Think I would try the vinegar, but also add some washing up liquid to the solution to penetrate any surface tension.
I WANT to try the vinegar 'cos I've already bought about 15x bottles! But I'm also tempted to try the Rosate 360 that pete 8 suggested. Vinegar=£4 v. Rosate 360= £50? That's the trouble, I'm chomping at the bit and want to chuck everything at it. And, AND now we've got flippin' rain nearly every day which means I realistically, can't do either!
Unfortunately, the Rosate 360 (Glyphosate 360) is intended for professional use by someone with a spraying licence. The higher price will be because of the volume - again, because it's intended for commercial application.
Sadly, there is no quick fix. I say this as someone who has inherited a patch of weed-infested land. Even if you clear the top growth and roots of the existing plants with weed killer the weed burden (amount of seed in the ground) could lead to years of work. The example given by @Pete.8 is the method I would adopt.
Perhaps also consider how does you son want to use the garden? Growing (ground level borders or raised beds), having an area of lawn, a patio, shed/outbuildings? That way weed control can be focused on key areas?
Glyphosate will work in winter (if there are enough leaves to coat with spray) but you have to be patient, it will work even slower than usual. It's more like poisoning with polonium than arsenic.
Please don't bother with vinegar, utter waste of time.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
@pickle61 didn't say how long it's been since he/she applied the weedkiller. If it was less than a couple of weeks ago, the effect might not be showing yet.
Here's another thought. If it rained fairly soon after the weedkiller
was applied, it could have been washed off before it got to work.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
The problem is most weed killers will not kill the seed, especially deep down in the soil.
The membrane method doesn't use chemicals. If the whole area can be covered with this to exclude light and it is possible to put down some paving stones leaving areas for drainage and planting that could be the way forward.
The membrane can either be planted through and gravel added or cut out as the family are able to deal with it. . Some of the big companies such as Eon have 'community days'. Lots of businesses now do this kind of thing.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
I'm not a fan of glyphosate but it is less harmful - a lot less harmful - to soil organisms than vinegar which will kill absolutely every living creature in range. It will only take the top growth off and, my experience with docks, that will make zero difference to the plant - they'll be back in a matter of weeks at most.
If you want to plant it, you need to follow Pete's advice. If you want it to be quick and low maintenance you need to sheet mulch it and consider some sort of permeable paved finish with pots or raised beds
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Glyphosphate will take them but as others have said it is not a fast acting weedkiller and in temperatures under 16 it can be very slow indeed, Applied now I would not expect to see any change for 3-4 weeks then the plants will start to turn yellow.
If you want to kill them with black plastic it takes about 18 months to kill docks that way.
When I cleared my area I used it first in early April, then again toward the end of April and again in mid May. The main reason was to kill the ivy that was everywhere. But the 6 week process also had the benefit of allowing any dormant seeds to germinate and I got them with the subsequent spraying. By the end of May everything was dead - it was quite upsetting and looked a bit post-apocalyptic, but I wanted a proper greenhouse and fruit/veg beds and I've still got a w/l area with pond and log pile.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Posts
Sadly, there is no quick fix. I say this as someone who has inherited a patch of weed-infested land. Even if you clear the top growth and roots of the existing plants with weed killer the weed burden (amount of seed in the ground) could lead to years of work. The example given by @Pete.8 is the method I would adopt.
Perhaps also consider how does you son want to use the garden? Growing (ground level borders or raised beds), having an area of lawn, a patio, shed/outbuildings? That way weed control can be focused on key areas?
Please don't bother with vinegar, utter waste of time.
The membrane method doesn't use chemicals. If the whole area can be covered with this to exclude light and it is possible to put down some paving stones leaving areas for drainage and planting that could be the way forward.
The membrane can either be planted through and gravel added or cut out as the family are able to deal with it.
.
Some of the big companies such as Eon have 'community days'. Lots of businesses now do this kind of thing.
If you want to plant it, you need to follow Pete's advice. If you want it to be quick and low maintenance you need to sheet mulch it and consider some sort of permeable paved finish with pots or raised beds
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Do not use Vinegar, it will kill any beneficial creatures in the soil, and will not kill the weeds.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
The main reason was to kill the ivy that was everywhere.
But the 6 week process also had the benefit of allowing any dormant seeds to germinate and I got them with the subsequent spraying.
By the end of May everything was dead - it was quite upsetting and looked a bit post-apocalyptic, but I wanted a proper greenhouse and fruit/veg beds and I've still got a w/l area with pond and log pile.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."