clearing large plot

[janzbro]

Hi, I want to clear a 25m x 10m plot that is infested with couch grass nettles, docks. is it to late in the year for Glyphosate to be effective?. I have strimmed it down to a few inches high and wanted to kill everything off tomorrow as it forecast not to rain (finger crossed).
If its not to late to use then would it be more effective if I covered it in black damp proof membrane after spraying and left it covered for a few weeks before digging over or have I missed the boat and would it be better just to cover over area till next spring?

The plan is to not to have raised beds as such but I have some decking boards left over and I was going to use these as more of a frame /marker around the beds. I have enough to make 4 or 5 beds of about 8'x4'.

thanks

John

[Martin H]

Glyphosate needs the weeds to be actively photosynthesizing for the poison to work. So there won't be much green stuff left on your plot and there won't be much growing happening for the rest of the year.

So personally I wouldn't spray now. I'd spend the autumn and winter digging it over with a fork to get as much of the roots out as I can. I'd use the membrane to keep the rain off the bits I want to dig next, stopping the ground getting too heavy to work.

If the weeds run away with things by next Easter, I'd consider spraying then. But in the meantime, root removal will take away much of their vigour.

Other opinions will be along in a minute...

[JMCKG]

Why not go down the no dig way? Home - Charles Dowding

[dilettante]

Not sure on the glyphosate issue tbh. It seems to me that this season is going on forever, diminishing light aside. If you've got it to spare, couldn't hurt to give it a try, but while you're waiting to see if it worked you're losing valuable potential digging time. Alternatively, if you go a no dig method, and are on top of things, repeatedly cutting perennals back will eventually exhaust their reserves and they'll die. It just means making sure they don't grow back big enough to replenish their strength before you cut them back again. Not sure how long that takes tbh. My allotment committee, or whoever, sprayed my plot before they gave it to me. Must have sprayed a couple weeks ago, but it seems to have done the trick, as far as I can see. Although I'm sure there will be somethign that comes back, or creeps back from a neighbouring plot. I'll give the no dig, constant cutting back method a go. I have to say that, although it was a couple weeks ago they sprayed, it seems to have done the trick quite well.

[Alison]

Personally I took the decision never to use chemical weed killers on my plot as one if the main reasons I grow my own us to exclude things like that from my diet. It is however a personal choice. That said, weed killers aren't a cure all, it won't clear everything even if it does work and there will always be new weeds to deal with so you need to decide on how you want deal with things moving forwards.

[Bonsai Si]

Get a load of cardboard and cover the "bed areas".

Work one over at a time, digging and culling the weed roots, cover it. Rinse and repeat the other beds.

[janzbro]

Not sure on the glyphosate issue tbh. It seems to me that this season is going on forever, diminishing light aside. If you've got it to spare, couldn't hurt to give it a try, but while you're waiting to see if it worked you're losing valuable potential digging time. Alternatively, if you go a no dig method, and are on top of things, repeatedly cutting perennals back will eventually exhaust their reserves and they'll die. It just means making sure they don't grow back big enough to replenish their strength before you cut them back again. Not sure how long that takes tbh. My allotment committee, or whoever, sprayed my plot before they gave it to me. Must have sprayed a couple weeks ago, but it seems to have done the trick, as far as I can see. Although I'm sure there will be somethign that comes back, or creeps back from a neighbouring plot. I'll give the no dig, constant cutting back method a go. I have to say that, although it was a couple weeks ago they sprayed, it seems to have done the trick quite well.

shame I didnt just do it back when I asked as we had good weather I know it wont kill every last bit but at least it would be in the weed root system of any I missed when digging over

I have got a largish area under black plastic at the moment, good job what with the weather the last few days, I have 4 8x4 veg bed/borders made, hopefully make some progress tomorrow, if the rain holds off.

[Alison]

I know it wont kill every last bit but at least it would be in the weed root system

That's not how it claims it works but to be honest it hanging around in living tissue would seem a bigger reason for concern than celebration

[the plumber]

go back to old methods. get your coat off and dig the roots out.you can put anything you want on top of it but the roots will wait till spring and pop up again next spring.the no dig brigade does not work. believe me in gardening there is no short cuts.the only way to kill a dock is to dig it out.trust me i/ve tried it all over many years.

[janzbro]

old school digging vs new school no dig, there only one way to decide this "FIGHT"

or perhaps time for an experiment.
I have 4 beds, so
bed 1 I will dig and weed old school,
bed 2 I will no digg cover in cardboard and layer up with straw, leaves, grass trimmings, compost, soil,
bed 3 I will cover in black plastic for the entire winter,
bed 4 I will weed kill then cover for winter.

[21up]

go back to old methods. get your coat off and dig the roots out.you can put anything you want on top of it but the roots will wait till spring and pop up again next spring.the no dig brigade does not work. believe me in gardening there is no short cuts.the only way to kill a dock is to dig it out.trust me i/ve tried it all over many years.

dead on this was my way and i am sure 100% it is the best way (hard work) but i have had no wick grass or big weeds at all since i took the plot last October just take a look at my pictures i worked on it all winter and was ready for march 2015.

[janzbro]

do you have a link to your plot photos please