@pauljnewell Welcome to our forum! I sympathise with your feelings at the immensity of the task. Please consider that you don't have to use weedkiller. Generations of monks, farmers, gardeners,... have managed to clear and cultivate the land before the advent of dangerous chemicals. You can do it too!
@pauljnewell Welcome to our forum! I sympathise with your feelings at the immensity of the task. Please consider that you don't have to use weedkiller. Generations of monks, farmers, gardeners,... have managed to clear and cultivate the land before the advent of dangerous chemicals. You can do it too!
with unlimited time, effort, manpower and patience: indeed so.
Thanks so much to everyone for your prompt responses. Interesting to know that the right solution might be dependent on recent and upcoming weather conditions. Where I am (Oxfordshire) it's been pretty dry and looks set to be going forward, so I think it's probably true that it's not in active growth. So feels like strimming it all back is the best place to start. Maybe then, in line with @Papi Jo's thoughts, I won't need to use as many chemicals on what comes back, which would obviously be preferable. Thanks again.
One advantage of strimming first is that you can compost what you cut back and it will, one day, return goodness to the soil. I personally wouldn't compost anything that has been glyphosated or otherwise chemically treated.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
I haven't used insecticide or fungicide chemicals in over 30 years, but IMHO if you have an infestation of perennial weeds: don't spend the rest of your life dealing with it.
I agree. Life is too short to deal with persistent nasties day in day out. Zap them thoroughly and efficiently then keep on top of any that return by regular weeding.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
I agree. Life is too short to deal with persistent nasties day in day out. Zap them thoroughly and efficiently then keep on top of any that return by regular weeding.
@pauljnewell Welcome to our forum! I sympathise with your feelings at the immensity of the task. Please consider that you don't have to use weedkiller. Generations of monks, farmers, gardeners,... have managed to clear and cultivate the land before the advent of dangerous chemicals. You can do it too!
with unlimited time, effort, manpower and patience: indeed so.
Yes, generations of monks, farmers and gardeners have cleared large areas of land without weed killers ... they used herds of pigs to churn up the land and eat the roots, followed by months and months of indentured labour ... if the OP does not have recourse to a swineherd and his charges, and a village of serfs, I suggest she uses an appropriate glyphosate weedkiller strictly according to the directions.
It is the method used to clear a lot of land which is now Certified Organic.
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One advantage of strimming first is that you can compost what you cut back and it will, one day, return goodness to the soil. I personally wouldn't compost anything that has been glyphosated or otherwise chemically treated.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.