How should I kill viscious waist high weeds?

I'm in the process of purchasing a piece of waste land to extend my garden (Appox 60ft by 20ft). This land is completely overgrown with weeds - a whole mixture of plants, weeds and mostly brambles waist to head high. Underneath these weeds is a mixture of soil and concrete - I'm not really sure what proportion of each! Because this land is next to my garden, and I do wish to plant trees and bushes as soon as possible (along the land's boundries to create some privacy) I have been adviced against weed killing the lot - however, I feel it's proabably the best way to get rid of everything. I've tried looking this up on the roundup site to no avail. Is my idea completely stupid? How long will I have to leave it before I can replant? Will it spread through the soil and kill my garden too? This is what al my friends are telling me! Which weed killer should I use... so many questions - all advice would be very much appreciated!

Thanking you all in advance!
David

 

Hi David,

I'd have to say hedge cutters, the ones with the smallish viscious but strong blades (they can cut through fir tree branches, will take a while but they do work then i would say rather than roundup try Provado, they do a really good range of murderous sprays from bugs to weeds :D if you look on the pest/cure section i think it will tell you more, good luck!

 

I don't like using weed-killer and generally dig up everything, David. If you start by using loppers, secateurs and hedge-clippers, you'll get rid of a lot, and will be in a better position to see what needs to be dug up.

I lay a tarp behind me and toss all the chopped off bits on to it, which speeds up the process of getting rid of it to the tip. An old sheet would work just as well.

 

60ft x 20ft - thats a lot of digging. Though I would agree with Dendro in principle. I am reclaiming my front garden, which is only 20ft x 20ft. It has a lot of unwanted things, including some big stumps. I am planning to dig it over and then leave it fallow for a while - hoeing regularily, which is very easy to do once it has been dug. That way I should get rid of most of the persistant weeds that come back.

I am then planning on digging in a quantity of sharp sand and gravel - as it solid clay - as well as as much compost and manure as I can get my hands on.

 

Brilliant - thanks so much for your help everyone - another reason why I'm nervous of leaving it to digging alone, is that I think a lot of these weeds have made it up through cracks in concrete - which will make it very difficult to get to the roots... but you are right, I will see more once I've hedge trimmed the majority onto some tarp, and looked up the provado site! Thank you!

 

will you be changing your username to davedoeslotsofgardening?!! good luck on getting your new land into shape, sounds like a good project!

 

by the sounds of it it may become david doeshavediggingblisters...

 

Hi David I agree with the other guys and girls arm yourself with a good old cutting tool and go for it.

Once you have cut away all the over grown weeds, brambles and done all the digging over just look how much you would have saved by not going to the gym...you will have a body of a god, although it will be a very exhausted one! :D
Helen.xxx.

 

dont believe the myth david, the women all say that! i've been doing a patio for ages and i've still not got this 'body of a god!'

 

Trouble is, the God always wants it back...... :rolleyes: (Unless it's one of those Greek ones, like Dionysus.... and you wouldn't much want it!)

 

David I would burn down all the growth with a decent flame gun it burns off the seeds as well cutting stuff down only spreads them, the ash is good for the soil.

 

Blimey - that wasn't a response I was expecting! Flame-thrower the lot. It's quite a residential area - am I wrong for that to terrify me?

 

Oh dear we have a budding arsonist in our forum, really Walnut didn't your mummy ever tell you not to play with fire? :D
Helen.xxx.

 

ahahaha great post walnut! I can just see david starting his very own bush fire right now!

 

:eek: :eek: :D :D