roatavator

[doc]

Hi all
Apologies for the long post

I recently got my house extended and while I had the opportunity I got a mini-digger to flatten my rather uneven garden. Unfortunately the blooming builders took 7 months to complete the extension and in the meantime the weeds/brambles etc have taken a proper foothold on the bare earth.

I now want to get a proper lawn (excluding the far end which is my precious veggie patch) but weeding the whole garden (60m x 10m) before rotatvating the ground is frankly looking beyond my ability. My neighbour suggested I not worry about the weeds - simply rotatvate and chuck on the grass seed. He thinks the grass will compete with the weeds anyway and once I mow the lawn the weeds will get chopped off - over a period of time they would stop coming back.

Do people agree?
Thanks

[bubblewrap]

Brambles, cooch grass, bindweed need digging out or they will return.
rotatvating will only make matters worse cooch grass brambles grow from root stock(very small piece) so need digging out.

[NOG]

I would burn it all off....then pung a load of geophos on it.

[Two_Sheds]

Absolutely, strongly disagree... grass does not compete with weeds (except couch grass).

You only have to look at our local parks and verges where the men have mown too short in the drought. The grass is dying and the clover and buttercups are taking over.

Besides, rotavating the roots of perennial weeds simply increases their number.

[digthatchick]

It's all been said ... rotavate that lot and you are in for some serious weeds. When we prune shrubs we do it to increase vigour and volume, that's what you are doing to your brambles, bindweed and couch

[doc]

hmm..so i guess i have to physically remove each one
i'll be there forever

[Dynamo]

hmm..so i guess i have to physically remove each one
i'll be there forever

Thats one of the biggest problems with gardening. There's rarely any quick fixes. Mind you, I think it would be much less interesting if there were.

[doc]

well...if it has to be done...i will
what about weeds like dandelions and other annuals...is it absolutely necessary to dig them out before rotavating too? (silent prayerlease say no...)

[NOG]

I dont...I make a big bonfire in the miiddle of the plot then drag all the still burning wood over the plot to burn it all off all the weeds then I rotovate.