I am somewhat behind in the garden this year, what with an
extended holiday Sept/Oct and the wet weather the digging has
yet to be done.

I made a start today and decided to do the quick way of digging
a full lentgh fork load and just turning in on its back so the
weather can do its wosrt/best, rather than tease out many of
the weeds as I dig.

However there is one patch that has been over run with
buttercups, and I'm not sure if turning them upside down will
destory them.

Does any one know?

Thanks


--
Roger T

700 ft up in Mid-Wales

In article ,
says...

I am somewhat behind in the garden this year, what with an
extended holiday Sept/Oct and the wet weather the digging has
yet to be done.

I made a start today and decided to do the quick way of digging
a full lentgh fork load and just turning in on its back so the
weather can do its wosrt/best, rather than tease out many of
the weeds as I dig.

However there is one patch that has been over run with
buttercups, and I'm not sure if turning them upside down will
destory them.

It won't, IME. If you leave them in soil they will recover and regrow.

I prefer to take them right out, leaves and roots, (using a fork).
Once you've made a start on a dense colony they loosen up quite easily.
Buttercups are a weed I happily put in the compost bin, they don't
survive that.

Janet

On 13/11/2015 21:16, Roger Tonkin wrote:

However there is one patch that has been over run with
buttercups, and I'm not sure if turning them upside down will
destory them.

Does any one know?

I doubt it will do much more than inconvenience them. But at least they
won't be seeing the light any more this year if under the soil.

They are only shallow rooted and interconnected by runners so you can
rip them out fairly quickly after loosening the soil.

They are pretty resistent to glyphosate so you need to use a broadleaf
specific weedkiller (though it is probably to late now this year).
Whenever I have reclaimed scrubland the buttercups, ivy and holly
seedlings are all notable survivors.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown