On 4 Sep, 20:11, "Nowhere" wrote:
Hi

\snip\
I want to prepare the area and am concerned
about the nettle roots etc underground and how to deal with them I
would like rotovate and add some extra topsoil / sand etc Is this OK or
will this make weed regrowth worse Any alternatives I should try?

2. I have some overgrown shrubs but not sure what they are \snip\
Mike

--

In answer to the nettle question, as a gardener for over forty years,
I would advise that you take a garden fork and loosen the nettle roots
before pulling them out of the ground completely. If you leave these
roots in they will come back in a very short space of time. Adding
extra topsoil will, unless sterilized, invariably introduce further
weeds to your patch. Better, in my opinion, to add some compost to
the existing soil to build it up. If you live near a farm they will
happily give you some farmyard muck that will soon compost down and
make a reasonable additive to your soil. Alternatively, your own
household waste can be composted to make an excellent additive -
although this is a longer term option. However, many local community
groups and councils offer rapid composting bins for about a fiver
each. These turn stuff into usable compost in a very short spacce of
time, about 12 weeks or so.

In addition to nettle roots you will need to completely remove any
other persistent rooted weeds such as ground elder, dock and thistle -
often found in conjunction with nettles. Hard work is the only
surefire way to rid yourself of these weeds without recourse to
glyphosate (Which kills everything it touches).

As for the overgrown shrubs you can identify them using one of many
books available in gardening shops (or amazon.com) and if you post a
few pictures on a website and post the link to here I'm sure you will
receive as much help in identifying them as you need.

Regards,
Compo in Scotland