What to use to kill all this back

Hi, I’m planning to use my hedge trimmer to cut all this back to ground level, what can I use to kill all the root systems? I wanted to grow wild flowers here instead to give colour and wildlife.

There was a huge tree near here previously and all this has grown in the shadow of the massive branches of it once it got cut down.

 

I think an application of glyphosate ant1977

As you intend, cut it all back to the ground....hedgetrimmer, loppers, etc. and, paradoxically, allow a couple of weeks to regrow again. Then spray the regrowth.

I think it’s a great idea. I’ve seen some wonderful wildflower meadows this year. It seems folk have suddenly awoken to the idea of the necessity for looking after our wild life

 

I was under the impression that Glyphosate leaves no residue?

 

I think that’s true Freddy. It’s what is claimed for it.

Personally, I have used it...glyphosate...to kill grass and then sow another lawn. The replacement lawn germinated and grew away without any problems. It does not have any residual effect on the soil that I have ever noted.

Coincidentally, I spoke with a landscape team at my niece’s new build a couple of months back. A superb bank of wildflowers was created....I posted a picture on the forum at the time....and I was told the area was cleared with glyphosate prior to establishing the wildflowers there.

Glyphosate is the marmite issue right now.....it will be banned within a year or two much to the chagrin of many. When it is banned the permanent removal of persistent weeds will be a thing of the past.

Personally, I feel if it is used correctly it is a boon but it often isn’t and I think that’s the real problem.

 

Some products do due to additives within the mixture. The label on the product should indicate this but domestic weed killers have pretty basic information.
It’s best not to sow for 14 days and given the treatment takes that and longer the residue effect has gone by the time you prepare the area.

 

Took a quick copy from roundup proactive which is not domestic and only contains a very small part of the documentation supplied with the product.

1. Upon soil adsorption the herbicidal properties of Roundup ProActive are lost permitting the drilling of crops 48 hours after application. See the ‘Recommendation Tables’ for specific restrictions.
   

Forestry:
- Pre-planting

Arable land, planting, replanting, & grassland areas

Arable weeds Grassland weeds

4.0 5.0

Hydraulic sprayers: 80-250 l/ha or
rotary atomisers: 10-40 l/ha*

All tree species may be planted 7 days or more after treatment


So on the label is clearly shows some residue is there for this product and it differs depending on use and restrictions.

 

And this is a domestic example. very limited info but it just states breaks down quickly but if you read sowing can be done straight away after the dead plants are removed or dug in.

 

I wasn’t able to open the document, but I get the gist of it

 

From what I understand you should use Glyphosate before cutting it back as it relies on absorption into the plant to work.

 

Thanks Liz the pot

Mike77, you are absolutely correct but it has been shown to be more economical and more effective if old growth is cut down and then the regrowth sprayed with glyphosate. Glyphosate seems to work best on the new growth....besides, less glyphosate is needed to cover the regrowth.

For me, there is no doubt that glyphosate is effective in clearing ground and establishing conditions for replanting because I have done this so often

 

Bit on the high side Mike to go spraying that. It’s drift that may be a problem if you are not careful.

If it were me I think I would cut it all back with a brush cutter then reassess the situation. Once it’s cut back you can then decide if you want to treat the area, dig it over once the plant life is dead or simply dig away and clear the area.
Nothing stopping you from rotovating the area either if you have one.
You could also consider something like this as an option after it’s cleared.
Wildflower Turf - Instant Meadows Guaranteed

 

1st stage underway ( had to stop for torrential rain) those stinger roots are thick and dense, may resort to digging what I can out. If I rotovate the ground will that then make thousands more stinger seeds to then grow?!