Struggling with weed control despite some early success..

sujsuj

As you can see in pics attached, I had some success with weed control around my raspberry, strawberry & potato patches using grass cuttings & card boards and them together. I had some inputs from this forum to nail those successes.

I still have another large patch of land at the back of my house which is not used for veggie/fruit growing, in fact not used at all. Now taken over by nettles & bind weed. I tried to dump tree branches over them in winter  hoping better control of weed growth, but no luck. What other options I have..? Any suggestions.? Thanks

See photos of areas I managed to control weed below





Out of control areas..

Yorkie1

Are you averse to using weedkiller on that area?

Ideally I would say to strim properly and then cover with something fairly substantial, but strimming may be risky if there are tree branches loose underneath the new weeds. 

Or leave it until winter, clear the branches, the weeds will have died down, and cover.

sujsuj

Just to be clear last summer i laid  leyland tree branches in these area and this summer despite those covering  nettles took over this area. Last month I cut all nettle and last 2 weeks I removed all leyland branches and burned them!. So at the moment what you see if small bush weed only but I am sure nettles will be back. 

ThisIsWeird

Branches and twigs won't 'blanket' the ground like grass clippings will, so just leave a perfect habitat for the worst kinds of weeds to grow through - brambles and nettles.
Do you not produce enough clippings to begin covering that area too? How large is it?
Failing that, a Glyphosate-based 'killer still rates in my eyes, despite the concerns, which were seemingly based on limited cases in the States, when clumsily used. It has major pluses - it is 'systemic', so kills back to the roots, and it neutralises on short contact with the ground. It is potentially one of the safest 'killers to use - just don't get it on you. 
Or, weed burner - that should be fun? 

FreeBear

ThisIsWeird said: a Glyphosate-based 'killer still rates in my eyes, despite the concerns, which were seemingly based on limited cases in the States, when clumsily used. It has major pluses - it is 'systemic', so kills back to the roots

With nettles, I'd go for the Glyphosate every time. Just burning off the tops leaves the roots to shoot up again and again. The docks will be harder to deal with - They'll want digging out, but they have long tap roots, so you need to go deep.

Other weeds, like leylandii, once cut back at ground level, will not regrow.

Section62

sujsuj said:

...
I still have another large patch of land at the back of my house which is not used for veggie/fruit growing, in fact not used at all. Now taken over by nettles & bind weed. I tried to dump tree branches over them in winter  hoping better control of weed growth, but no luck. What other options I have..? Any suggestions.? Thanks
...

If the area is relatively flat and free from obstructions (stones, concrete, bricks, branches etc) then why don't you just incorporate that piece into the area you already cut with your lawnmower?  Set the blade high to avoid damaging the mower.

If cut regularly - and with some occasional digging out of problematic weeds - the area will eventually revert to rough lawn.  Spending money on weedkiller for a piece of land you don't use isn't very MSE. So turn it into land which is quick and easy to maintain, or just leave it alone and let nature manage it.

sujsuj

Its rough terrain, I used my ride on mower last year, this time though tree  branches I removed, still some clean up to be done. Area is nearly 0.2 acre, so difficult to maintain . I am thinking once for all options like some sort of covering..? I will have to do some more study to decide. I already have 5 veggie patches otherwise could have built a raised veggie patch there...have to plan some thing that of less maintenance ..

sujsuj

I found these weed control plants (name ?) useful, but then they looks  like weed anyway! and we can't have them on bigger plot!

kempiejon

Lawn? Wildflower meadow, green manures, cover crops some details here. https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/sustainable-farming-incentive-pilot-guidance-use-cover-crops-or-green-manure/

I had a large plot to renovate and over the course of a few years got most of it into a productive conditions. I used carpet or cardboard on patches, once it's cleared you have to plant it up else you end up starting again.

Yorkie1

sujsuj said:

I found these weed control plants (name ?) useful, but then they looks  like weed anyway! and we can't have them on bigger plot!

Hardy geranium? (Cranesbill)

Olinda99

why you should keep nettles in your garden 

https://greenecofriend.co.uk/nettles-in-your-garden/