what have i started?lol

Good progress. But I hate to put a spanner in the works but you should really think about replacing your fences first before you start planting. I did it the opposite way round and had to take out a lot of the plants as a result.

 

hahha wiseowl thats what its called is it no worries jungle jane the fences are already bought just the posts to sort now x so fences are the next job, im just clearing the ground in preparation for whatever i decide to do with the space tbh it may end up just mulched yet as the soil is rubbish and full of roots ! its been very hard going trying to dig it x

 

We mulched ours over too Maria. Had part of the garden that was smothered in bramble etc.
Kept the site covered two years in the end.
I played around with plants in pots there in the meantime, which helped me decide if they would work out in that position!

 

its going to be a long project tbh as we have a lot of work to do indoors too. As long as its cleared and covered and fences done im happy thinking of mulching and perhaps doing a herb spiral see how it does but that will be in the spring. did you put garden fabric down first then mulch adendoll? ive been doing some research its 50 50 whether fabric should be used or not .

 

Yep we dug out as much as we could but the root runs for many of the weeds went down really deep so we couldn't remove it all.
We mulched first year used about 3inches depth of bark but the weeds grew through it.
The second year we put down weed suppressant fabric and put the bark on top of that for a couple of years. Used ordinary cheap tent pegs to hold down fabric so we could lift it back and dig in soil improver and lift any weeds that had risen to the surface.
Now have raised beds and veg on the plot. Long job but worth it

 

thanks for the information adendoll will do weed fabric first then mulch thanks once again

 

well!!! ive done it! ive cleared all the turf! omg the roots off the tree are ridiculous! its been very hard going but feel very proud of what ive achieved so far tomorrow is the start of leveling it but i have a question.... as for the roots once cut back and membrane plus mulch down they will grow back right? so how best to deal with it? im hoping to level it cover it and go back in the spring to put fabric,mulch and either a raised bed or herb spiral down. Will i then have to pull fabric back yearly to cut the roots back again?

 

Are we talking tree roots here or weed roots?

 

tree roots! ive given up at the back of the garden and just covered them its going to be a rockery!

 

also can i ask a question? ive purchased some black plastic sheeting to cover the area until the spring.It said that it is for garden use allotment use etc . It isnt weed fabric but plastic will this be ok to leave down and either mulch or stone the area? Most of it wont be used for growing anything but a part is for a raised bed which of course wont have it down but will the rest be ok if i use it or do i need weed fabric?(used it in the past found it a nightmare when it broke down)

 

If the tree is still in existence then the roots will grow back, with some trees it can make them grow stronger. If you want to keep the tree don't cut them back to harshly or you may damage the tree and it will eventually develop dead spots on the crown. The rockery is probably a good idea, or a raised bed.

The plastic will be fine as a weed suppressant but should be removed before planting to allow root spread unless you intend to plant through it. It would also create watering issues to of course.

 

ok cheers the tree is in the garden behind me. Only cut back a small amount so i could level it a bit . ive covered the big roots for a rockery.As for the water issue if i leave it down until spring before putting stones down guess i can monitor it?

 

It's fine to leave it down until spring. I meant that if you intended it to be in place permanently it would make it difficult for watering plants.

 

ive been raking the area and as much as its not as "up and down" it isnt level! what is the best way to achieve this?