Killing weeds under the soil

christopher_lloyd21C97BIr-- · July 2021

Hi there,

I have recently dug up my front garden which was full of stones and a tonne of weeds (literally looked like a jungle). I have now got rid of everything including the weed fabric so the garden looks relatively bare. Despite this I know that I will have missed a number of weeds which the roots were too deep and many which are still hiding under the soil. Is there a weed killer I can cover all the soil with which will kill everything still alive? I’m not planning on planting anything (going to cover back up with fabric and new stones).

Note: I do have a hedge right at the front of the garden which I don’t want to die!

Any advice on what to do / weed killer to buy and apply would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Chris

Dovefromabove · July 2021

The short answer is no. Weedkillers have to be applied to green living tissue which, if left, then passes the chemical back to the roots and the chemical kills them.

You would’ve done better to spray first … kill all the top growth and the roots, and then dug the area over.

As it is you have two choices

1. Wait until the weeds grow again and then spray with glyphosate and leave it to work.

2. Dig it all over thoroughly. (It’s cheaper than a gym membership … think how honed and toned you’ll be 😉).

Obelixx · July 2021

Weed killers work on plants in active growth. The active ingredient is absorbed by the foliage and then either kills the top growth - handy for annuals - or, in the case of perennial or persistent weeds needing a systemic weed killer, the active ingredient is transported down to the roots and kills them over a couple of weeks.

As your weeds are all hiding underground in the form of active roots or dormant seeds you need to fork over every bit and lift and remove weed roots as you find them. You'll need to fork it over anyway to break up the inevitable soil compaction after years of being under weed membrane, thus allowing air into the soil and making it easier for new plants to grow whether that be a new lawn or other forms of plant - lawn, trees, shrubs, perennials, bulbs, annuals......

Killing weeds under the soil

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