New Column, New Garden - Published in the Ko-Go Khronicles, December 2006

NEW COLUMN, NEW GARDEN: As chance would have it, I have been asked to pen this new column at the same time as moving into a new house with a garden that I can call my own. So now I have two blank canvases to work on, the one of soil and the other paper. So what am I going to do in the garden?First of all I want to see what is already there and what is doing well. The old adage of don't fix it unless it’s broken is well suited to many aspects of garden work.The recent rains have certainly made what previously was bare soil very lush and green. Most of what are emerging are weeds but there are a few interesting bulbs starting to poke their noses through the soil. I'm glad that I wasn't too impatient to start work.
OXALIS: One plant that has become apparent, and one I definitely don't want, is the yellow flowering oxalis/wood-sorrel (Oxalis pes-caprae). This is a perennial plant (meaning that it lives for many years) that re-grows each autumn from tiny bulbils that grow on its roots. It is very rampant and invasive and despite being a native of South Africa it has escaped from cultivation and, despite it's attractive appearance, is a problem all over Crete.
Each oxalis growing out there is taking up the space that could have a Cretan native wild flower growing in it.
Getting rid of this weed is easier said than done. Normally I am in favour or using cultural/mechanical means to remove weeds (hoeing, digging etc) but that is practically impossible with this pest. Hoeing leaves all those pesky bulbils in the soil, digging leaves at least some of them behind and, worst of all, rotavating spreads them into areas not yet colonised. Unfortunately we have to resort to chemical warfare. I have been successful in the past using repeat doses of glyphosate weed killers. A dose just before the plant dies back for the summer seems to be particularly effective. Space does not allow me to look deeper into the use of pesticides this month, but do treat all chemicals with respect and always follow the instructions on the packaging. I will devote a large section of my next column to this issue. I will be pleased to receive any comments or queries about any aspect of gardening. I will try to help out through this column and tailor it to suit as many of your needs as possible.