Best timing for this clearing job?

Hi, I've been away for a few years as we moved house and been busy doing it up. It's nearly finished, so time to look at the garden. We have a corner currently brambles, grasses, willow herb etc, the usual scrubby mess. Like to clear it to plant a few fruit trees and under plant with spring bulbs.
Both those need planting in the autumn, would that be a good time to clear too?
I'm thinking of using a weedkiller like roundup, leaving it a week to make sure it's done its job, then digging over and planting.
Will this work, all tips and other ideas very welcome

 

Welcome back, I don't believe we have met so hello.

If it was me, I would get stuck in and clear the area now, dig out what you can, leave a week or so and see what fights back, and treat with roundup or similar, you could of course continue digging any remnants out which would be more ecological.

Once you have got the area cleared to your satisfaction, I would recommend digging in lots of compost and maybe some manure (your fruit trees will thank you). You will need to be vigilant over the summer with weeding, but come Autumn the area will be ready for planting.

Good luck.

 

Couple of pics of the area in question. The big heap of branches is elder we cut out of the hedge, it's getting burnt. Part of the area is concrete (ex council house, there's a lot of concrete!) and I think if we lift that before autumn, we'll be fighting the weeds coming up from under it.

 

I wouldn't cut anything down this week. I'd spray it with Roundup first, then give it a couple of weeks for that to take effect. Then in a fortnight, I'd cut it down to about 1ft high, and bombard it again with Roundup.

The reason for cutting it down to about 1ft after the first treatment is that it removes all the top stuff which would act as an umbrella, protecting weeds underneath from the first treatment, but leaving a foot of growth intact gives plenty of foliage for the second treatment of Roundup to get hold of. It also lets sunlight get down to the ground level, which will help anything that's lurking there, waiting to grow, to start growing, so you can get that with subsequent treatments too.

I wouldn't be too quick to dig it out yet. I'd save that for maybe mid June. Still early enough for anything that wants to present itself to do so, but it gives time for the Roundup to work, and also digging it over in mid summer is when you'll cause most disruption to any surviving weeds. It will also mean that any surviving roots in the soil will be exposed to the drying effects of a hopefully good mid summer, further reducing their viability.

 

Thank you both, plenty to keep us busy then!