Hi all

I'm a new gardner so please excuse my ignorance in all things green...

My back garden was littered with 4' tall thistles and lots of other weeds,
dandelions, grass etc which we pulled out, trying to remove all the roots at
the same time.

I asked a question in the group previously, regarding the best way to
remove the roots that had grown in a different part of the garden under a
membrane, and was advised to pull them out by hand , which we have done to
the best of our ability, and have also done the same in the non membrane
current area.

Since then I have levelled the area taking upto 12" out, and buried in the
soil were lots more roots. Obviously while levelling , I've tried my best to
remove these roots. But if I've been finding them up to 12" deep, I guess
there must be lots more that I might have missed.

Ultimately I am going to lay turf on top, but before I do so, I want to try
reduce any future weed problems. So my questions is...

Will the turf act as a weed suppressant. Will these roots buried up to 12"
deep eventually grow through the turf. If so is there any poison I can use.
It must be able to penetrate the soil to get to the roots, be harmless to
dogs, and hopefully not poison the worms (and birds that keep eating them).
I'm in no hurry to lay the turf, so I don't mind waiting for any treatment
to become inactive.

Or, (as I suspect might be the answer) do I have to keep digging and
turning the soil until I've removed all the roots.

thanks in advance

Andy

aaj wrote:
Hi all

I'm a new gardner so please excuse my ignorance in all things
green...

The more gardening I do, the more ignorant I find I am! Like any
other worthwhile activity, so there's no shame.

[...]
Or, (as I suspect might be the answer) do I have to keep digging
and
turning the soil until I've removed all the roots.

thanks in advance

If you plan to use a herbicide, I'd be inclined to leave it all alone
for several weeks so the roots can send up some shoots. Poisoning
buried roots rather than active top growth isn't practical, and
wouldn't be healthy. Most of those 12" down won't make it to the
surface, but the rest probably will.

You need to let it all settle undisturbed before seeding or turfing
anyhow, so this sounds like nature's warning to take a well-earned
rest.

Turf won't provide a barrier against rooted weeds, though it'll stop
some of the ones coming from seed on the bare surface. If in no
hurry, I'd save the money and sow seed, which often gives you a
better lawn anyhow.

--
Mike.

"aaj" wrote in message
news:1119856612.ef0916c1bc1c11c16292437034610762@t eranews...
Hi all

I'm a new gardner so please excuse my ignorance in all things green...



SNIP

Or, (as I suspect might be the answer) do I have to keep digging and
turning the soil until I've removed all the roots.


You will never remove *all* the roots, so forget it, just take the worst
ones out. Turf won't stop weeds coming back up through, but putting the
membrane back down before turfing will help in this respect.


Steve

shazzbat wrote:
[...]
You will never remove *all* the roots, so forget it, just take the
worst ones out.

Sound. But see my earlier reply.

Turf won't stop weeds coming back up through, but
putting the membrane back down before turfing will help in this
respect.

I really don't think I'd lay a membrane under turf. The little grass
plants want all the access they can get to the soil. Modern turf in
particular has very little soil attached, and I think most of it
would die in the first dry spell even if it had managed to get a bit
of a toehold. Weeds aren't really as big a problem as all that,
anyhow.

--
Mike.

The message
from "Mike Lyle" contains these words:

shazzbat wrote:
[...]
You will never remove *all* the roots, so forget it, just take the
worst ones out.

Sound. But see my earlier reply.

Turf won't stop weeds coming back up through, but
putting the membrane back down before turfing will help in this
respect.

I really don't think I'd lay a membrane under turf. The little grass
plants want all the access they can get to the soil. Modern turf in
particular has very little soil attached, and I think most of it
would die in the first dry spell even if it had managed to get a bit
of a toehold. Weeds aren't really as big a problem as all that,
anyhow.

I agree with Mike Lyle. ISTR this is the second time on urg in recent
weeks, that someone has (ill-advisedly, imho}recommended laying turf
directly above membrane :-(

I'd be interested to hear where that idea originates from.

Janet

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Mike Lyle" contains these
words:

shazzbat wrote:
[...]
You will never remove *all* the roots, so forget it, just take the
worst ones out.

Sound. But see my earlier reply.

Turf won't stop weeds coming back up through, but
putting the membrane back down before turfing will help in this
respect.

I really don't think I'd lay a membrane under turf. The little grass
plants want all the access they can get to the soil. Modern turf in
particular has very little soil attached, and I think most of it
would die in the first dry spell even if it had managed to get a bit
of a toehold. Weeds aren't really as big a problem as all that,
anyhow.

I agree with Mike Lyle. ISTR this is the second time on urg in recent
weeks, that someone has (ill-advisedly, imho}recommended laying turf
directly above membrane :-(


Yes, it was me then, too.

I'd be interested to hear where that idea originates from.

From a friend of mine who has done it without apparent problems. :-))

Steve

shazzbat wrote:
"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
[...]
I agree with Mike Lyle. ISTR this is the second time on urg in
recent weeks, that someone has (ill-advisedly, imho}recommended
laying turf directly above membrane :-(


Yes, it was me then, too.

I'd be interested to hear where that idea originates from.

From a friend of mine who has done it without apparent problems.
:-))

That's good to know, though I still wouldn't do it. No problems in
that case; but what were the benefits?

--
Mike.

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
...
shazzbat wrote:
"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
[...]
I agree with Mike Lyle. ISTR this is the second time on urg in
recent weeks, that someone has (ill-advisedly, imho}recommended
laying turf directly above membrane :-(


Yes, it was me then, too.

I'd be interested to hear where that idea originates from.

From a friend of mine who has done it without apparent problems.
:-))

That's good to know, though I still wouldn't do it. No problems in
that case; but what were the benefits?


I'll ask. I haven't seen him for a while, but I imagine it is doing it's bit
to keep weeds from coming up through.

Steve

Many thanks all

scarily, I think I'm going to have a go at growing the grass from seed (as
suggested in one of the earlier posts.)

might be a good experience for a newbie like me. Ill have a peruse of the
internet for seed recommendations, unless you guys have any good ideas.

cheers again

Andy

p.s. I think I might have lots of questions to keep you guys busy with my
new found hobby!!!

"shazzbat" wrote in message
...

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
...
shazzbat wrote:
"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
[...]
I agree with Mike Lyle. ISTR this is the second time on urg in
recent weeks, that someone has (ill-advisedly, imho}recommended
laying turf directly above membrane :-(


Yes, it was me then, too.

I'd be interested to hear where that idea originates from.

From a friend of mine who has done it without apparent problems.
:-))

That's good to know, though I still wouldn't do it. No problems in
that case; but what were the benefits?


I'll ask. I haven't seen him for a while, but I imagine it is doing it's
bit
to keep weeds from coming up through.

Steve

aaj wrote:
Many thanks all

scarily, I think I'm going to have a go at growing the grass from
seed (as suggested in one of the earlier posts.)

might be a good experience for a newbie like me. Ill have a peruse
of
the internet for seed recommendations, unless you guys have any
good
ideas.
[...]

Just go to the local garden centre or DIY shed, and read what it says
on the various packets. Each one should describe the kind of use and
situation the particular mixture is meant for. It doesn't actually
matter all that much, but note that ones containing ryegrass will
usually be tougher than others, but can't be cut quite as short. If
you don't care, you might just go for the cheapest -- I probably
would. If you can, spend an extra tenner on a spreader: it's very
hard to get an even spread by hand, though that won't matter in a
couple of years, either. It's not brain surgery. (Do keep the packet:
you may want to know what mixture you used for patching damaged bits
later.)

--
Mike.