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Feeling a bit disheartened....

English_girl_in_FranceEnglish_girl_in_France Posts: 108
in Problem solving
Hello there, so our new garden is covered in weeds and we have planned to hire a machine to turn all the earth over and start from scratch in the spring. However, I got super excited and decided to do a bit myself the other day so I could start to create a flower bed. It took me ages! Then I woke up this morning and saw some of the weeds had resprouted 😩 now I dont know what to do, I have found a root that I just cant find the end of. 
There is also conifers nearby so I am worried about putting weed killer down in case it kills them. 
So my question is  should I keep the plants in pots until next spring when we can do it all properly and hopefully get rid of the weeds completely or shoukd I plant them now because maybe it's not very good leaving them in pots? 
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  • English_girl_in_FranceEnglish_girl_in_France Posts: 108

  • JoeXJoeX Posts: 1,783
    Hi there, it must be exciting to have a new garden to plan :smile:

    Turning over the whole garden may cut up weed roots and redistribute them making the problem worse.  Personally I think removing weeds is just part of gardening, I would look for the big perennial weeds now and dig them out, heading for the garden waste recycle.

    if youre restarting a lawn you might be better off removing the turf with a turf cutter, then raking for weeds before planting again?
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Perennial weed roots such as those go down deep and you need to remove every bit or they re-sprout so definitely not a good idea to rotavate them.   The best way is to do it by hand, a square metre or so at a time so you don't get disheartened and then cover each newly cleared bit with a piece of cardboard which you can hold down using metal U shaped pegs for weed proofing membrane or else some stones.

    It helps to water the area well the night before so the soil is easier to work the next day.     Using the cardboard will cut the light to any weed or other seeds in the soil and prevent germination but it won't kill off any roots you miss, especially bindweed, nettles, thistles, couch grass, creeping buttercup.   However, if you wet it and then cover it with a good layer of well-rotted manure (fumet) mixed with some garden compost and topsoil (terre végétale round here) you can plant straight thru it so your new plants can get their roots down over autumn and winter.   Water them thoroughly before and after planting.

    If you use weedkiller, the ones available now in France will only kill the top growth, not the roots and you do have to make sure none of it touches the green part of any plant you want to keep alive and healthy.   Be aware also that those conifers will suck up moisture and nutrients in the surrounding soil so don't plant too close to them - allow for growth - and make sure what you do plant is well watered all through the first year while they get established.
    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)."
    Plato
  • BijdezeeBijdezee Posts: 1,484
    Rotivating brings up all the lurking weed seeds, never a good thing. I know it sounds daunting but hand weeding seems to cause less weeds. Do a bit at a time if it's easier and plant up as you go, always best to get them in and autumn is a good time for it. 
  • English_girl_in_FranceEnglish_girl_in_France Posts: 108
    @JoeX yes, so so excited to have a garden, and whilst it's a bit of a mess you're right - it's good to be able to start from scratch! Think I'm trying to do too much at once though and maybe need to slow down and concentrate little by little 😊
    I will look into a turf cutter, thanks 😊
  • English_girl_in_FranceEnglish_girl_in_France Posts: 108
    @Obelixx thank you so much once again! That works well as we have so many cardboard boxes from moving! I will just do little by little like you said! 
    Thanks also for the tips on planting the new ones, I will go to botanic monday and get what I need 😊
  • English_girl_in_FranceEnglish_girl_in_France Posts: 108
    @Bijdezee thank you for the response! Yes, I'll just do little by little! I think I may have got a bit caught up in trying to do everything all at once and have bare patches that I have completed in random parts of the garden 🤦‍♀️😅
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Best to stick to one bed at a time and do it well, in stages if necessary or at least stick to small areas of each bed if you have lots of plants needing homes with differing aspects.   Use a garden fork rather than a spade as this will do less damage to soil structure and helpful micro-organisms and critters.

    You can also put cardboard down over the beds/new areas you intend to clear as it will help kill off weeds.   Any that grow thru next year will be easy to hoe or pull as soon as they appear and before they get rampant again.

    Make sure you remove all plastic tape and any metal staples from your cardboard boxes before you lay them out.  My OH didn't the first time and, after 30+ years of marriage I knew he'd learn better if he found out the hard way..........   Bit messy the next spring. 

    Have a google for Charles Dowding and his No Dig approach as you may end up adopting a whole new system and eliminating the need to dig at all.
    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)."
    Plato
  • WolveryetiWolveryeti Posts: 21
    I would just plant what you want to plant now. The shade from your plant will help weaken the weeds above whatever cultivation you apply. I'm sorry to say that machines are not a magic bullet and you will still have to weed even after rotivating (though unlike some I think rotivating serves a purpose as it weakens weeds - chopped smaller they can't rely on such a large rooting system to send up shoots). 


  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    If those weeds include bindweed or thistle or dandelion every bit of chopped root becomes a new plant.   Rotivator blades chop up worms and other beneficial critters.   Two good reasons why, in small areas, such a violent solution is not recommended and hand digging and forking are to be preferred.

    Mulching with cardboard and then lots of organic matter means the soil can be planted straightaway, its structure is improved more quickly and the weeds that do come through are easily hoed and removed before they have time to feed the root system.  Eventually the roots will die from lack of sustenance.
    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)."
    Plato
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