Hi

I moved into a previouly empty house about 6 weeks ago and now the weather is starting to get better I have donned my gardening groves and started to find the garden under the jungle in my back yard!

The brambles were awful at the bottom of the garden so I had then all sawed down but already the stumps are starting to sprout little leaves again.

I tried to dig out the roots but they are see thick and complex and frankly, I'm just not that strong

I have a young daughter and I was hoping to make that part of the garden into a veg patch so I'm not keen on poison. Do I have any choice?

Also, my lawn is quite patchy so I have let it grow for as long as I can bear. I have mowed if for the first time and now I see all the dandilion type weeds. I began to dig them out but it leaves muddy patchs all over my already patchy lawn.

Shoudl I continue to dig them out and let the lawn repair it's self or is it better to invest in some feed and weed. BTW, Returfing is not really an option as the lawn is rather big.

Thanks guys

JustJo wrote:
:: Hi
::
:: I moved into a previouly empty house about 6 weeks ago and now the
:: weather is starting to get better I have donned my gardening
:: groves and started to find the garden under the jungle in my back
:: yard!
::
:: The brambles were awful at the bottom of the garden so I had then
:: all sawed down but already the stumps are starting to sprout
:: little leaves again.
::
:: I tried to dig out the roots but they are see thick and complex and
:: frankly, I'm just not that strong
::
:: I have a young daughter and I was hoping to make that part of the
:: garden into a veg patch so I'm not keen on poison. Do I have any
:: choice?
::
Not really, no...their roots can go down quite a long way and are
woody...try glyphosate (roundup), mix it as per instructions but you might
want to add an oily substance to it to prolong it's effectiveness...I've
used it mixed with parrafin, then added to water and sprayed onto
brambles(the parrafin keeps the poison on the surface longer than water,
rain can wash most of it off if used just mixed with water)...I've also
killed off thistles and other 'hard to beat' weeds...it breaks down on
contact with soil and is widely used in commercial agriculture so it's
perfectly safe where vegetables are concerned, it kills all the plant
including the roots but needs to be applied when it is actively growing - IE
it needs to go through the leaves etc.

:: Also, my lawn is quite patchy so I have let it grow for as long as
:: I can bear. I have mowed if for the first time and now I see all
:: the dandilion type weeds. I began to dig them out but it leaves
:: muddy patchs all over my already patchy lawn.
::
:: Shoudl I continue to dig them out and let the lawn repair it's
:: self or is it better to invest in some feed and weed. BTW,
:: Returfing is not really an option as the lawn is rather big.
::
:: Thanks guys

you can buy a weed pencil which is like one of those deodorant sticks, just
wipe it across the leaves of the 'lions and they too will shrivel up...once
they're out of the way, you can concentrate on getting the grass up to
scratch....it may seem like a big job but it's easier (and cleaner) to wipe
this across the leaves than to dig lumps out of the lawn, plus 'lion roots
can go down over two feet and if you snap the root it will simply grow back.


--
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we.
They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country
and our people, and neither do we."
- George W. Bush, 5.8.2004

"JustJo" wrote
I moved into a previouly empty house about 6 weeks ago and now the
weather is starting to get better I have donned my gardening groves and
started to find the garden under the jungle in my back yard!

The brambles were awful at the bottom of the garden so I had then all
sawed down but already the stumps are starting to sprout little leaves
again.

I tried to dig out the roots but they are see thick and complex and
frankly, I'm just not that strong

I have a young daughter and I was hoping to make that part of the
garden into a veg patch so I'm not keen on poison. Do I have any
choice?

We found with our last allotment that had lots of brambles around it that if
you get them down to ground level, we burnt them down, and keep mowing them
as you mow the grass, then you will kill the roots in only one season.
Without leaves they can't produce food for the roots and each new shoot cut
off is sapping their strength more and more.


Also, my lawn is quite patchy so I have let it grow for as long as I
can bear. I have mowed if for the first time and now I see all the
dandilion type weeds. I began to dig them out but it leaves muddy
patchs all over my already patchy lawn.

Shoudl I continue to dig them out and let the lawn repair it's self or
is it better to invest in some feed and weed. BTW, Returfing is not
really an option as the lawn is rather big.


Yes, use a knife or a proper weeding tool and dig them up, then simply
re-seed with some grass seed rubbing/raking it into the soil surface and you
will have a good lawn by next year.
If you have lots of large bald patches it may be caused by a serious soil
compaction problem which will mean some hard work, digging out and improving
the soil drainage with some sand etc, but lets hope not. A top dressing
would probably help.
Could there be any other explanation for the existing patches?

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

undergroundbob muttered:


I discovered a cracking technique for removing weeds from the grass at
the weekend - inspired by the tip on gardener's world about filling in
dips in the lawn.

Using a big garden fork, poke deep and gently lever up a clump of the
grass surrounding the dandelion. then simply grab the root from below
the turf and wheech the whole plant out from underneath (in the manner
of cartoon gophers stealing carrots) and gently firm the clump back
down. this works a treat with dock as well, and leaves no muddy gaps
for more blinking weed seeds to establish themselves.

I remember this method... my grandfather used to do it this way )

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...
We found with our last allotment that had lots of brambles around it that
if you get them down to ground level, we burnt them down, and keep mowing
them as you mow the grass, then you will kill the roots in only one
season.



I dunno about one season but I've never seen brambles growing in a lawn so
this method seems sound.

you can buy a weed pencil which is like one of those deodorant sticks,
just
wipe it across the leaves of the 'lions and they too will shrivel
up...once

Slight tangent - as a matter of interest, do these work with any degree of
certainty?
I bought one a few weeks ago but, if anything, the weeds in my lawn look
stronger! :-)

Thanks guys

I think I will keep trying to hack the roots down and if the buggers are still trying to come up by summer I will buy some round up. Do I dig it into the soil or just spray it over the stumps?

Also I think I will invest in one of those weeding tools. I am a sucker for a new gadget

Thankseversomuch

"Chris Burns" wrote in
:

you can buy a weed pencil which is like one of those deodorant
sticks,
just
wipe it across the leaves of the 'lions and they too will shrivel
up...once

Slight tangent - as a matter of interest, do these work with any
degree of certainty?
I bought one a few weeks ago but, if anything, the weeds in my lawn
look stronger! :-)


I tried one of these last year - you can kill a bramble with them, but you
have to keep applying - I did it 6 times before the damn thing died and it
was only a tiddler. It would have been much easier to a) dig the root out
or b) keep cutting down to root level till it got worn out.

I only kept trying it that long out of a spirit of scientific enquiry ;-)

Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--

"JustJo" wrote

Thanks guys

I think I will keep trying to hack the roots down and if the buggers
are still trying to come up by summer I will buy some round up. Do I
dig it into the soil or just spray it over the stumps?

Also I think I will invest in one of those weeding tools. I am a sucker
for a new gadget


Roundup is sprayed on but it only works if there are green leaves to absorb
it so it won't work on a brown stump. You would have to let the brambles
grow before treating and then have to wait then until the plant is dead.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

On Mon, 4 Apr 2005 18:08:56 +0000, JustJo
wrote:


Hi

I moved into a previouly empty house about 6 weeks ago and now the
weather is starting to get better I have donned my gardening groves and
started to find the garden under the jungle in my back yard!

The brambles were awful at the bottom of the garden so I had then all
sawed down but already the stumps are starting to sprout little leaves
again.

I tried to dig out the roots but they are see thick and complex and
frankly, I'm just not that strong

I have a young daughter and I was hoping to make that part of the
garden into a veg patch so I'm not keen on poison. Do I have any
choice?

You don't need great strength, you just need a 'grub axe' aka
'mattock' These look rather like a stubby pick axe - available from
builder's merchants, farm suppliers or
http://www.axminster.co.uk/product.a...sfile=1&jump=0
The one you want is the upper of the 2 illustrated - you will also
need a handle, shown on the same page. I spent quite a bit of this
last winter hacking out a big area of Rhododendron ponticum with one
of these, you just need to take your time, think about what you're
doing and hack the thick roots one at a time. Learn to make angled
cuts that cut the roots rather than trying to break them by hitting
them at 90 degrees - that just stops the axe and jars your wrists.
Healthy exercise, no poisons and when you get 'em out like this
they're gone for good.

=================================================

Rod

Weed my email address to reply.
http://website.lineone.net/~rodcraddock/index.html

Victoria Clare wrote:
:: "Chris Burns" wrote in
:: :
::
:::: you can buy a weed pencil which is like one of those deodorant
:::: sticks,
::: just
:::: wipe it across the leaves of the 'lions and they too will
:::: shrivel up...once
:::
::: Slight tangent - as a matter of interest, do these work with any
::: degree of certainty?
::: I bought one a few weeks ago but, if anything, the weeds in my
::: lawn look stronger! :-)
:::
::
:: I tried one of these last year - you can kill a bramble with them,
:: but you have to keep applying - I did it 6 times before the damn
:: thing died and it was only a tiddler. It would have been much
:: easier to a) dig the root out or b) keep cutting down to root
:: level till it got worn out.
::
:: I only kept trying it that long out of a spirit of scientific
:: enquiry ;-)
::
They are perfect for wide leaved weeds in certain places...dandelions and
docks in the lawn for example, both these are deep rooted buggers and to dig
them out will make a pigs ear of the lawn, for weeds in beds or in wide open
places it's probably easier and quicker just to dig 'em out or keep chopping
their heads off, they get cheesed off eventually!



--
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we.
They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country
and our people, and neither do we."
- George W. Bush, 5.8.2004

I discovered a cracking technique for removing weeds from the grass at the weekend - inspired by the tip on gardener's world about filling in dips in the lawn.

Using a big garden fork, poke deep and gently lever up a clump of the grass surrounding the dandelion. then simply grab the root from below the turf and wheech the whole plant out from underneath (in the manner of cartoon gophers stealing carrots) and gently firm the clump back down. this works a treat with dock as well, and leaves no muddy gaps for more blinking weed seeds to establish themselves.

I am soooooo gonna try this one

Using a big garden fork, poke deep and gently lever up a clump of the
grass surrounding the dandelion. then simply grab the root from below
the turf and wheech the whole plant out from underneath (in the manner
of cartoon gophers stealing carrots) and gently firm the clump back
down. this works a treat with dock as well, and leaves no muddy gaps
for more blinking weed seeds to establish themselves.


I am soooooo gonna try this one


me toooo, sounds too good to be true :-)

as long as you've got fairly well-established grass with a nice rooty underside it works a treat! discovered it while over-enthusiastically areating my lawn...

bob