Burdocks!

We always called mullein Indian arsewipe

There's lots of biennial weeds:

http://128.104.239.6/uw_weeds/extens...CPBiennial.htm

Here is some information regarding burdock from a birding friends website. The site has info on how burdock can be used as a food source, and info on how to get rid of burdock. There is also info as to why this invasive is a threat to small song birds.

http://www.birderblog.com/bird/101/0...9c8ec156462c8e

Peace,
Margie

broadleaf weed killer sprayed on twice a year. bcs

I saw a package of two long burdock roots for sale for about $3 at the Asian grocery store. Except for harvest time, that must be the ideal crop for a lazy farmer.

Well, I never would've guessed!

Botanical name of the species you want is Arctium lappa. The Japanese call if Gobo.

Well, you know, it's the middle of winter, but my horses came into the barn the other day and had a few burrs on them! ARGH! I don't know where they got them as I did a severe extermination late last year. Those plants are a royal pain. And it doesn't help that the neighbour's field next door has a "territory line" of them along the fence.....way too many to even bother with, and not mowable since it's in an area of scrub and deadfalls.

I was under the impression that if you cut them down when they're still green, before the pods actually go dry and brown, the seeds will not germinate? True or not? Or should I try to catch them before they get a pod at all?

They grew to be well over 5 feet here last year, too! It's very hard to keep on top of them, they grow so quickly.

So salt is good to dump at their base....anything else? I really don't want to use chemicals if I can help it and anyhow, it would no doubt cost a fortune around here. Some of the burrdock I have here is not accessible with a mower, I have to go in and hand-cut, so the root is still there---and some root tops look more like little tree stumps and way too difficult to pull out. Any other more natural things I can maybe dump at the base, like vinegar or something?

Oh, and how much salt per plant are we talking here?

DD

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"The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap."

I just threw out the idea of salt because it is relatively non-toxic and will eventually be dissolved and percolate deep into the ground. Maybe try a cup per plant.

Multi-year plants go through a cycle where they take the energy stored into the root and convert it to above ground growth. Then at the end of the season they either put the energy gathered from the sun into seed production or if the plant is going to grow another season they move the energy collected down into the root for storage.

If you cut the plant when it has extracted most of the energy from the root and before it starts storing the energy back into the root the plant may come up the next season but it will have less reserves to work with. Over time the plant will run out of energy and die.

I would cut them when they are almost at full height and just after the seed heads form for maximum effect. If you cut it at the right time the plant will not regrow the next year.

Foresters have a really nice cutting tool. It is a very lightweight thin blade about 3' long. The one I used had a blade 1 1/2" wide and only weight a pound or so. It slices right through small branches so I'm sure it would slice through burdock stems like butter and won't wear your wrist out in the process.

If you could get a goat that was used to being tethered, move it through the area a few times in spring when they're just getting going.

Burdock is yummy, especially as a winter root vegetable. Off and on I dig some up here and it's a very nutritious flavor....I usually dig it in fall and it helps whatever is ailing me. Taste is somewhere between parsnips, carrots and leeks!

If you have a macrobiotic restaurant, farmers market, or a restaurant chef, someone could learn about it, pitch it and make good money. Haven't ordered it in a restaurant lately, but 20 years ago, in a non-fancy macrobiotic restaurant, we paid $3.50 for a very small side dish (steamed).

I never see it in the markets, at farmers markets and am always amazed. Burdock and broccoli rabe--rappini are two delicious vegs that are rarely seen and bring in 3x the price per pound of most other vegs. Go figure. I hope someone picks up on learning how to grow either or both and how to market them. Broco-rabi is $3.49 per pound now in a small town zone 5 chain and never goes below $2.49 even in summer.

T

Burdocks are often biennial but much of the tme they are short-lived perennial. We have all of the Docks here in Missouri. You could probably sell the roots, considering their medicinal value.

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