Feeling a little overwhelmed

[VirginVegGrower]

Tee hee TS - hi Keenbeen, good to see young growers keen. The weed killer has everyone a bit fixed as normally they are a spray on, either ready mixed or as a powder to be made up. I would do as other have suggested and start forking or digging out broad leaved weeds like dock, dandelion, etc. then smother the area with cardboard to get grass/annual weed die back. This can then be dug over more easily. Don't be put off, we have all had to learn from our mistakes.
Cardboard can be obtained free from cycle shops, should you have access to a car.

[Two_Sheds]

Don't be put off, we have all had to learn from our mistakes.

Indeed, and some of us have made a LOT of them (yes I did think planting mint in every bed would be a nice idea)

I can only think that you used something and the box said "dead weeds can be dug into the soil" ...?

[Dynamo]

Welcome to the forum KB.

I have never used any weedkiller on my allotment because I don't trust it to not affect the veg that I am going to grow. Getting rid of weeds manually is quite a chore, but I think you'd find it rewarding and it would make you happier in the knowledge that your not going to end up with any side effects. As Two Sheds asked though, let us know what weedkiller it was and then the experts on here will be able to let you know how harmful it could be, if at all.

[zazen999]

a - welcome to the Vine
b - clay is good
c - are you sure it wasn't fertiliser? Can you get the box and tell us what it is called?
d- if you have got weeds, it's better to find out what they are and then find out options of dealing with them, as different weeds have different control methods and many of them won't involve digging anything into your soil!

[SlugLobber]

Hi, KB. I've been starting from scratch this season, on a plot which was previously a chicken run. To remove all the weeds (and grass), I've dug the turf out and stored it upside down in a pile (with the intention of returning it to the ground at the end of the season and controlling the weeds then!

The soil itself is quite nutritious, but like yours it's quite clayey, so I've dug in some manure to break it up a bit. I've noticed that it 'cakes' in the warm sun, so I'm starting to mulch in between the onions to keep moisture in (my FIL got some compost from somewhere - very rough stuff with straw in it and bits of fibre board!).

I've been digging the turf little and often - it's exhausting work and I broke my arm at the end of last year so have been taking it easy!

Good luck and welcome to the Vine!

[keenbean]

Thank you everyone for some wonderful advice.

Re the weed killer... I can't think of the brand off hand (I will go and get the box from the shed shortly and post...) but I think I've not explained myself very well. It was one with the soluble sachets that you mix in the watering can. Luckily I only put it on that 2m x 2m patch and if it has done damage then at least it's not a massive area. It said on the box that once prepared and sprayed over the affected area it can be dug into the soil if need be, but it's certainly not some ghastly stuff that I've just chucked down to obliterate everything. I will plant some things in the area in the coming week as a test.

Luckily we do have compost bins, two big ones like the council use. I pulled the lid off one the other day to find some great compost that my mother had prepped years ago. It needed a good turn but it's given me a head start!

On a separate note, my waist is absolutely killing today. This is probably the most enjoyable exercise I've ever done!

[Two_Sheds]

It was one with the soluble sachets that you mix in the watering can. ... It said on the box that once prepared and sprayed over the affected area it can be dug into the soil if need be

That's glyphosate then. It's taken in the plant's foliage and from there travels down the system, killing the roots too. You can dig the dead plants in, but do wait a couple of weeks for them to die first.

You might want to read more about RoundUp, but then again you might not

[zazen999]

t's certainly not some ghastly stuff that I've just chucked down to obliterate everything.

Some think that Roundup is exactly that [me included]! Did you apply to the greenery or just pour it into the soil? We have a 'dead bed' at home, it's dead because a neighbour sprays roundup on the grass next to it and nothing will grow in that bed at all, and when we buy plants fresh to go in, they die after a matter of weeks. Anything planted near to the boundary dies - even if it is planted weeks after the spraying has ocurred. I'd try sowing a green manure into it personally, mustard comes up pretty fast - and seeing if it is growing ok before trying anything else.

It's good practice to work out what weeds you actually have then tackling them once you know, than just applying an off the shelf weedkiller.

[keenbean]

Some think that Roundup is exactly that [me included]!

I had a feeling somebody would say that when I wrote it! Oh well you live and learn. It was glyphosate yes and I concentrated more on the weeds more than the area as a whole but I'm pretty sure with the digging it won't have made much of a difference. Great idea with the mustard, I have some so I will sow them then and time will tell!

[rustylady]

If you're going to use glyphosate then you need to wait for the weeds to die before digging them in. This can take a while and may need repeat treatment.

[dod]

glyphosate

Keenbean,
Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup (and I'm sure some other products too), is generally considered to become inactive on contact with the soil (probably through binding to the soil particles). It is taken up through the leaves of actively growing plants. It is also supposed to be quite degradable in soils, so the levels in the soil will diminish over the following weeks (or months) anyway.
There are some formulations which contain glyphosate (for rapid action) along with another active ingredient for continued activity. These can also be obtained in soluble packet form, and as long as you don't have one of these types you are probably OK (I think that they are usually marketed as being suitable for clearing drives and paths).
Zazen's comment above:

Anything planted near to the boundary dies - even if it is planted weeks after the spraying has ocurred.

suggests to me that the offenders might be using one of these dual formulations.
Treatment regimes with glyphosate quite often involve spraying, then respraying a few weeks later as more weeds have come up in the meantime, then respraying again a few weeks later for the same reason (the glyphosate is not particularly active against seeds), as Rustylady has already indicated.
You can find a summary about its environental fate here.
For those that want to use it, but limit the damage to other plants, it is possible to paint it directly onto the leaves of those that you wish to dispatch to the next life (suggest wearing gloves if you do this).
It will add a little nitrogen and phosphorous to your soil as it degrades too, although probably in negligibly small quantities.

[Quite Contrary]

Hi KB

This is my second year too. I grew a few things like tomatoes from plants bought or from freecycle last year and looking forward to getting my seedlings out when the weather seems a bit better. I've started off some dwarf beans, tomatoes, carrots, peas & chillies.

I have no idea about planning at all so just trying lots of things out at the moment! Ooh I have some strawberry plants too (an early, mid season and late season) and my blueberry bush, and some of my herbs from last year are perking up again

I'm gowing in raised beds as my soil is very clay like too and assumed it was a bad thing.

I don't really have any advice, just wanted to say hi and good luck!