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Originally Posted by VEGETABLEMAN
Hello there, I hope somebody can guide me. I'm something of a novice gardener so forgive me if this is a stupid question.
I have a flower bed that to my shame has been somewhat neglected. I've decided to rip it up and start again (as somebody once sang) and I mean start again. I hacked away at friend and foe alike on saturday. Scorched earth policy.
I want to make sure no roots make a comeback so I can the plant without concern. I've read about 'Round Up'. is that the way to go or is there a better way. I'm afraid I'm looking for the most hassle free option as I'm not dedicated enough to get on my knees with a trowel!
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Roundup (a brand-name for glyphosate, which you can probably buy more cheaply under that name) kills plants that are in growth, by absorption through the leaves thereof, or sometimes by injection into a stump. It doesn't reliably kill woody plants, and you are going to have to dig out the stumps of those anyway, dead or alive. And some plants require reapplications of round-up, as it doesn't completely kill their roots first, or second, time. For some plants with over-winter root storage, this is a good time to apply round-up, but if you've hacked the tops off you may be stuffed.
Getting on your knees with a trowel and removing as many roots as you can is often, in the long run, the least-hassle option. Better done earlier in the season, than now, so then you can apply roundup to things that come back now.
The reality is that you will never remove everything, but it is best to get the real horrors under control by removing as much root as possible when the bed doesn't have desired plants in it.