Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

General Subjects => General Forum => Topic started by: kindredspiritkevin on December 10, 2011, 10:18:18 AM

Title: Winkling out tiny weeds.
Post by: kindredspiritkevin on December 10, 2011, 10:18:18 AM
My fingers are a bit big for winkling out tiny weeds in under some of my Alpines, so I've bought two forceps!

I've only used the smaller one so far but it has been brilliant. No disturbance to the soil.

(http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j49/scattery/second%20album/IMG_6994.jpg)
Title: Re: Winkling out tiny weeds.
Post by: Anthony Darby on December 10, 2011, 10:22:37 AM
My goodness! I hope you adopt a suitably manic expression and evil laugh when you are winkling out the weeds. :o You might as well terrorise them first! ;D
Title: Re: Winkling out tiny weeds.
Post by: Maren on December 10, 2011, 06:15:32 PM
Golly, what sort of baby would be delivered with those? ;) ;)
Title: Re: Winkling out tiny weeds.
Post by: Maggi Young on December 10, 2011, 06:25:38 PM
Golly, what sort of baby would be delivered with those? ;) ;)
One of these, I expect......

[attach=1]
Thumbsized marzipan baby
Title: Re: Winkling out tiny weeds.
Post by: Martinr on December 10, 2011, 07:55:29 PM
Golly, what sort of baby would be delivered with those? ;) ;)
One of these, I expect......

(Attachment Link)
Thumbsized marzipan baby

That is just a wee bit grotesque ???
Title: Re: Winkling out tiny weeds.
Post by: Maggi Young on December 10, 2011, 08:03:00 PM
Quote
That is just a wee bit grotesque

The marzipan baby or the forcep delivery, Martin?
 I think the real thing is pretty awful for mother and baby....... :-X




I'm told that the instruments shown are for holding swabs and grabbing blood vessels...... :)
Title: Re: Winkling out tiny weeds.
Post by: jomowi on December 10, 2011, 09:34:11 PM
I have used forceps for years for getting rid of tiny weeds, particularly in troughs (and no, I don't cut the lawn with nail scissors!) Forceps are particularly good for winkling out moss from within plants, - not so much the mat forming moss as the type which forms long strands.
Title: Re: Winkling out tiny weeds.
Post by: Lesley Cox on December 11, 2011, 02:58:12 AM
Forceps are also necessary equipment if one wishes to collect seed of plants such as Erinacea anthyllis. I borrowed some from my doctor last year and was able to get about 200 seeds. Previously I'd only ever got half a dozen before I come up against the pain barrier. I've bought some for myself now.
Title: Re: Winkling out tiny weeds.
Post by: Anthony Darby on December 11, 2011, 06:57:14 AM
The forceps in the pics are certainly more high tec than any of the numerous pairs, which range from plain fine pointed, plain fine pointed curved, straight pointed and round ended with grooved tips and the curved entomological ones that I possess.
Title: Re: Winkling out tiny weeds.
Post by: Maren on December 11, 2011, 08:34:34 AM
Thanks for putting me in the picture about forceps.

But who would want to eat a marzipan baby? And where would they start? The mind boggles ??? :o ;) ;) :-X
Title: Re: Winkling out tiny weeds.
Post by: Anthony Darby on December 11, 2011, 08:40:34 AM
I don't think I could, and I like marzipan! :-\
Title: Re: Winkling out tiny weeds.
Post by: Neil on December 11, 2011, 10:24:36 AM
Actually there are made from resins and polymer clays, see here (http://www.camilleallen.com/)  and I use round ended tweezers to remove seedling weeds.
Title: Re: Winkling out tiny weeds.
Post by: Maggi Young on December 11, 2011, 10:33:04 AM
Actually there are made from resins and polymer clays, see here (http://www.camilleallen.com/)  and I use round ended tweezers to remove seedling weeds.
Thank goodness for that! Thanks, Neil  :)
Title: Re: Winkling out tiny weeds.
Post by: Neil on December 11, 2011, 11:10:50 AM
Kevin what type of rock is the red one in your picture?
Title: Re: Winkling out tiny weeds.
Post by: kindredspiritkevin on December 11, 2011, 11:40:23 AM
Kevin what type of rock is the red one in your picture?

Neil,

To be honest with you, I don't know.
I had about 8 of them left over from an Aquarium business and they had been just thrown in one of the sheds for years.
The slivers are "Red" sandstone from Kerry, but they're only red on the surface from iron rich water over eons. The sandstone is actually blue.
My crevice forming rocks (not shown in pic) are Killaloe Slate discards.

Kevin.
Title: Re: Winkling out tiny weeds.
Post by: Paddy Tobin on December 11, 2011, 12:02:54 PM
Hi Kevin,

I only noticed your post here when I saw you linking to it from Garden.ie

Welcome and enjoy your time here, a great forum.

Paddy
Title: Re: Winkling out tiny weeds.
Post by: ChrisB on December 11, 2011, 12:52:45 PM
Quote
I borrowed some from my doctor last year and was able to get about 200 seeds. (Lesley)

Hope he doesn't have to use them to deliver any more babies then..... ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Winkling out tiny weeds.
Post by: kindredspiritkevin on December 11, 2011, 06:21:51 PM
Hi Kevin,

I only noticed your post here when I saw you linking to it from Garden.ie

Welcome and enjoy your time here, a great forum.

Paddy

Thanks, Paddy.
Title: Re: Winkling out tiny weeds.
Post by: Lesley Cox on December 11, 2011, 08:42:34 PM
Quote
I borrowed some from my doctor last year and was able to get about 200 seeds. (Lesley)

Hope he doesn't have to use them to deliver any more babies then..... ;D ;D ;D

I did wash them before returning them and no doubt he would sterilize them before use but they weren't that big. Used I think, for pulling splinters and small pieces of glass. I feel sick just thinking about it. ::)
Title: Re: Winkling out tiny weeds.
Post by: ChrisB on December 12, 2011, 10:31:14 AM
 ;D
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