Thank you everyone... I've never heard of Glyphosate, but it doesn't sound good. I'm not using any chemicals since it's my veggie garden.
I currently have a huge pile of blackberry vines (which are extremely invasive here and have been taking over the entire back line of my yard) which I'm going to burn in a couple weeks when they dry out and the temps cool down. I was told the heat from the burn pile should destroy the weeds, roots, & seeds plus add good nutrients into the soil.... So the plan is burn, cover with leaves, plastic, & hope for the best??
Are you in USA, Erin? "11 yards of fresh dirt" doesn't sound very English. I can't imagine how much that is, and you don't say how deep it was spread, or what was underneath it.
Though I understand you may not want to use any chemical controls at all in your garden, so as to be totally organic, Glyphosate is one of the safest weedkillers if you're desperate. WillDB is right - it moves through the plant to its roots and kills it from the roots up, taking a week or two before you see any results. No chemical residue remains in the soil to affect future crops. I don't like using chemical remedies but I do occasionally use glyphosate when there's no viable alternative.
Heat from a bonfire will destroy some of the "baddies" in your soil - though only under the fire itself - and will of course also destroy the "goodies", worms, micro-organisms etc. Wood ash adds potash to the soil which is good for flowering/fruiting plants.
I'm not sure of the value of spreading leaves over the area, or plastic except as a temporary measure. If your garden is really too big to keep the weeds down throughout the area, you could concentrate on controlling the weeds completely in a small part (digging out all the roots before you sow or plant anything), and either turn the rest into a lawn or cover it with old carpet (not pretty but effective). You can plant a lot of things through permeable "weed control fabric", or lay the fabric between rows of plants, to keep down weeds. But as Dove says, a good sharp hoe works wonders...
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Yes I am in the USA, Oregon to be exact. A small pickup holds one load, so it was 11 loads which ended up being 2 feet deep. There had been a make shift garden there before, it was overgrown too. I tilled up the old garden, then put the new dirt & compost on top. I was told the leaves would keep the weeds from growing. In the spring when I go to plant I'm suppose to just make pathways for my seeds in the leaves. The leaves should decompose adding nutrients to the soil and be a natural weed blocker. I guess the plastic is suppose to keep the leaves in place and help hoke out the weeds. This is all advise from a neighbor.
Hmmm. Unless American leaves are different from British ones, I think you'd need a pretty thick layer to smother weeds... and if you've got perennial weeds like dandelions or couch grass, they'll work their way through.
Black plastic would hold the leaves in place and help choke the weeds, as you say. You don't want it over too wide an area though. You need air and moisture in your soil or all the beneficial organisms will die, and it won't be very productive.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Ok thank you for the advise, I'm not sure what kind of grass it is.
I have a feeling they are the same here as there. I do have plenty of leaves in my yard from a flowering hazelnut(? which has huge leaves), a magnolia, and a walnut.
I suppose the idea of the leaves and plastic is similar to the way strawberry growers cover areas of bare ground between plants with heavy duty landscape fabric - keeps the plants clean and weed free. Have you got some photos of the site that you can put on here to give us an idea of the size of the plot, and the problem?
Erin, I think the main damage has been done when you rotivated unfortunately, but whatever the reason, you'll have to hand weed to get all the perennial weeds out if you don't want to use weedkiller. Once the ground's clear you can use a physical barrier between or around plants, but you really need to get the ground clear first to give your crops a good chance and to make it easier for you in the long run.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I have a little garden and like to do it with my 11 years old son and he like it. I think it's a good activity between us. I'm looking for a new garden tiller to replace my old one and found resource about tiller selection. Let see http://www.bestsellingreviews.com/Garden/Tiller/ to update what's popular tiller now.
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Thank you everyone... I've never heard of Glyphosate, but it doesn't sound good. I'm not using any chemicals since it's my veggie garden.
I currently have a huge pile of blackberry vines (which are extremely invasive here and have been taking over the entire back line of my yard) which I'm going to burn in a couple weeks when they dry out and the temps cool down. I was told the heat from the burn pile should destroy the weeds, roots, & seeds plus add good nutrients into the soil.... So the plan is burn, cover with leaves, plastic, & hope for the best??
Dove, you have a point...
Are you in USA, Erin? "11 yards of fresh dirt" doesn't sound very English. I can't imagine how much that is, and you don't say how deep it was spread, or what was underneath it.
Though I understand you may not want to use any chemical controls at all in your garden, so as to be totally organic, Glyphosate is one of the safest weedkillers if you're desperate. WillDB is right - it moves through the plant to its roots and kills it from the roots up, taking a week or two before you see any results. No chemical residue remains in the soil to affect future crops. I don't like using chemical remedies but I do occasionally use glyphosate when there's no viable alternative.
Heat from a bonfire will destroy some of the "baddies" in your soil - though only under the fire itself - and will of course also destroy the "goodies", worms, micro-organisms etc. Wood ash adds potash to the soil which is good for flowering/fruiting plants.
I'm not sure of the value of spreading leaves over the area, or plastic except as a temporary measure. If your garden is really too big to keep the weeds down throughout the area, you could concentrate on controlling the weeds completely in a small part (digging out all the roots before you sow or plant anything), and either turn the rest into a lawn or cover it with old carpet (not pretty but effective). You can plant a lot of things through permeable "weed control fabric", or lay the fabric between rows of plants, to keep down weeds. But as Dove says, a good sharp hoe works wonders...
Yes I am in the USA, Oregon to be exact. A small pickup holds one load, so it was 11 loads which ended up being 2 feet deep. There had been a make shift garden there before, it was overgrown too. I tilled up the old garden, then put the new dirt & compost on top. I was told the leaves would keep the weeds from growing. In the spring when I go to plant I'm suppose to just make pathways for my seeds in the leaves. The leaves should decompose adding nutrients to the soil and be a natural weed blocker. I guess the plastic is suppose to keep the leaves in place and help hoke out the weeds. This is all advise from a neighbor.
Hmmm. Unless American leaves are different from British ones, I think you'd need a pretty thick layer to smother weeds... and if you've got perennial weeds like dandelions or couch grass, they'll work their way through.
Black plastic would hold the leaves in place and help choke the weeds, as you say. You don't want it over too wide an area though. You need air and moisture in your soil or all the beneficial organisms will die, and it won't be very productive.
Ok thank you for the advise, I'm not sure what kind of grass it is.
I have a feeling they are the same here as there. I do have plenty of leaves in my yard from a flowering hazelnut(? which has huge leaves), a magnolia, and a walnut.
Almost want to give up on the whole thing.
I suppose the idea of the leaves and plastic is similar to the way strawberry growers cover areas of bare ground between plants with heavy duty landscape fabric - keeps the plants clean and weed free. Have you got some photos of the site that you can put on here to give us an idea of the size of the plot, and the problem?
Erin, I think the main damage has been done when you rotivated unfortunately, but whatever the reason, you'll have to hand weed to get all the perennial weeds out if you don't want to use weedkiller. Once the ground's clear you can use a physical barrier between or around plants, but you really need to get the ground clear first to give your crops a good chance and to make it easier for you in the long run.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Look up No Dig Gardening.
I have a little garden and like to do it with my 11 years old son and he like it. I think it's a good activity between us. I'm looking for a new garden tiller to replace my old one and found resource about tiller selection. Let see http://www.bestsellingreviews.com/Garden/Tiller/ to update what's popular tiller now.