The Totally Overgrown 'veg' patch - need some help please

RuthG

I have a huge garden and part of it has clearly been set aside for veggies at some point. It measures at least 70x70 feet and at present is home to an abundance of thistles, brambles, nettles and couch grass. I understand that having such weeds growing is a tribute to the fertility of the soil. However, I would like to grow something a little more edible (yes I know you can eat nettles, but not as many as I have I assure you).

Any ideas about how best to clear the plot and still be able to start planting in March/April? (We are about a month behind the rest of Britain where i live, so have a bit of a respite). So far, all the books have said 'clear and dig the plot in September/October (bit like the chap giving directions who said 'if you want to get there, then I wouldnt start from here'!), or put down something the excludes all the light and leave for a season (dont want to wait that long).

Ruth

sunflower76

Firstly you need to chop back whatever is on there so either go at it with some shears or hire a strimmer / brushcutter and chope everything down. As you're chopping keep raking all the chopped bits and put them in a heap for compost. You'll probably need to do this twice or three times to get it right down leaving 4 or 5 days in between chopping sessions.

Next, you need to skim off the surface weeds by slicing a sharp spade across the top just under the soil. You only want to be removing 1/2inch to an inch and stack these sods upside down on your compost heap.

Then it's time for digging pulling out as many roots as you can. Do the digging in short sessions and only turn small chunks of earth at a time.

As the weeds start to grow again (you'll almost certainly miss some roots) either hoe the tops off (if they are annuals) or dig them out properly.

This year I'd go for potatoes as once you've set the seed potato you need to keep earthing up soil around the emerging stem. This allows you to pull out more weeds as you do so.

You could hire a rotovator to do the digging for you but this will chop up the roots of the couch grass and make it harder in the long term to get rid of it. I have couch grass and rotovate though as I'm unable to dig for hours on end so I just live with the grass, getting rid of as much as I can each year.

Good luck!

mk_wotsit

I'd wait until March when the weeds begin their spring growth and spray the lot with Roundup!

Clearing it by hand will be gruelling.

Given the choice between hours of digging, backache and blisters or half an hour of spraying and puttting your feet up for two weeks - I know which I'd choose!

It doesn,t matter if your a few weeks behind with your planting - stuff seems to 'catch up' over the season

You can also start loads of veg off in pots and transplant late May

Have a good clear up Oct/Nov and leave it roughly dug and the frost will break it down nicely for next year.

I gave up my allotment - it was far too much work - I just have a small plot in the back garden now!

Hope this helps ! BTW Cheap seeds in Netto and Aldi at the moment :money:

valk_scot

Got a plan of what you want to do? Raised beds/fruit area/greenhouse/compost bins/paths/trees etc? It's worth having at least a rough idea of what you want to do and where, even if it's just a scribble on the back of an old envelope.

Then, start small. If you want to put in a section of six raised beds, for example, mark them out, clear the top foliage off (billhook), put some old carpet strips on your "paths" and dig the actual bed areas. You don't need to edge them straight off. Plant as you go. If you're not going to get the actual greenhouse or even slab the area till next September, put some weed suppressant down in that section and forget about it till then. Work on the areas you'll need first, leave the rest. If half of it doesn't get dug till this time next year that's fine...and if you cover it now, you'll find it's almost weed free in a year.

You will need to get your compost areas up and running though from the start. Make sure you don't try to compost any perennial weeds...dig these out completelyand either burn them or take to the dump.

Have to say 70' x 70' is a LOT of ground, a lot of veg and a lot of work. Pace yourself!

RuthG

sunflower76 wrote: »

Firstly you need to chop back whatever is on there so either go at it with some shears or hire a strimmer / brushcutter and chope everything down. As you're chopping keep raking all the chopped bits and put them in a heap for compost. You'll probably need to do this twice or three times to get it right down leaving 4 or 5 days in between chopping sessions.

Next, you need to skim off the surface weeds by slicing a sharp spade across the top just under the soil. You only want to be removing 1/2inch to an inch and stack these sods upside down on your compost heap.


Good luck!

Can I put brambles, nettles and couch grass on the compost heap? I thought they would just regrow?

Ruth

RuthG

mk_wotsit wrote: »

I'd wait until March when the weeds begin their spring growth and spray the lot with Roundup!

Clearing it by hand will be gruelling.

Given the choice between hours of digging, backache and blisters or half an hour of spraying and puttting your feet up for two weeks - I know which I'd choose!

BTW Cheap seeds in Netto and Aldi at the moment :money:

Thanks for the seeds tip - will go look next time Im in town.

Think I might go for a combination of hand weeding then roundup - is roundup the best one to use? When the weeds begin to regrow, or if I need a patch more quickly, then i will resort to the weedkiller.

Ruth

RuthG

valk_scot wrote: »

Got a plan of what you want to do? Raised beds/fruit area/greenhouse/compost bins/paths/trees etc? It's worth having at least a rough idea of what you want to do and where, even if it's just a scribble on the back of an old envelope.

Then, start small. If you want to put in a section of six raised beds, for example, mark them out, clear the top foliage off (billhook), put some old carpet strips on your "paths" and dig the actual bed areas. You don't need to edge them straight off. Plant as you go. If you're not going to get the actual greenhouse or even slab the area till next September, put some weed suppressant down in that section and forget about it till then. Work on the areas you'll need first, leave the rest. If half of it doesn't get dug till this time next year that's fine...and if you cover it now, you'll find it's almost weed free in a year.

You will need to get your compost areas up and running though from the start. Make sure you don't try to compost any perennial weeds...dig these out completelyand either burn them or take to the dump.

Have to say 70' x 70' is a LOT of ground, a lot of veg and a lot of work. Pace yourself!

Thanks for this. I do have a plan in my head of about 4x10 foot wide beds and then fruit bushes/rhubarb etc on the rest. Not sure how long they will be yet.

Will take the suggestion re pacing myself - youre right, it IS a big plot!

Ruth

MrsTinks

Don't use roundup on thistles... oh it'll kill them alright... but you need welding gloves to pull them up once they've dried and the thorns are nice and hard... we have a huge thistle problem on our allotments and I had to clear 2 8mx8m plots of thistles... FUN FUN FUN
I found the hand method worked best... fork in and lift as much root as you can - it's slow hard work, but the areas I didn't do it on all have thistles on them again *sigh*
Once you have cleared all the weeds THEN get a rotivator in

katieowl_2

BenW wrote: »

Can I put brambles, nettles and couch grass on the compost heap? I thought they would just regrow?

Ruth

Nettle leaves and stems won't re-grown on the compost heap...the roots will...but they are easy to pull out (and easy to identify) when they pop up!

Couch Grass is virulent...not on the compost!!! NOOOOO!

Brambles are too too tough to compost. Best thing to do with them is to dry them out and burn it! Then you can spread the ash on the garden (or put it on the compost heap)

Good Luck!!!
Kate

Rotor

BenW wrote: »

Thanks for the seeds tip - will go look next time Im in town.

Think I might go for a combination of hand weeding then roundup - is roundup the best one to use? When the weeds begin to regrow, or if I need a patch more quickly, then i will resort to the weedkiller.

Ruth

The active ingredient in roundup is glyphosate so any weedkiller with this will do the job. Two applications will probably be needed about a month apart as i always find that some perennial weeds regrow.
Then there are the annual weed seeds that will be rife : so don't be to ambitious in the first year. Grow big stuff that you don't plant close together so is easier to hoe between (such as brussels/broccoli etc) and dense things that will push out the weeds (spuds maybe)
Unless ,ofcourse, you have lots of time and oodles of enthusiasm

RuthG

Well didnt get outside at all today as it has been raining here and the ground is soaking. However, this evening I will draw up the plan on paper and prepare as much as possible.

Thanks for all the ideas. Will update when i finally get into the garden

Ruth