Brits urged to act immediately if they find one common sticky weed in flower bed

Daily Mirror

2 days ago

Brits are being told to act immediately after a common weed is set to overtake the garden spaces during the summer time, and you just need a towel and your bare hands.
Heatwave conditions will make weeds grow rapidly, and Brits have been told to act quickly when spotting a common weed that spreads right under our noses.
Weeds can be an annoying problem to deal with, especially during the summer months when the temperatures can get quite unbearable forcing them to grow uncontrollably. As explained by gardening expert Harry Bodell at PriceYourJob.co.uk, it's important to know what to look for and how to differentiate a weed from a garden plant.
And this specific weed is quite the menace. It contains Velcro-like stems which can stick to clothing and other plants. What's worse is this is exactly how it spreads at an exponential rate.
What is Goose-grass?
Goosegrass, also known as sticky weed or cleavers, are tall and messy-looking, and can quickly take over a flower bed. in the first instance. They stick to other plants and even your clothes if you come into contact with them, making the stems difficult to remove.
The easiest way to spot them is by looking for their whitish and flat stems. They usually appear when the grass gets mowed too short and the soil is poorly drained. That said, proper care of the lawn will avoid these sorts of problems.
How best to remove Goose-grass
The site explained: 'To remove Goose-grass from your lawn or other areas, pull it out of the ground by hand or remove it using a small trowel when the soil is damp, such as after rainfall. Be sure to remove the roots as well as the leaves and stems to prevent the weed from growing again.'
Like many other types of weed, there's no need to use weed killers or other harmful chemicals - simply pulling them out effectively should do the job well.
But, gardening experts and amateurs must look through the weeds and remove the roots accordingly to prevent them from growing back. Otherwise, you'll see yourself repeating the same task over and over again, and potentially losing sight of where this pesky weed is spreading.
The RHS says Goosegrass does have some benefits as it's a great way to attract wildlife and increase the biodiversity in your garden spaces. Nonetheless, it's good to take control on the spread of cleavers around seedlings and young plants.
Still, by fixing this as soon as it's spotted, gardeners can rest assured that their outdoor spaces will be as green and mess-free as possible. It doesn't take a lot of expertise or unnecessary financial expenses, but just some time and patience.