It looks like you've got alkenet (the blue flower) some tree seedlings (you need to dig these up) and at least one buddleia (the grey leaved plant - this may or may not be a cultivated buddleia).
How big is the area? I would suggest that you buy or hire a strimmer, they're not that expensive (not a rotavator) and just keep strimming the weeds down when they're about 6" high. Strimming is relatively quick and easy work. When you've got the time and inclination, start on a small area at a time and hand dig it over thoroughly. Either plant it up or cover it with black plastic, weighed down with stones, while you tackle another area. It will be jolly hard work but will be better in the long term. Pile all the weeds up in a heap at the bottom of the garden until they're dead.
It looks like you've got alkenet (the blue flower) some tree seedlings (you need to dig these up) and at least one buddleia (the grey leaved plant - this may or may not be a cultivated buddleia).
How big is the area? I would suggest that you buy or hire a strimmer, they're not that expensive (not a rotavator) and just keep strimming the weeds down when they're about 6" high. Strimming is relatively quick and easy work. When you've got the time and inclination, start on a small area at a time and hand dig it over thoroughly. Either plant it up or cover it with black plastic, weighed down with stones, while you tackle another area. It will be jolly hard work but will be better in the long term. Pile all the weeds up in a heap at the bottom of the garden until they're dead.
Well, it's not a massive area, but is still probably 3m wide x 6m long...
I was hoping to use the area as a 'No dig' area to grow some veg, but I think that may not be possible this season and I may just have to get rid of it this year...
I have shears and i'm happy to spend the time cuting them all down to ground level and then use a fork to remove them, and dig down to get the weeds out.. it was more just knowing what was best.
What do you mean by plant it up? If say, I cleared a patch, could I use that for growing if I add more compost on top, and then keep on top of the weeds as they come?
If you’re not in a rush I’d roughly chop things down and leave them where they are, cover the whole area with weighted down black plastic, tarpaulin, or something similar and leave it for a year. You will still have roots in the soil that might pop up again, but will be manageable to weed. Sometimes the slow way is the best way.
My experience has been that rotovating creates far more problems than it solves. And some stones are fine, just help drainage.
You could try clearing a patch and then grow something in it but it's probably best if you wait a month or so to make absolutely sure you've dug up all the roots of the weeds. But it's up to you and I haven't always followed my own advice - dug up a patch of lawn, planted lots of flowers straight away because I like instant results and three years later am still tying to dig out lots of grass! You also don't necessarily need to add compost but a good covering of manure would probably do the ground good. You can buy bagged manure from the garden centres, if you buy it from farms in bulk, it must be well rotted. A Bosch strimmer from Argos is about £21, have a google. Far easier on the knees and back than shears will be.
your soil should not have many stones in it and if rotavating it brings up the stones that is a good thing. You can then pick them all up in a bucket and get rid of them. That is what I would do.
The tarp idea will not work. The roots need to be dug up. Weeds are persistent buggers and will come back with a vengence a year later so not worth it cause the soil will be just as hard afterwards. The less stones your soil has and the more you air it out with a garden fork the easier it will be to maintain the area for years to come.
It sounds like your soil has been loosened quite a bit over the years even if it is full of stones so maybe a garden fork would work. Do not use a digging spade, they are too big, a border spade is a good size for rocky soil and if you still struggle, an auger is a great tool to loosen hard patches full of rocks or clay, B'n'Q sell one for £12.
Digging up the soil not only gets rid of weeds, it loosens the soil so removing weeds for the next 5 years will be as easy as just pulling them out the soil and it makes growing your own plants that much easier too.
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How big is the area? I would suggest that you buy or hire a strimmer, they're not that expensive (not a rotavator) and just keep strimming the weeds down when they're about 6" high. Strimming is relatively quick and easy work. When you've got the time and inclination, start on a small area at a time and hand dig it over thoroughly. Either plant it up or cover it with black plastic, weighed down with stones, while you tackle another area. It will be jolly hard work but will be better in the long term. Pile all the weeds up in a heap at the bottom of the garden until they're dead.
My experience has been that rotovating creates far more problems than it solves. And some stones are fine, just help drainage.
But it's up to you and I haven't always followed my own advice - dug up a patch of lawn, planted lots of flowers straight away because I like instant results and three years later am still tying to dig out lots of grass! You also don't necessarily need to add compost but a good covering of manure would probably do the ground good. You can buy bagged manure from the garden centres, if you buy it from farms in bulk, it must be well rotted. A Bosch strimmer from Argos is about £21, have a google. Far easier on the knees and back than shears will be.
The tarp idea will not work. The roots need to be dug up. Weeds are persistent buggers and will come back with a vengence a year later so not worth it cause the soil will be just as hard afterwards.
The less stones your soil has and the more you air it out with a garden fork the easier it will be to maintain the area for years to come.
It sounds like your soil has been loosened quite a bit over the years even if it is full of stones so maybe a garden fork would work. Do not use a digging spade, they are too big, a border spade is a good size for rocky soil and if you still struggle, an auger is a great tool to loosen hard patches full of rocks or clay, B'n'Q sell one for £12.
Digging up the soil not only gets rid of weeds, it loosens the soil so removing weeds for the next 5 years will be as easy as just pulling them out the soil and it makes growing your own plants that much easier too.