sharp rhizomes, grows right through them and keeps on going. As well as attacking crops, some weeds such as ivy can also damage walls if they are in a bad state of repair Ivy invading o house lets have a look at the example bellow

Ragwort and corn cockle are poisonous, so keep them well away from pets and children. If corn cockles are grown in the flower-beds, then make sure that the flower-heads are removed as they go over, as it is the seeds that contain the toxins.

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