Saturday, January 22, 2011

Popweed be gone

My garden nemesis.
They drift in from my neighbor's garden ... I must have pulled up 687 of them today.

Addendum: Thanks to Grace of Gardening with Grace for her ID of this as Little Bitter Cress (Cardamine oligosperma.)

9 comments:

  1. So that's what that is called! I must have pulled hundreds too lately. I've been trying to get them when they are very small, so I can get a head start on the weeds this season.

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  2. I also didn't know what these were called. I was going to look at a flame weeder while at Home Depot today, that would be just the trick for these at this time of year.

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  3. As I recall, Bitter Cress is what the MG instructor called it. I don't know for sure because I haven't tasted it. Come to think of it the "bitter" part might not describe the taste but the consternation of the gardener trying to rid his/her property of it. Sounds about right. LOL One thing too I've noticed is you can't just dig it up and set it aside because it will keep growing even if the roots are exposed. Nasty little thing.

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  4. Ah yes...I pulled a few of those myself yesterday. Ryan if you get this flame weeder I home you will review it on your blog!

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  5. It that what those are...I must have a million coming up in the gravel of our french drain...I HATE them. :-(

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  6. Alison - I call it that but have looked in vain for its real name (looks like Grace ID'd it below though).

    Ryan - a flame weeder sounds dramatic! I hope you'll blog about how that works.

    Grace - thanks for the ID! We haven't had that unit yet in MG class, and I'm looking forward to it.

    Loree - I wonder if there's a gardener in Oregon that doesn't have to deal with this nasty little interloper?

    Scott - I feel your pain as it seems they have to come out one by one...unless you have Ryan's (potential) flame thrower!

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  7. Oh, man! I allowed a few of them to go to seed one year and guess I will be plagued with them ever after. The sound of the seedpods bursting as the plant is yanked from the ground beats fingernails on a blackboard for pure torture.

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  8. The source of my early spring sore back. Also known as my arch nemesis. I discovered it's edible and ever since then, have been dreaming of the ultimate payback to this prolific weed in my garden: to eat it. Take that pop weed!

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  9. Why is it slugs never eat weeds?

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