Clearing mother's terrible weedy garden

[Marb67]

My mother's garden has been a. nightmare for quite a long time. We have helped when we can over the years but never been able to have enough time to remove all the brambles, doc, and dandelions among other problems. It really is a mess and I am trying to tackle it once and for all to get her garden in some kind of shape to grow veg and plants.

I have spent the best part of 3 hours digging a border on her front drive and I can say it is absolutley back breaking by hand. My back is problematic so have to watch the lower disc but can manage it just about. The brambles are evil and dandelions and docs just always tap down much further than your fork can reach, even in stony ground.

Will hiring a rotivator do this quicker as I don't want to ise chemicals. I could rotivate a little at a time and then pause to pull out by hand. Just the same as forking really ?

It's just overwhelming but mum is in no shape or health to tackle this.

[Nicos]

Gosh...sounds a nightmare marb!
Any pics to help us focus better on what you are describing?

Thing is... once sorted, this might boost your shared fruit and veg production dramatically?

[Nicos]

Brambles?....sole destroying....

[veggiechicken]

I don't think a rotovator would work for you - as you'll just chop the roots up. Maybe a strimmer to make it look a bit less daunting and stop the docks/dandelions from seeding.
I'm always digging out brambles and they can look bad if they've tip rooted and spread. These rooted bits can often be pulled out - with sturdy gloves
Dandelions and dock can be hoed off - even though the roots remain - but stopping them flowering is half the battle. Keep the hoe moving and chop off all the green bits. Eventually, the roots will give up!
I actually feel a great sense of satisfaction when I've cleared a load of weeds
Don't look at it as a bed of weeds but as a potential veg growing bed

[Greenleaves]

Nice little project Marb, i think rotovators make things worse in the long run, as cooch and bindweed will startagain from the smallest bit of root.

Difficult with a disc problem in the Lumber region so little and often is my advice. The doc leaves seem to indicate an acid soil so liming as you go may be beneficial.

VC,s advice about the hoe is sound, roots (food store) will soon give up if no photosynthesis is occuring.

The main thing is enjoy it, your garden already looks great so to have a veg plot too is a real bonus

[Marb67]

Thanks, at least I can hoe off the dandelions which cuts out a lot of work. The garden is really for my mum who does want a raised bed for some veg. Her soil is excellent as the old man who had it 40 years ago used to lime it. She planted some kale some years ago and it grew huge. She has said I can use the garden to put some of my veg in if I want but at the moment it just needs a lot of attention, let alone the actual property which is another story. Unfortunatley she has a nack of doing things without thinking long term like the leylandi hedge around the garden. Also the back garden is like a thin slice of cake. To make matters worse, her fence blew down in the last storm. The elderly neighbour offered to pay to have it done by someone in the village. Great my mum thought but the guy has taken a couple of feet of mum's garden in putting the fence up resulting in an even thinner slice. She doesn't want to say anything to the lady as it's just awkward. The lady hasn't intended taking more space as I know her enough. It's all a real mess which I can't go into as again it's a long story regarding my mum's life. I think I take on all the weight and worry as I am the only one there for her

[Bigmallly]

Is it worth strimming & covering with cardboard so you can do a small area at a time.

[Marb67]

Getting there but the progress is slow as the back has some creeping vines, variegated ivy and some brambles. To be honest the brambles are the easiest to deal with. The creeping vines are almost solid as they have spread all over the place and along the path.

What would be the best way of removing them as digging the ground is terrible because of density + hard ground due to ongoing drought, A rotavator perhaps ?

[veggiechicken]

Do you know what these creeping vines are? Bindweed or black briony perhaps?
If we can identify them there may be some specific way to deal with them.

[Nicos]

If you chop ivy with a rotavator it'll start growing again from the pieces left behind....as VC suggests, any chance of piccies?

Well done on all your hard work.....

[Marb67]

Not sure what vine sorry but it was planted. Will ask mum.