Weed suppression suggestions needed

[LOTTYPOTTY]

I have a full size allotment plot. I acquired half of it last year and the remaining half last week. Last years half is in full use and although it was very weedy with the usual offenders I got on top of them and created raised beds and pathways. However, the new half is a solid mass of nettles with a tree stump right in the middle of the plot. It has not been cultivated for years. I am not work shy at all but feel that it is way past being 'diggable' and the ground is very uneven.

Would it be better to have the stump 'ground' out by a tree surgeon and then rotavate the ground level, cover it all over and mulch or cover it all and resort to having the whole area given over to raised beds I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to the best way of tackling it.

Any suggestions would be very gratefully received!!!

[Aberdeenplotter]

Don't know about better to have the stump ground out by a tree surgeon but I do know it will be expensive. How big is the tree stump. Piccy? If it's do-able by hand, it will be worth the effort. Big machines compact the ground and make it really hard to work.

I know that there is a train of thought that says cover with cardboard and mulch but I'm firmly in the spray with glyphosate brigade. Everything is now in full growth and it works really well at this time of year.

[Pies]

spray with glyphosate then cover, only uncover what you are going to dig and plant. got a piccy of the stump

[Chef_uk]

Grow through the suppressant like I am with my Brassica's and Beans. the guys here also say potatoes grow well under suppressant too.

[zazen999]

Depending on how big the tree stump is......I would either have it for seating or yes, get it removed and ground out, and use a scythe and get all the nettles down to ground level, use cardboard to cover [weight down with bricks/milk cartons full of water] and work on it over a longer period digging all the roots out and placing your beds on the dug over bits as you go.

[binley100]

wot she ^^^ says.... I must say nettles aren't the worst thin in the world to dig out as a lot of the roots seem to run along just under the surface (well those I've dug out do ) ........How big is the stump?

[Two_Sheds]

I'd be inclined to leave the stump as a seat too


My lotty had 6ft high nettles when I got it

Glyphosate: you'll probably need to reapply every few weeks as it doesn't kill tough roots, despite what it says on the tin. I tried it, repeatedly. Waste of money and effort imo

While you're waiting for it to "work", you could be covering and digging (even if the glypho works, you still have to dig out the tough old roots, and old nettle roots can be as thick as your finger)

[ugley_matt]

Mind if i hijack this thread slightly by asking if anyone has successfully rid ground elder from an existing flowerbed? I am considering trying to paint the leaves with something as i am just so fed up of having to weed it every week.

[Kristen]

We got rid of Ground Elder from established beds in a previous property. Painted / hand-sprayer'd the leaves. Killing the Ground Elder was our priority, so we lost (without anxiety) a few established plants along the way. Took a couple of years, from memory.

Ground Elder was in the surrounding woodland. Within a couple of years of us moving out the beds were all full of it again

[indigox]

I have got rid of all the ground elder from our back garden, by weeding weeding and more weeding. I believe there is an adage: 'never let it see a Sunday' or something like that, and it seems to have worked eventually. I wish my allotment was the same, struggling with couch grass which makes ground elder seem like a breeze!