Ahhhhhhhh! That Wandering Dew!

[Wendy Parr]

Hey does anyone have ideas of how to control/kill wandering dew?  It seems to be in take-over mode and is spreading itself into all areas of the garden.  I'm not sure if this has been partly my fault...if it has lived on through the lawn clippings I've spread around.  Any do's or don't suggestions?????

[Matt Moir]

This is a real pest weed all you can do is pull it out and try to stay one step ahead of it its a creeper/vine easy to root and keeps going pull it out dont leave any behind dont compost put it in green waste, rubish, or a rot bin. a rot bin being a 10 gallon rubish can with lid full of water where you can dispose of pesky weeds and seed heads where they will rot away. the bennifit to this is afterwards you have a nice compost tea to use on your plants

[Wendy Parr]

Thats awesome, thanks for that.  How long does it take to rot?  the plant dregs at the bottom would then go into the compost?

[Lisa L]

It's a pain and many dogs are allergic to it including mine. But I have found how to get rid of it. Use a rake to rake up where it grows it hates to be disturbed like this ( chickens also do a good job scratching it up) And as Matt has said be sure to remove every little bit. I have been able to clear areas with the rake sometimes it needs up to 3 goes at it.

[moggy]

spot spraying with something like roundup will also do the trick. 

[Lisa L]

In the days before I knew how bad Roundup is, It doesn't work on wandering dew.

[moggy]

unless you are planning on drinking it, there is little danger from glyphosphate based weed killers. They are a lot better for the environment than others such as sodium chlorate.

It is effective against wandering Jew, however you may need two applications due to the shiney leaves which do not readily absorb it (same with Agapanthus). As you are unlikely to want either plan on your compost heap, the risk to your garden after spraying is minimal. You are more likely to put your back out pulling it out than having a problem spot spraying.

[Matt Moir]

I keep 2 rot bins on a 6 month cycle and yes once it is rotted down and the tea is used as a liquid fertilizer then the dregs can go into compost these rot bins are good for all nasty weeds and it goes with keeping a garden organic rather than useing sprays laiden with chemicles.

[moggy]

I have never used rot bins - compost heaps - yes loads. Is there an advantage to using rot bins? Any tips?

[Matt Moir]

The advantage to a rot bin in keeping an organic garden and for those that are mindful of what goes into your rubish and off to the tip, is that it will kill off unwanted weeds that can easiley survive the composting process such as wandering jew, any creepers/vines that easiley root, unwanted bulbs such as onion grass, bind weed, mint roots, seed pods/heads ect. fill a plastic 10 gallon /40 liter rubish bin with water and place lid on. The nasty weeds and seeds that you dont want in your compost will rot down. This makes a very nice liquid fertalizer and the well rotted dregs can safeley be added to your compost I have my bins in a 6 month rotation while 1 bin is working the other is getting filled up with fresh weeds.

[Megan]

I've got two rot bins on the go at present.  I started my first one last year and used chicken coop bedding in it to make a fertiliser tea for my garlic and this year started one to dispose of my couch grass. I also add comfrey leaves and whatever weeds are on hand to the couch grass bin. I use a garden fork to push all the weeds down and skim off the liquid into a watering can & dilute until it's tea coloured

[Isabell Strange]

Hi Wendy

Just to let you know your post made my day. I think you mean wandering jew, but you have given me delicious images of wandering dew, imagine it glistening on inside cobwebs.

I have heard of people trying to suffocate it (wj) under black polythene, but not sure how successful. I have a feeling it does spread, definitely don't put it in your compost,but you can put it in a bucket of water leave it a month and use the liquid as a fertilizer.

[moggy]

OK, you said it, I did not want to make fun of the post, but wandering dew, is a much nicer name (and probably more politically correct). It is a great example of how names of things change over time.