Weeds - the size of triffids - help!

cagneyfan

Hello everyone,

Some advice if you would. I have a back garden that is just a mass of weeds. I bought a strimmer (which recently packed up) and due to a severe bad back I just kept putting it off cutting the weeds down. Now there are so many dandelions etc I need Agent Orange to sort them.

My question is: "What is the best stuff to use to just kill them off" Someone told me to use something with Sodium Carbonate - but I've not been able to find anything in Wilkinsons (the only shop near me). It may well be banned now anyway.

I know you can get stuff to put in a watering can (I don't have a spray), but as it can be expensive I thought I'd ask you all if you've used anything in particular for a garden full of (now quite high) weeds.

Any advice would be gratefully received. I don't plan on planting anything afterwards. I'm hoping to eventually get something done with the area, but in the meantime I'd just like to get the weeds down.

Many thanks.

westiea

Sodium Chlorate is now banned by th EU in case we decide to bomb our weeds.

Glyphosate is still available - the EU will no doubt find a reason soon to ban this too:mad:

cagneyfan

westiea wrote: »

Sodium Chlorate is now banned by th EU in case we decide to bomb our weeds.

Glyphosate is still available - the EU will no doubt find a reason soon to ban this too:mad:

Hi, thanks for replying. What have you used. Is there any better than others? As I said, I don't have lawn or anything. It's just an area that was going to be lawned but previous tenants never got round to it and it's just a MASS of weeds. Glyphosate is what I saw in Wilko's but there were so many. Most seemed to have sachets that were recommended for sprays. I just have a watering can.

I really want something that is just going to blitz them as my back is really bad - which is why I kept putting off getting another strimmer

WestonDave

Glyphosate is the active ingredient - Bayer Garden sell it under that name, Monsanto sell it as Roundup (various environmental bad press about Monsanto). Most Glyphosate products can be watered on as well as sprayed on - because you are loading more on you tend to dilute it more in a watering can - although if you are going in Wilkos you'd be best getting one of their red watering can rose attachments as this will be better at spreading the solution around.

amcluesent

>Any advice would be gratefully received<

You could look at renting a flame-gun, this has the advantage of also toasting the weed seeds on the ground as well as the weeds. However, with really stubborn weeds you usually need two goes a week apart which ups the costs. TBH I'd just used Round Up

conradmum

If you do use a glyphosate product, be aware that it takes two or three weeks to work, so you won't see a result straightaway. As it kills the whole plant, though, including the roots, it will keep them at bay longer than cutting them down.

More weeds will grow from seed in the place of the ones you kill, so it may work out cheaper for you to cover the area with something for the summer.

absfabs

cagneyfan wrote: »

I don't plan on planting anything afterwards. I'm hoping to eventually get something done with the area, but in the meantime I'd just like to get the weeds down.

Once you treated the area and got rid of the weeds, you really ought to get some groundcover on there, or you'll have the same situation back over and over again.

At a previous house/garden, we were in the same situation, sprayed everything and then, after working over the soil, we had turf layed. May not be an option when your back is so bad, as some digging over is required.

So perhaps some other vigorous groundcover plants, I can think of geraniums ( not the big blousy ones, the native hardy stuff), mine crowd out other plants but they are also easy to pull up.

Others may have more ideas.

Or going the whole way for easy maintenance garden, cover in weed suppressant plastic, bark or gravel on top, and just a few planting holes or some nice large containers (higher level will be best for your back).

Try get someone to help with laying the plastic and getting in the bark (lighter) or gravel, it can be done in less than a day, one you have cleared the ground with spraying, raking up the dead stuff and burning it.

Good luck!