In message , Mary
Fisher writes
While we were on our daughter's farm last week we cleared her erstwhile
vegetable garden of perennial weed top growth by cutting by brush cutter and
secateurs.

There were nettles, dock, thistles, brambles, grass etc. - the usual
culprits.

Because of a miscarriage, bad pregnancy, a new baby, father's depression,
hospitalisation due to abdominal abscess and cancer and subsequent treatment
(a sorry story but it needs to be explained so that no-one criticises for
neglect) the plot has been unattended for two years. Before then it was very
productive and grew the best vegetables I've ever tasted - especially
parsnips.

We want to encourage a renewal of the cultivation so would like to provide
daughter with whatever means possible to rid the plot of the weeds and we
thought about the Weed Dragon. I realise that it would have to be used
several times to rid the new growth from the roots but if it isn't suitable
I'd like to know what other solutions people here can suggest.

I must add that this plot is on an organic farm, chemical control is not an
option. A cultivator would seem to us to be inefficient because it would
spread roots. but we're willing to be advised.

Hi Mary. I am so sorry I missed this and have only just noticed it. I
bought one about two years ago (possibly three - time flies). It is
rubbish. I hate it. It burns the tops of the weeds off and that is it.
Roots remain. It also tends to singe anything adjacent to the plants
you are trying to destroy, although by the sound of it, you want to do
the whole lot. Also - as I am a wimp - I found it a bit scary.

I can't think of anything a lightly built person could do except dig,
which is hard going. A rotovator would just turn the weeds back in and
they would pop up again. I suppose the best thing to do would be to get
a labourer in to dig it over but that would probably be rather
expensive. Other than that, recruit some younger members of the family
to have a 'dig-in' with food thrown in. That might do the trick.
--
June Hughes