Clearing a garden

[deathbysnails]

So I've got a new house and, with it, a nice big(gish) new garden. It's a garden that was loved once but has been left to run wild in parts for the last few years. Consequently up at the back I have brambles, nettles and spiky god-knows-whats taking over the back-end of it. I want to turn this bit into my veg garden, but I'm not certain where to start. So I'm looking for any advice on the following questions:

1 - how do I go about it? Some of the clumps are 6' x 6' and almost as high, so it's not simply a case of hacking it back. Or maybe it is...
2 - what are the best tools for the job? Should I get a strimmer, or a brush-cutter? And what's the difference between the two?
3 - on top of this I have what I think are phormiums - massive spiky, clumpy things, some of which are taller than me; I have no idea how to get rid of these and there are about 10 of them spotted throughout the place
4 - if I got a garden shredder for all the cuttings, are they compostable or am i risking getting the same old weeds back?

I am a total novice at this whole business and I'd appreciate any advice, no matter how simple and obvious it seems. Thanks in advance...

[rustylady]

First job is to hack it all down to ground level. A strimmer would cope with nettles, but not brambles.

I would have thought that if everything was shredded it should be OK to compost.

Once you have it all down to ground level you will have to dig out the bramble and nettle roots. I wouldn't advise composting those, so you will have to dispose of them some other way.

Have you got any pictures so we can see what you are dealing with?

[Mikey]

To stop yourself from getting ripped to pieces a long handle lopper (bypass secateurs), would certainly help with cutting the brambles down into manageable lengths.

Personally I take most of my perennial weeds to the local tip, when they make compost its done at much higher temperatures than I can reach at home. I have an old 1 tonne sand bag which I fill and chuck in the back of the van.

[veggiechicken]

Sounds like the end of my garden, Deathbysnails! As Mikey ^^^^ suggests, I use a long handled lopper to cut down the brambles then dig out the roots. Nettles I cut off the tops when they're not flowering and leave them to rot where they fall, and pull/dig out the roots.
If you let us have a photo of your "phormiums" we may be able to identify them. Could it be pampas grass - that's really spiky and painful.

[northepaul]

I personally wouldnt compost brambles, because they re root very easily, and you might end up with a compost bin full of them!
As everyone else has said, start by cutting back to ground level - this will also give you the opertunity to see what exactly you have too - maybe there are some nice bushes or plants that you might want to keep.
Also importantly, take your time, dont try to do it all in one day, and strong thick gloves are imperative!!

Good Luck!!

[themadcatlady]

best way to get rid of phormiums is to cut them with loppers wear stout gloves long sleeves ect then dig thenm up. advertise on freecycle or something like that to get rid or take them to the tip..theyre hard work if big
itl be worth it in the end.
a strimmer is line a brush cutter is a tri blade cutter but careful as brambles tangle easily so take it slowly and carefully . dont forget goggles too !

[Two_Sheds]

all the cuttings, are they compostable or am i risking getting the same old weeds back?

You can chop and compost all that stuff. What you don't want to chop up and compost are the roots of couch grass and bindweed: they actually increase by root cuttings

brambles... root very easily

Brambles are tip rooters: they take root where the tip of the branch hits the soil.

I chop them up and compost them, no problem.
Oh, except they do go brown and hard, and very sharp: I burn the harder bits on my chiminea, and compost the softer green bits.

[northepaul]

Brambles are tip rooters: they take root where the tip of the branch hits the soil.

I chop them up and compost them, no problem.
Oh, except they do go brown and hard, and very sharp: I burn the harder bits on my chiminea, and compost the softer green bits.

Therefore its possible that if you cut them up and put them in the compost bin (with the tips etc) they'll re-root....

[Two_Sheds]

No, because once the plant is cut, it's dead. Dead plant can't root


Seriously, I've been doing it for years, I've never had any of them (nor ivy) take root in my compost bins.

[Kaiya]

A bit like strawbs? i.e. they need the umbilical to still be attached while they root.

[northepaul]

I'm sorry but I dont agree

I've taken a fair size healthy cutting from brambles at our lottie, and plonked them into a completely seperate place, (by plonked I mean stuck them into the ground) to build up a barrier...and about 5 out of 9 took!

[veggiechicken]

No, because once the plant is cut, it's dead. Dead plant can't root

If that were true, it would be impossible to grow cuttings from anything

[deathbysnails]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I shall get myself some long-handled loppers to start with and see where I get to. I'll also get a picture of the problems I face as son as I get round to it (having only just moved I'm kind of concentrating on unpacking boxes and building furniture right now, but I'll do it eventually).

Does anyone have reccomendations for good strimmers/brush-cutters that can cope with a tangled mess?

[Mikey]

If I'm honest, a pair of thick gloves, shears and loppers are all you need really.

Strimmers well if you want to head down that route, I'd hire one for the weekend if you are unlikely to use it again. Even a really basic brushcutter will set you back around £80, but a half decent one is twice that.

[northepaul]

I got some perfectly good loppers in the wickes budget range for £4.99, they had shears too. Buy good gloves, thick as you can. Make sure you cover up your arms/legs etc.

Good Luck!