clearing weeds and preparing for planting.

charlotte_rose

has any one hired and used a rotavator for clearing weeds and prepaing the soil for planting?

its a large garden so any ideas for this would be great

foxwales

You need to treat the weeds before you rotavate, otherwise you will just be moving the weeds around with the rotavator.

Either pull them up, ensuring you have the roots, or alternatively, treat with weed killer and ensure they are dead before rotavating.

Mojisola

And if you've got weeds like ground elder, the rotavator will chop the roots up into small pieces which will all grow into new plants.

Davesnave

Oh if only it were that easy!

It would help to know what the weeds are and what you will be planting, but there is no mechanical quick for for neglected land.

savemoney

It could takes years getting rid if garden if neglected. I am doing this on my allotment. Killing weeds is easy part. Its the damn seeds from weeds that come afterwards. Also as said some weeds like couch grass/bindweed/ground elder/horsetail are a pain in the rear. Any roots left may come back.

I used a strong weedkiller applied twice takes 2-3 weeks. Then used a cultivator but I removed any roots I could find before hand. Even then I still get some I missed its hard work and you have to keep on top all time. The easy bit I suppose is once all that and seeds from weed germinate its easy using a hose accept those like ouch grass/bindweed/ground elder/horsetail (marestail)

Dizzy_Ditzy

I am about to begin this on my new allotment and the thought of it terrifies me slightly...people are saying to just weedkiller on the lot, which is fine but I want to get it producing this year, even if it is only the basic spuds and cabbages...so I am going to start by cutting off any seed heads I can see, then strim the lot and then dig the roots out.

I know I am making harder work for myself by doing it that way but if I put weedkiller down on it all, I am not going to be able to turn it into a working allotment.

Davesnave

queen_of_cheap wrote: »

I am about to begin this on my new allotment and the thought of it terrifies me slightly...people are saying to just weedkiller on the lot, which is fine but I want to get it producing this year, even if it is only the basic spuds and cabbages...so I am going to start by cutting off any seed heads I can see, then strim the lot and then dig the roots out.

I know I am making harder work for myself by doing it that way but if I put weedkiller down on it all, I am not going to be able to turn it into a working allotment.

You can garden on land sprayed with glyphosate almost immediately, as it neutralises on contact with the soil. It needs a day's contact with the weeds before rain for the best results. Nothing shows for 2 weeks, but any green plant touched is doomed.

I plan to change one of my lawns, from coarser grass to finer, by spraying the lot and sowing seed immediately. I just have to use indicator dye to make sure I hit all the old stuff.

charlotte_rose

many thanks for the replies. I was thinking that the rotavator would churn up the weeds making them easier to get out, but didnt think about chopping them up!

I guess weed killer could actually be the first step; that and removing the obvious ones.

Dizzy_Ditzy

Davesnave wrote: »

You can garden on land sprayed with glyphosate almost immediately, as it neutralises on contact with the soil. It needs a day's contact with the weeds before rain for the best results. Nothing shows for 2 weeks, but any green plant touched is doomed.

I plan to change one of my lawns, from coarser grass to finer, by spraying the lot and sowing seed immediately. I just have to use indicator dye to make sure I hit all the old stuff.

Thanks! I'm gonna glyphosphate half, and start manually on the other half. I want to get stuff planted in there by the end of the weekend, then I'll have more time to do the other half. Ever the optimist :rotfl:

[Deleted User]

charlotte_rose wrote: »

many thanks for the replies. I was thinking that the rotavator would churn up the weeds making them easier to get out, but didnt think about chopping them up!

I guess weed killer could actually be the first step; that and removing the obvious ones.

an allotment holder on our small site did the weedkiller route and then rotavated, it looked ok for a few weeks but then the weeds took hold and it now looks horrendous, the weeds are jam packed on every single inch of it. Just not worth it

Davesnave

kittie wrote: »

an allotment holder on our small site did the weedkiller route and then rotavated, it looked ok for a few weeks but then the weeds took hold and it now looks horrendous, the weeds are jam packed on every single inch of it. Just not worth it

It's not clear from this why his plot was especially bad.

I wouldn't pretend that one dose of glyphosate will completely see off tough perennial weeds like couch, well-established nettle, ground elder, bindweed etc, so any roots of those should be dug longer term. I wouldn't advocate rotovating at all if those are present.

But such an infestation suggests that some of the weeds were annuals, their seeds perhaps brought to the surface by the rotovator. Equally, they could be brought up by digging too.

With a heavily weeded plot, you'll continue to get strong weed germination for quite a long time, whatever you do, but the first year is worst. Using weedkiller gives a measure of control, but nature soon fills the vacuum, so any land that can't be cropped immediately should be covered up, using cardboard, carpet, weed control fabric, or whatever, or a green manure crop sown.*

*I am not a big fan of the latter, as one of the most persistent weeds in my garden is a green manure mustard with a life cycle to seeding of under 30days. I would cheerfully wish rampant hairy bittercress for life on the guy who introduced it!