how to flatten overgrown garden ?

christopher_h

Hi,

Just bought new flat with nice size garden that's overgrown and really uneven.

What's the best way to even it out and lose the overgrown weeds n' stuff ?

Someone mentioned a 'Rotavator' hire ?

Any pointers appreciated

Thanks.

Chris

Pink.

Hi Chris,

You should get more help with this on the Greenfingered Moneysaving board so I'll move your thread over there.

Pink

amyandoli

Hello,

I think the trick is bit by bit.

We are currently dealing with the same problem. We got a free compost bin from the council, and made an extra one of our own. We worked out what we wanted to do in the garden, what we'd complete first to last. Basically so far we've levelled a bit and built a shed with animal runs (took about 3 weekends, 2-3 people). We've paved a path around the house and to the shed (took 3 weekends, 1 person), we've laid a wiggly path and patio where we wanted them (took 2 weekends, 2 people)- so just bits of clearing/levelling at a time, done by hand. We cut down everything overgrown and have a pile of old branches etc, we bought a garden shredder and are ploughing through at weekends between rain showers. A large patio had been laid (awful flags we didnt want), so we lifted it and laid it direct onto a uneven weedy lawn area (1 day, 2 people) (did this november time- all pretty much died within 2 months- although it does go a tad slimy, still fine for compost). We'll lift the flags soon and clean/freecycle them, then this area will be the veg patch. If you're planning a veggie patch, don't worry about even ground, put on some raised borders and fill with compost. As the rest of your overgrown plants die down, top your borders up with them.

Hope it goes ok

Amy x

cornishpirate

Hi Chris

A lot depends on what is growing in there. I would suggest cutting everything back then running over the area with a turf cutter then getting in a rotovator and levelling everything. A lot also depends on your views on using chemicals in the garden if you have a lot of nettles etc. I would spray with Glycophosphate, and when they have died run do the turf cutting and rotovation.

Good luck!

mikeywills

I think a lot of hard works seems to be the order of the day. Pick yourself up a set of thick DIY gloves, most hardwear stores around £1.50 a pair. Beg or borrow a set of pruning shears, sickle, strimmer, bow saw, and lawn mower if you have a lawn under it all. Cut back everything that is overgrown, and remove as many weeds as you can identify. set aside rubbish to allow it to die back and when no longer green have a bonfire and burn it. Put remains back into the garden as potash as it is very good for the soil.

I wouldn't personally worry about a rotavator at the moment, if it was once a lawn, a regular cutting over the next couple of months will be enough to get it back into some shape, and a bit of weed and feed goes a long way, at this time of year. (make sure you leave it a couple of days after cutting before weed and feeding though)

Don't forget to pick up some nice bubble bath and some deep heat when you get the gloves, it sounds like you will probably need it.;)

angelavdavis

I have responded to your other post:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=393077

Kay_Peel

Instead of diving in, why don't you just wait and see what happens in your new garden during spring and summer? In other words, do nothing except strim the grass. See what you've got there - hidden bulbs, perennials, moles, shrubs? See where the sunshine and shade are. Once you've lived with your new garden for at least two seasons, you can decide what needs changing and what should stay the same.

Aim to do any landscaping/building/moving when things go quiet in the garden during winter and early spring.

Yep. Do nothing until you've lived with it for a while.

KP

mikeywills

I think it would depend how overgrown it is in the first place, if weeds have taken over the garden as they had our when we moved in leaving it might not be an option.

angelavdavis

Kay_Peel wrote:

Instead of diving in, why don't you just wait and see what happens in your new garden during spring and summer? In other words, do nothing except strim the grass. See what you've got there - hidden bulbs, perennials, moles, shrubs? See where the sunshine and shade are. Once you've lived with your new garden for at least two seasons, you can decide what needs changing and what should stay the same.

Aim to do any landscaping/building/moving when things go quiet in the garden during winter and early spring.

Yep. Do nothing until you've lived with it for a while.

KP

Glad you said that - that was what I said on the other post :T

angelavdavis

mikeywills wrote:

I think it would depend how overgrown it is in the first place, if weeds have taken over the garden as they had our when we moved in leaving it might not be an option.

True, I have had both situations - back garden not worth saving and front that had actually been structured quite well with a few little plants smothered in weeks.

If your garden really is that bad, then glyphosate the lot - I don't like using chemicals but it neutralises on contact with the soil so at least doesn't poison the soil for future use.

It will take about 2-3 weeks to kill it off, then just use a rake to pull off the excess growth and clear as best as possible. Depending on the sort of weeds infesting the plot, you might need to dig out the real brutes like brambles or bind weed.

As mentioned, the danger with using a rotovator is that it will actually chop up the weed roots and you could end up with a worse problem - you can't really beat stripping out bits of leaf, stem and root by hand to actually remove the weeds as much as possible. Even if you use a rotovator, you need to strip off the weeds first.

As far as flattening the land out, you can't really do more than dig out the high areas, put into a barrow and move it to a low area. You could hire a mini-digger but it depends on access, etc and how confident you feel using one of these (you can hire a driver too I believe).

tight_jock

If it is over about Kneehigh, then I would have a good look round to see if you have anything which you like the look of, strim down with a large strimmer ( a little electric one is probably not tough enough) Leave it a fortnight for new shoots to come through on the weeds and then blitz it with roundup. Failing that then it`s a long hard slog to achieve a clear space to work on.
Best of luck.
:beer: