Overgrown Gardens

[janemariesayed]

I recently moved to this house and have inherited a patch of garden with it. It's not a big garden but it is totally overgrown with nettles and other high growing weeds that have totally covered it over. The previous tenants put a lot of rubbish in the garden and there has been clumps of grass growing on top of it. I'm wondering about the best tools to get rid of the weeds, ie: cut them down and kill off the roots completely before planting a nice lawn. Has anyone got any bright ideas to get rid of the weeds, is there something to kill them off that is biodegradable?

 

[rz3300]

Well, I say get out the machete like tools. I never really liked using chemicals or anything when I can just whack at them, but I am not really sure how bad your situation is so that might not be doable. In terms of being biodegradable this might be your best option, but of course that will kill the roots and really solve your problem. Sorry I cannot be of more help, but best of luck to you. Thanks for sharing.

 

[DeborahJane]

I recently moved to this house and have inherited a patch of garden with it. It's not a big garden but it is totally overgrown with nettles and other high growing weeds that have totally covered it over. The previous tenants put a lot of rubbish in the garden and there has been clumps of grass growing on top of it. I'm wondering about the best tools to get rid of the weeds, ie: cut them down and kill off the roots completely before planting a nice lawn. Has anyone got any bright ideas to get rid of the weeds, is there something to kill them off that is biodegradable?

Sounds like a blood sweat and tears job, sorry to say. But doable. I have a great tool called Grandpas Helper which has a long handle and a bit you stick in the ground behind the weed, tilt forward and up and it digs out the weed, usually roots and all. It or some similar must be available in your neck of the woods. Good luck. Before and After pics would be great!

 

[remnant]

I have encountered this problem in large coffee plantations. The first thing to do is to slash the weeds using a slasher and then levelling them to the roots below the ground using a machete. After this, you should use a hoe to dig any remnants of the plants to prevent sprouting. Its a bit labour intensive but effective for a small garden.

 

[Beth_B]

Agree, some hard work and a scythe, sharp knife or other cutting tool (even kitchen scissors, or branch loppers, depending on the size and thickness of your weeds) is your best option. Cut everything down, then pull or dig up the roots by hand. Unless you're dealing with ground ivy or Canadian thistle that has tough roots going 20 feet into the ground it shouldn't be too hard...I'm weird maybe, I enjoy weeding and find it quite satisfying!

Get some of those biodegradable paper sacks for autumn leaves and other yard waste to put everything in. Where I live, in autumn local municipalities will pick those up at the kerb in fall.

 

[janemariesayed]

Agree, some hard work and a scythe, sharp knife or other cutting tool (even kitchen scissors, or branch loppers, depending on the size and thickness of your weeds) is your best option. Cut everything down, then pull or dig up the roots by hand. Unless you're dealing with ground ivy or Canadian thistle that has tough roots going 20 feet into the ground it shouldn't be too hard...I'm weird maybe, I enjoy weeding and find it quite satisfying!

My Dad gave me a Scythe to cut the weeds down to a more manageable level and I have been doing that albeit slowly. I have a back problem and using cutting tools that take up too much exertion cause me a bit of pain. So I've been scything and searching for a biodegradable spray that would soak into the weeds and kill the roots. Once the roots have died off what do you think about just raking it all up? It seems like a rather long slog to get the job done but I cant wait till I've got a beautiful garden to relax in.

 

[HouseE]

I agree, I too would use a Scythe to cut the weeds out.There are a couple of organic weed killers which you can try at home.Cutting them up with a Scythe is one method that you could try.Pouring water over them is a good way of killing weeds.A splash of scalding water can shrivel them up in a few days.You could even smoother them up with a couple of layers of newspaper.This will block the sunlight needed for their growth and eventually kill them out. You could even recycle them by depositing them in disposal bins. I rented out a couple of rental bins from a disposal bin rental company called gorilla bins http://www.gorillabins.ca based in toronto. But better make sure that you have a check with your local recycling centre regarding the policies before you have them recycled.

 

[sixxup]

You can consider uprooting them and burn them after they have dried. This is to ensure that the seeds won't germinate again. You can also use herbicides for weeds that have not overgrown. You'll need to trim overgrown trees and flowers and avoid cutting them down.

 

[Pat]

It does sound like a lot of hard work but well worth it. I like to hack at and cut as much as I can to remove the unwanted overgrowth. Then I dig at the roots to get as much as I can without chemicals. Good luck.