Beat the weeds before spring
This is the time to tackle weeds if you find they have taken hold in your garden. Tough perennials such as nettles, dandelions (pictured) and creeping grasses have begun to grow. if any infest your growing areas, the sooner you deal with them, the easier the task will be.
Weeds in gravel or paving can be destroyed with the herbicide glyphosate (Roundup). Choose a mild day when no rain is forecast for at least six hours. spray at the correct dilution, making sure as many of the leaves as possible are covered.
Glyphosate is a universal herbicide so take great care not to spray non- target plants. if you accidentally contaminate a valued plant, wash the chemical off immediately, using clean, cold water. Plants absorb glyphosate slowly. so if you take immediate action, no harm will have been done.
if you garden organically or don’t use chemicals, tackle the weeds by hand. Annuals such as speedwells, groundsel and sow thistles are easy to remove while the seedlings are small.
Perennials, particularly bindweeds and creeping thistle are difficult to remove because the roots run deep and spread rapidly. With those, keep digging out plants wherever they appear. it’s risky to compost roots of bindweed and other creeping weeds — they may survive.
Badly infested areas can be cleaned by covering the ground with black polythene, weighted down. But the plastic must stay in place for at least one growing season.