How did you clear your plot?

[Gryfon]

And how long did it take?

I'm trying to work out how long it'll take me (read into the other half) to get rid of the weeds in my little patch in my back garden...especially brambles, bindweed and couch grass oh joy!

[Alice]

Hello Gryfon, How long it will take you will depend on how much time you put in and how systematic you are. I was looking at your blog and noticed you wanted to do about three major jobs in the one day. It can't be done. I think you might make faster progress if you choose on job and stick to it until it is finished, then move on to the next job. Well, that's how I do it anyway.

[Dobby]

We got our plot in september, it was 8' deep in weeds, nettles, couch, dock, dandelion, brambles, bindweed, russian vine, the lot!

It's taken from then til now to sort it out, clear it down, bark up the paths, put up a free greenhouse and double dig all the beds.

We looked at the double digging and thought we'd be able to do one bed a day between two of us, but it took 4 times as long, so dont try and do too much at once!

How long it takes depends on how often you get at it, how much time you have and how thorough you want to be.

[Gryfon]

Thanks! Maybe I am being a tad bit over enthusiastic

Didn't even manage to do a quarter of that though! I hate being dependant on my OH to level the patio, clear the weeds etc it gets me down.

Ideally I want the bed ready for plants in 2 or 3 weeks, however before that we need to weedkill the brambles and couch grass so that needs to be done sooner rather than later...and being pregnant I can't really do all the heavy lifting, strimming and spraying.

Just wish we could afford to get someone else to come in and do all the heavy work!

[nick the grief]

Thanks! Maybe I am being a tad bit over enthusiastic

Didn't even manage to do a quarter of that though! I hate being dependant on my OH to level the patio, clear the weeds etc it gets me down.

Ideally I want the bed ready for plants in 2 or 3 weeks, however before that we need to weedkill the brambles and couch grass so that needs to be done sooner rather than later...and being pregnant I can't really do all the heavy lifting, strimming and spraying.

Just wish we could afford to get someone else to come in and do all the heavy work!

Thats what dads are for Well thats what my two kids tell me anyway.
Not sure what to suggest really.

You could try covering with a memgrane & a bark mulch then raise your plants in modules and plant them out when they are bigger. That would buy you some time.

[Two_Sheds]

There's no point Weedkillering unless you can dig out the roots at the same time. If you don't have the time, strim off the top growth and then cover with carpets.
Work out your planting plan first. I reckon the first things to go in will be onions/garlic? So clear that space first. Then a Tatty space, and so on.
Don't try and clear the whole lot before you start planting - you'll never catch yourself up

[Stroppy scotte]

Clear small areas at a time and plant as you go. Worked for us last year and we now have th whole plt up and running as well as the joy of produce Athough limited . Not this year though--I hope.

[vicki lorraine]

My sympathies, Gryfon.
We aquired one fifth of an acre in April 06 and it was not visable due to the brambles and bind weed. We got a mini digger in to clear the top as there was 12 years of dumped rubbish from kind neighbours too!
We have systematically hand dug the bramble roots and bind weed. Using a sieve for the soil. I spaded it in while OH did the shaking and raking! Would not like to guess at the manhours (and women hours!) we put in to the clearing but it is so worth it. We now have cabbage and onions in the ground and looking forward to finally getting to sow and grow this year.
Good luck with the clearing.

[Gryfon]

Thanks all!

Bit at a time it is then. Though that'll also help when I have my dad's trailer which I can load with rubbish for the tip.

[johnty greentoes]

Rachel

Great Blog. I'm doing something similarly cathartic on my site, have a look (listed below).

[Peter]

Rachel, do not use weedkiller at the moment, you will be wasting your time and money.

The weeds need to be in active growth, fresh green shoots etc, or it will not work.

When they are and you do spray, remember you have to leave it to die, befre cutting and digging.

[Gryfon]

Well I was going to have a go at the couch grass and brambles which are in the bit where the patio will go. Trying to stop the spread into the bit which I'm going to try and clear by hand this weekend.

Sometimes I wish I could just get someone to come in...take the top foot of all the garden away and start from scratch!

[Mrs Dobby]

Someone did that to our plot man years ago, got a bulldozer and scrapped the top foot or 20 into a mound at the bottom of the plot, which is now a large 2' raised area. He then spent several years reincorporating a lot of organic matter to get the soil into a reasonable condition, but left all the weed roots in at the bottom of the plot! That area is now a raised fruit bed, and is still full of nindweed and a few other nasties, so once we've finished preparing the veg beds on both the plots thats our next area to tackle! Its very compacted, clayish soil and full of roots, so going to be hard work, but a project for later in the year, once we've got everything growing and settled down nicely!

[bubblewrap]

And how long did it take?

I'm trying to work out how long it'll take me (read into the other half) to get rid of the weeds in my little patch in my back garden...especially brambles, bindweed and couch grass oh joy!

My lottie is 300+ Sq yards. The council rotovated it when we took it over(Sept 2005) Then I dug it over(2 or 3times)to remove cooch grass ect.
It took the best part of 3 months, but well worth it.
Lottie now requires minimum of effort to keep weed free.
I think digging is the best way as I don't like using chemicals.

[Nicos]

We sprayed the growing weeds and grass with glysophate ( higher concentration available from the local farm suppliers) then after about 4 weeks cut out the top 2 ins of soil/weeds/grass and stacked it in the corner of the plot to rot down, and then got stuck into double digging.
The digging was hard work but we took out all the weeds and roots as we went along, and incorperated muck at the same time into the areas where we were going to plant 'hungry feeders' ( ie- not carrots etc)
Been very easy to maintain since, and have hardly done any digging since! (well until we decided to make raised beds!!)
Plan your first years rotation , and work around that...