Weed Control

However, not all weeds are weeds - a rose bush growing in your veg patch may be a nice addition, even if the local wildlife planted it instead of you!

Annual Weeds
These grow from seed, mature and die in one season, leaving a plentiful supply of new seeds which germinate and grow in the following season.
Fast-growing, annual weed seeds can remain viable in the soil for many years to come.
Some annuals such as Chickweed may complete several life cycles in each calendar year.
The gardener’s aim is to control them before they flower

Perennial Weeds
These weeds may live for several years, flowering and producing large quantities of seed each season. They survive the winter months by storing food in their deep tap roots, underground stems (rhizomes) or creeping roots - therefore they are much more difficult to eradicate than annual weeds.
Perennial weeds produce new foliage in the spring and generally die back in the winter.
The gardener’s control relies on killing or removing every last piece of root or stem.

Contact action
These destroy the leafy green areas of a weed above ground level, giving rapid control, causing the weed to become brown and withered within days of treatment, making them ideal for annual weeds

Systemic Action
These are absorbed through the leaves or roots into the sap stream and are circulated around the whole weed plant. They kill the entire weed, including the roots within weeks and are effective on both annual and perennial weeds.

Residual Action
These weedkillers remain active in the soil, entering via the roots as seeds germinate and grow. Therefore they help prevent regrowth and may give control for several months.
Selective Action
These kill certain types of weeds only, without harming others. They can tackle weeds without causing damage to surrounding plants and are especially suitable in lawns where they kill the broad-leafed weeds without harming the grass.

Correct use of weedkillers

1	Read the label, selecting the appropriate product and formulation for the type and extent of weed you wish to control. Only buy enough for one season's application
2	Use in still weather to avoid spray drifting onto desireable plants
3	Weedkillers are most effective when teh weed is actively growing, usually between March-September
4	Keep children and pets away from treated areas until the product has completely dried
5	Dispose of carefully - never pour left-over product down household drains

These methods include
> Hand weeding
> Hoeing
> Forking
> Rotavating
> Flame gun
> Use of mulches

Best practice recommends a combination of treatment methods and timing for effective control; a weedkiller used together with cultural methods such as forking and mulching will often provide the best results.