Weed removal and soil improvement

I am attempting to create flower beds at the back of my garden. The soils is VERY thick mud which is nigh on impossible to break up fully. For the last few years it has been overgrown with nettles and weeds.

I have now removed the weeds as as much of the extensive root systems as possible. I have tried digging in compost and topsoil to improve the soil.

Despite this the soil is still very hard to work despite extensive digging, and even rotivation.

So here are my two questions

1. Would it be advisable to treat the soil with any weedkiller to ensure the weeds are dead? There are still some roots down there no matter how many I pull out!

2. How do I improve the soil further, so far I have heard either grit sand or gypsum based clay breaking treatment.

Thanks for any help

 

1 - no point in treating soil with weed killer, you treat the weeds with weedkiller.

2 - not sure what kind of soil you have, but good old double digging with farmyard muck is a good start.

You need to get as much rubbish out as possible, if in doubt about weeds, let them grow then spray, but no point in spraying soil. Yes I know its hard work!

Teh more preperation you put in now, the less you will have to do later.

 

To kil the rots, you need to spray the leaves - it's a systemic weedkiller that's needed, so you put it on the leaves, and it feeds through the system to the roots, so if you wait until the leaves appear, you can use it then!
What you've done will definitely improve the soil - the only other thing is to add sand, as well as the top soil and compost. It just occurs to me - it's best if the compost is pretty rough (Co**** is a beter word, but the systems won't let that word through!) Try your local "recycling facility" - they often have compost for very little, even nowt up here! :D

 

Continual removal of weeds and digging through the beds will eventually weaken weed growth and for any deep or persistent weeds like ground elder or bindweed use a systemic killer to see them off. Weed killers such as sodium chlorate will poison the soil and nothing will grow on it.

As well as adding sand and humus rich compost you can also try adding granulated kelp and calcified seeweed. Once you get a clay soil really well conditioned it will reward you as it makes for great soil but it takes a lot of work and perseverance.

Initially I would try to grow annuals, in the autumn you can add humus and dressing then rough dig through your borders and let the winter frosts and deep worms have at it. They will both do a lot of the hard graft for you

 

1) Grit (I used sharp sand and 10 mil gravel, both from builders yard)
2) Lots of organic material of any type (manure, purchased bags of compost, or your own compost - works even if not fully composted)
3) Dig to mix and break up. Do not stand on soil after digging. Stand on planks if it is wet.

Gardiners do not appear to use gypsum

http://home.clara.net/tmac/urgring/faqsoil1.htm

 

I agree with PeterS, this is the best way.
planting potatoes in rough ground also helps to break up the soil, even if you dont use the produce, any old sprouting potatoes will do