Wrecked garden?
alishaikh22
Posts: 1
Hello
We recently moved into a beautiful little place, but the house needed so much work it took more or less all our finances.
Of course the garden was the last thing on our mind, but now having been in our home for about a year, we are desperate for our garden
Currently our garden looks like the attached pics and we want to clean it up. Nothing too fancy but simply cannot afford the quotes we are getting.
We are willing to put the time and effort in to clean it up but we have no idea where to begin....
We have put out things like Resolva but it doesnt really affect the overgrowth. Plus we have bamboo's growing all over the place.
Can we please get some advice on how to start cleaning up the garden and have a lovely flat level garden with grass.
Thank you
Posts
Hiya
I've been in exactly the same position myself, so I really know where you are coming from.
I'd say, think about what you want to do with the space- lawn, borders, deck area etc etc....while you are digging it deep and getting as much weed out as you can! From experience, nothing beats the back breaking, mind numbing, heartbreaking task of just dig, dig dig (and the inevitable trips to the tip) to get everything you can out. But at least while you are doing it you can think and plan and visualise what you want.
I don't have knowledge of removing bamboo, but I think the Resolvas etc sold to us over the counter are a lot less potent than the stuff the professionals use, so save your money and get right down to the roots the old fashioned way...its better for the soil and at least you get to know the feel of your garden and fully aerate everywhere so that when it is weed free you have a really good basis to start from.
Good luck...it is worth it!!
Your garden looks level(ish) which is a good starting point.
As you've already tried weed killer to no avail (but bear in mind established brambles and bamboo are tough as nails) and take some time to weaken via chemical spraying, you may need something a tad more potent than Resolva or any DIY store product.
Have a think about getting yourself some nitrite gauntlets, face visor (or very least goggles), at least a 5 litre sprayer and look on eBay for Roundup ProVantage 480. You'll need a ratio of 37ml per litre of water and within a few weeks the brambles and bamboo will be looking rather sorry but dont cut down until they look dead. Follow up treatments may be required. The hard part is removing the old/previous years bramble stems as the thorns snap off very easily and penetrate skin like a hot knife through butter.
Get leather gloves and some overalls and chop the brambles into short lengths otherwise you'll be torn or pierced to shreds if pulling long branches. It may take a while to dispose of in you green bin or many trips to the tip. But as bad as it appears, it's a good garden and you won't need to splash out a fortune on landscaping.
Think twice before you bring in the rotovator. They make light work of breaking up the soil, but at the same time they chop the perennial weeds (and the bamboo) in bits, and every bit of root grows a new plant. Don't think of rotovating as an alternative to weeding.
I agree with josusa. Rotovating will make the weeds worse and I speak from experience. I would spray the lot with Glyphosate, wait 3 weeks for it to work, then dig up all the roots you can find. Then rake it all level. Mark out any flower beds you want and seed or turf the rest. Mowing will keep the weeds and bamboo down in the lawn if you have left any roots behind.
Don't make flower beds too narrow. Decide if you want an area for veg. If money is tight then you can sow hardy annuals the first year, but it's getting a bit late for sowing now. You can sow biennials, like Sweet Williams and Foxgloves for planting in the spring to flower next year. If you have beds for flowers and veg then bear in mind that weeding is one of the main gardeners' tasks.
Personally I would forget about doing anything at all in terms of digging and sowing until this autumn, and just spray with glyphosate based weedkiller (forget 24hr instant knock down stuff) and then respray the regrowth after a few weeks and repeat until that bamboo is definitely dead and gone. Then you can cultivate the soil and sow your lawn / lay turf with a bit more confidence in autumn (also much the best time to be sowing a lawn).
Nothing beats a bit of manual labour. Weedkiller is fine but you will still have to dig out roots.
Buy a good spade and fork. Start with the digging first. Dig it all over in sections - say do a quarter every weekend. Don't try to do too much at once as you'll ruin your back and possibly lose the enthusiasm. Bag the weeds, roots and rubbish and get rid of them when you finish a section. And do each section thoroughly. By the time you finish the 4th section any weeds you missed in the 1st section will be visible but easy now to hoe or dig out.
While you are doing all this you can decide what you want in the garden - lawn, patio, shed, flowers etc.
Are you sure it is bamboo that you have?
I'm rather sad to see this job described as heart-breaking and mind numbing. Personally, I would forget the chemicals and the rotavator and use spades, forks and a pick axe as needed. Do a small area, as Hogweed suggests, with frequent tea breaks and ENJOY the job. It's in the fresh air, invigorating, healthy and rewarding. It's gardening, for Heaven's sake; why all the misery!
I love digging and it is amazing just how much you can do in a couple of hours. And if there are two of you............ It is so satisfying to see a cleared bit of ground.
And so much cheaper and much less mind-numbing than a gym membership
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.