Gathering a clump of cleavers/stickyweed from a border

Cleavers

BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

Published: Sunday, 24 February 2019 at 3:00 pm

Clear cleavers/stickyweeds from your borders and prevent their spread

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Cleavers (Galium aparine) grow rapidly during warm weather. The sticky stems are able to scramble around the garden, smothering small, cultivated plants and setting masses of seed. It's usually introduced on the coats of animals, birds' feathers or human clothing. Its lifecycle is approximately eight weeks from germination to setting seed.

Symptoms

A short-lived plant that grows sticky mats of foliage, which can swamp cultivated plants. It produces sticky seeds, which can be spread around the garden by animals and on clothing.

Find it on

freshly-cultivated ground in borders, established flowerbeds, pots, vegetable plots

Organic

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 to suppress seedlings.

Chemical

Apply a contact weedkiller when the plants are young and before they get a chance to flower.

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