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Very Large weedy area

jackpjackp Posts: 43
in Problem solving
I am considering offering to help out a friend clearing a large area (roughly 10x20m) full of thistles and various weeds but I don’t know how I’d do this though as he really doesn’t want me to use glyphosate weedkiller and natural Ones I’ve seen don’t seem to work very well on this type of weeds.I was thinking of strimming off the tops then turning over the ground with a tiller but this isn’t ideal as the seeds will get into the ground.other idea is to just put cardboard over the ground with a thick layer of composted manure over that
he would like to convert the area into a small orchard 
any ideas please
thank you .Jack

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    If you don't want to use a weedkiller, you'll be digging out weeds constantly, unless there's tons of people all doing it, and you can get it done in a couple of hours. Then you can prep, and mulch, or plant etc. 

    If it's only two of you, by the time you  get to the end, there'll be new weeds coming through on the bits you cleared at the start.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • jackpjackp Posts: 43
    Fairygirl said:
    If you don't want to use a weedkiller, you'll be digging out weeds constantly, unless there's tons of people all doing it, and you can get it done in a couple of hours. Then you can prep, and mulch, or plant etc. 

    If it's only two of you, by the time you  get to the end, there'll be new weeds coming through on the bits you cleared at the start.
    Hi it would probably only be me on the job.I agree though that weedkiller would normally be the obvious choice .i was also thinking of spraying light coating of petrol over it and watching it burn away 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Won't kill roots.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328
    Also, burning damages the soil structure and organisms living in it...  the cardboard and compost route would work, but you'd need a LOT of both.  If you google "no-dig gardening" you'll find videos showing you how to do it; Charles Dowding is the chap with the know-how.  

    Does your friend want to grow a meadow between his orchard trees?  If so, he might get away with mowing the entire area - possibly strimming it first - and keeping it short, which will encourage grass and discourage thistles etc.  Then he could put down cardboard and compost on the individual patches where he wants to plant his trees.
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    Rotavating not a good idea.  Any perennial weed roots will be chopped in little pieces and each piece is a potential new plant.  So you end up worse off than you started.  Whatever you do, the seeds will still be there, but weedlings can be controlled by regular hoeing.  
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    Just glyphosate it. Only got to do it once. A lot less environmentally destructive, and a lot more effective, than petrol, that's for sure  :o
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
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