addlestone river bourne - the flowers - Himalayan balsam

been if touch with local council, Runnymede, about this river near me, there is a steach around 50/70Yds covered in the stuff on the banks, last year it was'nt to bad, but this year, its like the triffids have arrived, if i know now, which is't alot , 3 months ago, maybe I would have done somethink about it, so if poss, can a day be arranged to clean it up, local council will get back to T.A.C. to talk things over, I like to keep them informed, as I deal with them all the time and they hate me as it is anyway.

ps

watching matt hays, on free tv, quest, and guese wot is behind him "Himalayan balsam",

maybe we could meet up midweek keith, is anyone else about on a wednesday

im up for wednesday (tomorrow?)

so hows about next week

LETS get the council on our side first, they get abit funny, when poeple just jump in, and i have a good relations with them, they are/will get intouch with us soon, as it will not cost them any money, they will jump at the chance for someone to do their job for them, and i did inform them that it dad to be done sooner rarther then later

will get ansure bythis friday for next week

let me know when you hear and i will try to shift things around to help out

nice one chaps, my only concern is that we've a mountain of the stuff to deal with on the thames

Many thanks to Jim , William, Jack and me, just of 2hrs work we cleared a nice area of the himalayan balsam, now we have it under control, next year will be a lot better, reported it to local press, under the banner of T.A.C., and jack being a junior member, he informed the press with story and pics, will copy it into this web page next wek














before and after

got a telophone call from Runnymede Council, to let you all know on what a good job we did yesterday, and say a big thank-you,

it must be great to have the ears of the council buddy, in a couple of years you might get the rest of their heads

Well in Keith, and good work all round chaps... as always!


Richard

SON OF CRAZY CRAB "JACK" AND ME, Went to river bourne gogmore park chertsey, to clear out some HB as requested by runnymede council leisure/parks deparment, they did ask if if we could cut the heads off and put into bag, gave it ago, but at 10secs a pull/cut/bag, just the two off us, gave up after 15mins with just 1/2 a bag filled, went back to pull and drop, 2 1/2secs,

Well done guys, can i stress that in order for balsam picking to be effective it should be done before seed heads form and also that picked stems should be hung to dry as they will spread by putting out runners.

went to see our efforts on the river bourn addlestone yesterday, found some ones that we had missed, a few, and new ones, got rid of them all, a few of them were seeding,







all removed

nice one m8, think the season for pulling is over, its the time of sowing seeds, and I aint refering to the local nightclub

As you know i am not familiar with the area, but i wondered if you know where the upstream limit is for the balsam? As i am sure you are aware the seeds will be carried downstream so by hitting the point of dispersal at the upstream limit is the way to go.

We had a patch, it was coming from a garden, non above this point, by hitting it hard last year from this point down we had reduced the regrowth by as much as 50%, we hit it again this year so next year it will be very sporadic we hope.

We just got in and pulled it out, no cutting as the plant can spread by putting out runners from the lowest stem nodule. All pulled plants were hung upside down to dry so as to stop regrowth. As it is an annual plant this is the way to go. Other options include spraying but a licence and relevant certification is necessary especially for spraying near water.

On another note, whats the knotweed/Hogweed and rhodendron situation like down there.

Knotweed/Hogweed is best treated using stem injection/spraying and plants ( especially Knotweed) should not be removed from site. Rhodendron can be reduced using the lever and mulch method...( google it)

Hope this helps with your stirling efforts.....well done one and all.

Hi Chris, all the seeds have come from the over side off the bank, this is private land, and is covered in the stuff, and I meen covered, I have been fishing this river for the last 5yrs and have never seen this stuff here before, the council are now awhere of the problem and are salting things out for next year, there is a group who clean out the river at gogmore park, chertsey, there next meeting is next month, so this is one one the issue that will be brought up,

i will look into the Knotweed/Hogweed in my area, but i think we are free? of the stuff so far, to mine knowledge

keith

Don't quote me on this but i think the legislation states that it is okay to have balsam on your property but it is an offence to let it spread outwith your property. Trouble is rivers/streams/ditches are excellent pathways for things to spread just by their nature. All these invasives were originally brought in for gardens etc especially during the victorian times so unfortunately most are so well established. All we can do is try and rid the stuff as best we can.


Once again well done for all your efforts.

Went ou for 15 mins and done some more pulling

this is before and after pics






doing me bit for the British English plants

Nice one Keith, it seems to be coming up a bit later this year, couldn't see any around the mini-ha-ha the other day, but it must be there, didn't have my wellies on to get right in amongst the boggy area, will look again at the weekend.

hI Edd

this is the same place we did last year, sea pics on page one, they are only around 9" tall, they are not in any of the over places along the river, I think it is due to the foxes their, they have a den around 25/30yds away, they eat plants, then comes out over end, as thier waz a few plants around there den last year,

Keith

just spent 15mins down me river, a quike recce on how it is, its looking good for Saturday if we have no more rain, found everdance of someone been fishing, and got rid of some left over H/B,







our side of the river is 80% clear of the stuff, but the other side is covered in it,

Can we get to the other side mate, is it public, private?

ITS private land, over grone, you will need a heavy duty strimmer or two to get too the area, its about 2/300yds long will hav a word with leisure department about it

ps


did you get reminder about getting new weir licence, as i did'nt

Ok mate, nice one

I think I may have got a reminder but a couple of months back, not sure. Did it over the phone today so hopefully will get it in the next week or so.