weeds and more weeds

[cotton54321]

I know this was a silly thing to do but...
when we moved into our house at Christmas the guys before us left a whole compost heap untouched and ready to spread on the garden. Unfortunately, what he failed to tell us was that he had put every sort of weed imaginable on the heap when it was constructed. The result? I now have a garden full of weeds which I can't get rid of, even when I am painstakingly picking by hand for up to an hour each day.
They are all over my veggie patch and I wondered whether there was any weedkiller I could use which would not affect the veggies?
I am at my wits end with these and not enjoying the garden at all!! Its not that I mind the weeding but I need to do some planting too!

Mel

[Alice]

Oh Cotton, what a shame. You don't say if you already have your veggies in the patch or still waiting to plant. If the veggies are planted then there's no weedkiller which will not harm them if it's sprayed on them. If you are waiting to plant then there are weedlillers you can spray and plant almost immediately after. Read the labels it will tell you there. The problem is the weed killer will only kill weeds which are standing there and the seeds will continue to germinate so think you are in for a long haul. It might be easier for you to confine your weeding to perennial weeds and attack the annual weeds with a hoe, just chopping their heads of so that they can't seed. If you persist with the hoe you will get rid of them. Good luck and let's know how it's going.

[Geordie]

The only suggestion i have, and admit its not practical if you have a field full but, cut the bottom off a smallish pop bottle. Place the open bottom over the weed and useing a weedkiller with a gun type mechanism squirt it down the bottle on to the weed. I find this usefull for getting rid of dandelions from amongst vegetables where it is not possible to dig them out.

[JennieAtkinson]

Cotton - I did it to myself two years ago. Put all the Alchemilla Mollis cuttings in the compost and I'm still digging it out.

What I do is hoe between the rows and then handpick the row. I know it is going to take probably years to get them all out!