This should get a quick response.

I have just moved into to a new build with just the "topsoil" in the garden. It is next to a farmers field in a semi-rural/urban setting and on top of a natural hedgerow.

The builder sprayed my garden last July and most of the weeds died. I wanted to get rid of the weeds by hand and so far cleared an area roughly 10% of the size of my garden. Since starting in March new growth has already started to appear in the cleared area.

As for the rest of the garden it's gone weeds bonkers! The soil type is sandy with a pH value of 8-8.5 and faces south.

I now accept that I cannot do this by digging each one individually up. I also want to do this the most environmentally friendly way possible.

My garden is 550sq metres.......please help.

Thanks.

I now accept that I cannot do this by digging each one individually up.
I also want to do this the most environmentally friendly way
possible.

My garden is 550sq metres.......please help.


I had this situation on half an acre. If yours is as mine was, flat, you
could do the same as me, I went over it with an Atco Rotoscythe, (rotating
blade with cutters on the end) kept on doing that, lowering the cut all the
time. The weeds disappeared, a field of 'grass' appeared which was kept
trimmed quite easily, even easier when I put a pony on it :-))

If you could do this, it would keep the weeds down and you could 'nibble
away' into the land as you want it.

Mike

GateKeeper wrote:
As for the rest of the garden it's gone weeds bonkers! ...
My garden is 550sq metres.......please help.

I mow a similar size area every week, and that has discouraged most of the
weeds and allowed grass to grow. You may want to rotovate, rake, roll,
and turf to make it managable while you sort yourself out.

Unless there are any dangerous species in there - like ragwort - you could
consider a couple of goats, and get fresh milk too.

The message
from "Robert E A Harvey" contains these words:


Unless there are any dangerous species in there - like ragwort - you could
consider a couple of goats, and get fresh milk too.

Except that in order to get fresh milk from goats, first you have to
let them breed, and dispose of the male kids because they stink when
they reach sexual maturity. Then having removed the kids you have to be
there, twice every single day without fail, to milk the lactating
shegoats. Meanwhile, if you or the neighbours have a hedge, the goats
will eat that in preference to weeds. They will also need a weatherproof
shelter, somewhere else to store their winter feed, worming, and vet
care occasionally.

IMO you'd be better spending all that time effort and money on making
a garden. Smother the weeds, and keep cleaned ground clear, by covering
it up to exclude light. Old cardboard cartons, carpets, tarpaulins, or
black plastic, will do the job.

Janet.

"Robert E A Harvey" wrote in message ...
GateKeeper wrote:
As for the rest of the garden it's gone weeds bonkers! ...
My garden is 550sq metres.......please help.

I mow a similar size area every week, and that has discouraged most of the
weeds and allowed grass to grow. You may want to rotovate, rake, roll,
and turf to make it managable while you sort yourself out.

Unless there are any dangerous species in there - like ragwort - you could
consider a couple of goats, and get fresh milk too.

Sound advice. But if the area's reasonably level, I'd just add the
usual warning against rotovating: in case you don't know already, it
encourages perennial weeds by chopping them up into nice root cuttings
and spreading them about. And it sounds as though you wouldn't be too
keen on the thorough raking you'd need to do afterwards, on most
soils.

Mike.

On 4/29/04 12:56 AM, in article
, "GateKeeper"
wrote:

This should get a quick response.

I have just moved into to a new build with just the "topsoil" in the
garden. It is next to a farmers field in a semi-rural/urban setting
and on top of a natural hedgerow.

The builder sprayed my garden last July and most of the weeds died. I
wanted to get rid of the weeds by hand and so far cleared an area
roughly 10% of the size of my garden. Since starting in March new
growth has already started to appear in the cleared area.

As for the rest of the garden it's gone weeds bonkers! The soil type
is sandy with a pH value of 8-8.5 and faces south.

I now accept that I cannot do this by digging each one individually up.
I also want to do this the most environmentally friendly way
possible.

My garden is 550sq metres.......please help.

Thanks.
--
GateKeeper
------------------------------------------------------------------------
posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk

A 550 sq metres is a good sized area. It would be too big for me to dig
up also...although I think I would try much like you have.
Weeds are not necessarily a bad thing though. If you can turn them over
they become green manure. They feed the worms and the worms feed the soil.
When the weeds start growing again, let them grow but don't let them go
to seed. Dig them in before that happens and you are then converting them to
green manure...the worms will reward you for your efforts.
Covering the area with black plastic will work I should think but
then you have a large area to be covered. Then after, what do you do with
the black plastic?
What time frame are we talking about here? If it's instant results you
are wanting then that would be a challenge.
So many questions!
My garden is 1/4 the size of yours. I plant a fall rye (in the fall of
course) and turn it over in the spring...I mean really 'turn it over' so
that the green is buried=green manure. (My worms love me). I find that in
spite of my efforts to be perfect in turning it over some green still shows
and I have to go back later...I let them grow for a time...and again turn
them over.
Tonnes of weeds...hummm, I'm now thinking that this area was not dug up
in the past. Am I right or is it a garden area that has been dug up but has
been neglected?
As I said above-so many questions...to provide the right information
there are lots of questions that need to be answered.
My next question is (I should have asked this before) what are you
planning to do with this 550 square meters?
Good luck,
Gary Davis
Fort Langley, BC
Canada
PS: Should you have any ice hockey players in your neighbourhood get them to
dig it up for you...it will help their wrist shots, their slap shots and
they will score more goals! And that is good for the home team! Ask me how I
know this?
PSS: I find this fascinating that I am able to communicate with gardeners
in Britain and elsewhere...