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Common Hogweed taking over my meadow - HELP!

inezroseninezrosen Posts: 1
in The potting shed
From a few plants last year, this year nearly half my 2 acre meadow is covered in Hogweed. Sadly we missed the chance to cut before it set seed and now it’s been cut I am worried next year it will take over the whole meadow. With hindsight I should have kept that half cut back all season……  I prefer to garden organically but I am pragmatic and know I may need chemical help. Does anyone else have experience they can share?  PS my daughter is getting married in the meadow next summer so I need it to look good next June!!!! HELP!

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 52,236
    You'll just have to keep cutting it. 
    and cutting it....
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 84,017
    edited September 2021
    Hello @inezrosen and welcome to the forum :)

    In the spring, just as it starts to grow, you (or a suitable appointee) should go methodically up and down the meadow with a garden fork and dig out all that you/they find. 

    It won't get rid of them for ever, there will still be seeds that will germinate later, and some root stumps that inevitably get left behind will grow, but it should stop them re-appearing before June.  Reward the appointee suitably ... it's a tedious job ... I used to do it several times a year on our 4acre hay meadow to get rid of the ragwort so it didn't contaminate the hay 😇

    Have a lovely wedding all of your. 🥂

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,207
    It has been a great year for hogweed. We also have it in the orchard and try very hard to dig out the young plants and the ones we miss then we cut the flower heads off so that they don't seed.
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