I'm trying not to get depressed but argh!!!

[Gryfon]

Attempting to clear the greenhouse of brambles by cutting back what I can see and then digging the roots up. Trouble is as I'm digging I'm finding lots of bindweed roots and horsetail roots

So between brambles, couch grass, bindweed and horsetail I'm feeling a tad overwhelmed! Suppose I should just count myself lucky that I seem to be safe from nettles

Oh and also because it's not just a nice flat piece of ground I'm struggling to get around large rocks, old greenhouse barriers, grape vines, benches, panes of glass, old toys etc!

[SarzWix]

Chin up hon, slowly, slowly catchee monkey

The horsetail may be a pain, but my experience of it is that it doesn't take much from the soil, doesn't block light, and just keep on hoeing the tops off does as much good as trying to dig out every last bit. I spent weeks digging and sieving a 3mx1m bed, and ended up with as much popping up as I did in the next one which I was much less thorough with.

Could you do a few tip runs to get rid of some of the

old greenhouse barriers, grape vines, benches, panes of glass, old toys etc!

?? Much easier to get on without having to do an assault course every time you move

[Gryfon]

My plan is to send Mr G to the tip several times tomorrow I would go but I've got the small one at home and the other children are due home in about half an hour.

Spent the last two hours with only a couple of breaks chopping, digging and pulling and have filled half a big rubbish bag full of bramble, stinky onions and roots.

I am still seriously tempted to clear everything out of the greenhouse and concrete the main bit though. I would keep the ground near the glass free though.

[Eyren]

Hugs on the weeds - I'm fighting a constant battle with couch grass on my plot

[Gryfon]

Couch grass is evil! However as I've been pulling it up it is rather satisfying to get a huge wodge of it at once.

Do you ever get the feeling it'd be so much easier just to flatten everything, take a foot of top soil off and start again!

[Eyren]

Couch grass is evil! However as I've been pulling it up it is rather satisfying to get a huge wodge of it at once.

Do you ever get the feeling it'd be so much easier just to flatten everything, take a foot of top soil off and start again!

On the lottie I've been stripping off the top couple of inches of turf and then single-digging and removing as many roots as I can find. I also cover areas with cardboard where possible, and mulch with manure and compost.

It works for a while, but of course the wretched stuff tends to invade again from untreated areas and from the paths around the plot. Between the couch grass, the decrepit non-fruiting raspberry canes and the volunteer spuds, I seem to spend an awful lot of time just keeping the place from reverting to Weed Central - no wonder so many newbies give up!

[Gryfon]

It's just such a slog! We tackled it a few years back but then I got pg and couldn't do any gardening Had a hip problem which meant that the garden was ignored so went to pot again! Tried again briefly last June but then Mr G came down with an ear problem so he couldn't do any of the heavy duty stuff and before we knew it it was October.

So third year lucky! I can grow things in pots but I'm fed up of no grass for the children to play on, no patio to speak of as it's filled with pots and loads of space which I can't use!

[Gwen11ian]

Ahh.. but at least you have land. Some of use are struggling with a few pots in a shady area. Look on the bright side.. there are those of us that envy you and your brambles!

[Gryfon]

I am very grateful to have land (as last house we had a teeny tiny yard that had no sun and I had to grow on the flat roof!), but I just wish it wasn't filled with weeds

[bramble]

dDont give up Gryfon. I had the same problem for years. It was worth it in the end. Put some potatoes in, they will help to clear the ground.
Put in som raspberry runners, these grow tall and will help to smother the weeds and give you lovely fruits.
Devide your plot up into squarers and dig oner at a time and plant up immediately so that you have something growing to encourage you.
Don't try to do too much too quickly but a little at a time and you will get there in the end.

Good luck and let us know how its going.

[Flummery]

We have couch grass and bind weed. I'm hoping chickens like the roots? Because I dig up bucket-loads evey year.

[Gryfon]

Do you think if I got a load of chickens and gave them free range in my garden I'd have a clear garden in a few weeks?

[Snadger]

We have couch grass and bind weed. I'm hoping chickens like the roots? Because I dig up bucket-loads evey year.

Chooks will eat almost anything. Did a bit of weeding yesterday (actually about 2 bin bags full) this was mainly buttercup plants with roots, dandelions and annual meadow grass.
Threw it all in run yesterday and the chooks seemed to pick out the tasty morsels like worms and the odd brassica leaf and seemed to leave the rest!

Came back today and the floor of the run was like a new pin............not a sign of vegetation or roots! (AND I got a full bakers dozen eggs again 13 out of thirteen chooks!)

[Flummery]

Oh, lovely hens, come to Mummy! got a job for them then!

[snuffer]

I know a lot of people will not agree with me but just for the first season, in order to clear the ground and let you get on top of the weed problem, don't be afraid to use a glyphosate based weedkiller. I realise that organic is the way to go but you can work toward that in the future. Get the plot to such a stage that you can keep on top of the weeds first, then use the hoe, spade and fork to keep the plot clear without having to use chemicals ever again.