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Giant hogweed

Stuart Brookes

Stuart Brookes

Senior Member
I was out this evening just checking out some new swims and cut down some hogweed, carefully I might add. The question is even though I cut it down to root level will it return or not? Saw some more on the far bank which I can also fish but it was out of control and don't think it gets fished much at all, loads of the damn stuff.

Regards,

Stu
 
It'll return if it's not killed outright. Like most "weeds" you need to kill it and/or get the full root!

Fighting a loosing battle with this, my local river Tees is wick with it on some stretches!
 
It most certainly will return Stuart, the stuff is absolutely incredible...probably one of the hardest things imaginable to get rid of once it's established.

Cheers, Dave.
 
Be very careful when handling the thing, as its sap can cause bad skin weals and, if it gets in your eyes, even blindness. Very heavy duty Glyco' weedkiller is the stuff, but this also kills everything around it. Menace.
 
Not sure if the heavy duty Roundup is readily available any more Paul? So many of the really effective weedkillers/insecticides/garden chemicals were banned a year or two back weren't they?

Cheers, Dave.
 
Monsanto no longer have the monopoly on Glyphoste and there are now many brands available other than Roundup. I susspect that the stuff available in the garden centres is some what watered down compared to that available to the profesional market. I bought 5 lt of Gallup two weeks ago for just over £40.
Get a pair of marigolds, a paint brush, and a jar of glyphoste, and paint a couple of leaves on each plant. That should sort them.
ATB
Colin
 
Bob Watson said:
It'll return if it's not killed outright. Like most "weeds" you need to kill it and/or get the full root!

Fighting a loosing battle with this, my local river Tees is wick with it on some stretches!
Click to expand...

My local river as well Bob. As you say some stretches becoming unfishable beacuse of the stuff.
I did see a Countryfile programme were they were killing off japanese knotweed by cutting the stem them dosing the tubes with weedkiller, seemded very effective but obviously highly labour intensive.
Thanks for the safety advice and I always take great care around the stuff as I am aware of the riskes involved.
 
To kill off Hogweed it needs to be treated each year for up to five years! It was the bane of my life on the Wye before the W&U took on the control of the whole river.

The other problem is that using a weedkiller such as Glyphosate within 5 metres of the river needs a special licence from the EA (although that may only be on SSSI's?), as it is highly toxic to the aquatic invertebrates etc.

Obviously it is better treated tha left but it may be worth running it by the controlling angling club first before you suit up and start spraying.
 
Dave, Glyphosate is frequently used as an aquatic herbicide, and I have used it on established gravel pits with no ill effects.
The following is a quote from the UK pesticide guide on one of its uses.

Various weeds - "aquatic areas,enclosed waters, land immediately adjacent to aquatic areas."
However, always check the label recommendations before use, and any EA legislation.

Shaun,
Himilayan Balsam is basically a giant Bussy Lizzy, which is a fairly soft plant, and therefore easier to kill than Hog Weed. It is most important to get it before it seeds. It would respond to glyphosate or pulling it up. There is an old saying "one years seeds equals 7 years weeds". I personally think the Balsam issue is a lost cause, because action should have been taken years ago, and it is now so well established on just about every river system.
ATB
Colin
 
Colin Bridger said:
I personally think the Balsam issue is a lost cause, because action should have been taken years ago, and it is now so well established on just about every river system.
ATB
Colin
Click to expand...

Not so sure myself, One of my stretches of the Kennet which is normally covered in the stuff has a lot less this year. I believe that the fisheries manager may have been removing it. I know from my own experience that it uproots pretty easily.

One particular swim which is normally covered with balsam has none this season and something else is in its place (not sure what as my knowledge of flora leaves a lot to be desired!).

I think with continual removal it is possible to keep on top of it. The only problem is that landowners that ignore it will only make it hard for those trying to get rid of it.
 
The Himalayan Balsam, yes terrible stuff, much better to have a nice bed of nettles in it's place.
The Himalayan Balsam tends to attract all those bloody bees, and butterflies - YUK ! :(

Ian.
 
hogweed

My daytime job is treating many of the alien invasive plants you have mentioned here.
Himalayan balsam can be easily controlled by manually removing the plants before they seed, because they are annuals the root stock dies every year and the plants spread by the explosive seed pods. Cut out the annual injection of new seeds and in a few years you should have eliminated the plant but you have to be meticulous with its removal. This way there is no collateral damage done by herbicide application. Unfortunately it is probably to late to consider it possible to eradicate this from our countryside.

Giant hogweed is a fish of a different kettle. From day one you have to assume you may have 10 years of treatment and monitoring ahead of you, because each plant can produce 10,000 seeds and these can be viable for up to 10 years. This means, on an established site, that even if you manage to eradicate all the plants before they seed, you may still have up to 10 years worth of viable seeds already in the ground. I wouldn`t reccommend cutting this plant because of its dangerous sap, which is a chemical that makes your skin extremely photosensitive, this will bring you out in huge blisters on any exposure to sunlight. Spray with a reputable glyphosate herbicide before the flower heads develop. Re-treat throughout the summer because as the large plants die off other seeds will germinate to take their place, these must also be treated before seed heads develop. If you are using herbicide adjacent to the watercourse you will need EA permission and hold a current PA1 6AW herbicide permit. Attention to detail is the key to effectively treating this plant.

Once we have these under control, we only have to concern ourselves with; japanese knotweed (3 species; fallopia japonica, fallopia sachelinensis and fallopia x bohemica as well as a few hybrids which we have little clue as to how vigorous they might be) floating pennywort, azolla, australian swamp stone crop, creeping water primrose and parrots feather just to keep us busy.

Mic
 
Ian Grant said:
Also they don't do Real Tree Cammo with pink bits in it. :D

Ian.
Click to expand...

Oh yes they do, I saw a little kid in Tesco with a fleece jacket which was a perfect Balsam camo print. I asked the mum where it came from but unfortunatly it was some one man band designer baby boutique in Birmingham.

The cloth is out there though it just needs an enterprising type to track it down.;)
 
Adrian Williams said:
Oh yes they do, I saw a little kid in Tesco with a fleece jacket which was a perfect Balsam camo print. I asked the mum where it came from but unfortunatly it was some one man band designer baby boutique in Birmingham.

The cloth is out there though it just needs an enterprising type to track it down.;)
Click to expand...

I might have trouble getting one to fit though Ade :D
 
David Gauntlett said:
Not sure if the heavy duty Roundup is readily available any more Paul? So many of the really effective weedkillers/insecticides/garden chemicals were banned a year or two back weren't they?

Cheers, Dave.
Click to expand...
used roundup ultra 3000 on my footpath in the garden, sorted them weeds out bigtime.
 
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