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war-with-the-garden

Well, it's not a garden yet. I put many hours in last summer to clear the landfill site that came with the house. I cleared it back to plan soil, but then it was Winter.

Now it's a jungle out there. I want to kill everything quickly. I haven't the time to dig everythign up root by roots again. Once it's all gone - and won't come back - I want to create a lawn. I can wait while chemicals kill everything if I have to.

Can anyone advise? The only thing that sounds viable so far is salt. But I don't have the means to transport or spread salt everywhere. I'd be happy to employ someone, but so far everyone who's looked doesn't seem to know anything about anything. "Rotivator" comes up every time, which is obviously not going to work.

Thanks in advance.

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Posts

  • chickychicky Posts: 10,409

    Salt sounds like a bad idea, it will stay in the soil and kill anything you plant subsequently.  Glyphosphate is probably your best bet - or exclude light with old carpet or black plastic for a season.

  • I certainly would rotivate as that will more than likely spread all the stuff you don't want further round the garden. I'd go with the old carpet, cut out the light which will make most things die off and then you can dig up anything leftover. Look round all the local skips where building work is going on and you can often pick up old carpet for free.

    I appreciate you want the whole job done quickly but you might find it better to do a part of the garden, get that sorted and just keep knocking back the rest of the jungle until you can get that done

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    Don't rotivate! I personally wouldn't use carpet but plastic is readily available if you don't want to use weedkiller. Carpet often contains lots of chemicals which apparently leach into the soil but if you're not planting edibles I dare say it's fine.

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • waterbuttswaterbutts Posts: 1,272

    David. Slow down dear. I feel a hernia coming on. Gardening is not about getting to the finish line. There never is one. It's about enjoying yourself and thinking about an ongoing challenge. Best wishes.

  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,032

    No to rotovator while weeds are alive. It will chop up roots which will grow into more weeds. I would do as Verdun says and spray with Glyphosate. Then when weeds are well dead (may need spraying twice for persitant perennial weeds) it depends how much energy you have and how big the area is. If you can manage it then dig and rake etc, but if it's too much then rotovate and rake etc.

    No salt.

    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • i had a similar issue down the allotment i strimmed down , burnt the tops with a flame burner then covered over with old carpet , i then dug over in small stages....good luck

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    Don't go to war, you'll lose the war and you'll lose interest. Work with it, a bit at a time, as suggested above



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • addictaddict Posts: 659
    Fairygirl wrote (see)

    Don't rotivate! I personally wouldn't use carpet but plastic is readily available if you don't want to use weedkiller. Carpet often contains lots of chemicals which apparently leach into the soil but if you're not planting edibles I dare say it's fine.

    Sorry Fairy but I am sure there are far less chemicals in a synthetic carpet than there is in glyphosate. Its the cocktail of ingredients needed to make the glyphosate stick to the weeds that is awful affecting humans as well as wildlife.

    http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=weed-whacking-herbicide-p

    David stick to the carpet/plastic idea. Do not use poison on a large area please.

  • Whatever you do I hope you enjoy your garden David image

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