Search - Articles

Shepherd's purse is a quick-growing, short-lived weed. One plant is able to produce hundreds of seeds which compound the problem. Its lifecycle is approximately three to four weeks from germination to setting seed. It can be introduced

it immediately if it appears in your greenhouse. Chickweed is a tenacious weed that can grow quickly and form thick mats, which smother nearby plants.Hand weed or hoe out seedlings as they appear, or smother them with a good layer of compost or mulch. The most

and on clothing. Remove cleavers regularly by hand, or hoe off young seedlings before they set seed. Avoid getting seeds on clothing, as this can inadvertently spread it around the garden. Mulch borders with a 5cm layer of garden compost or composted bark

Fat hen, Chenopodium album, is an annual weed loved by butterflies, and whose young leaves are delicious in salads or cooked like spinach. However, it will also quickly colonise open ground and spread through your garden if left unchecked - a single

Pineapple weed, Matricaria matricarioides, relishes the challenge of rooting into a well-trodden path or other seemingly unhospitable soils. When walked on the plant's leaves release a pleasant pineapple-like scent, but a single plant will flower

Yellow sorrel, Oxalis corniculata, is a low, creeping weed that will happily grow anywhere - it's as happy in the bone-dry cracks in paving as it is in the damp garden and around the tops of containers. Although small, it's tricky to pull out

. It can grow practically anywhere, and spreads quickly via strong runners that root at nodes.The most effective organic approach is to dig out the plant wherever it appears using a fork or trowel. Mulching deeply is ideal for smothering the weed. In lawns

or hoe off young seedlings and remove from the soil surface. Avoid deep cultivation which brings up new seeds. Apply a mulch to the surface after weeding to prevent further germination. Use contact weedkiller to kill seedlings and young plants before