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Weed ident & remival from raised bed

mike bathomike batho Posts: 10
in Problem solving
Hi. I was hopung to add images but can't see how. We're moving into a new flat and it has a large raised bed which is ours to plant up. We've been told the previous tenant had real trouble with a partucular weed that they couldn't shift. Here is where the pics would have helped! The bed is currently carpeted with a layer of very thick but low growing weeds. I'm wondering if there is a weedkiller we can use to blitz the whole thing before we start planting, that won't then kill the plants we put there, or if we'd be better digging out the entire growing layer, replacing the compost and starting from scratch? Thanks.
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  • darren636darren636 Posts: 666
    Hand weed, it'll take a few hours but is worth it and you'll get to see whats in your patch.

    If not, get a glyphosate based weed killer.

    The weed youre having trouble with is probably ground elder or bindweed, both reproduce from bits of root left in the soil.
  • mike bathomike batho Posts: 10
    Yeah, that's why I thought we could just dig out the whole top layer and all the roots. We're very unexperienced gardeners lol. Thanks image
  • Steve 309Steve 309 Posts: 2,753

    Or horsetail, if you're really unlucky! 

    To share photos, click on the tree at the right above the box where you type.  Doesn't work on 'phones, I'm told.  They'd be really useful.

  • darren636darren636 Posts: 666
    Modern weedkillers can be sprayed or painted on to a whole plant or just individual leafs.

    So you could weed the bed and then attack any weeds in future as they arrise.
  • mike bathomike batho Posts: 10
    I'm on Android and can't see a tree to click on. I'll have a go when I get to my computer later, thanks folks
  • Alan Clark2 in LiverpoolAlan Clark2 in Liverpool Posts: 2,190

    If it is not too big then one solution would be to cover it with old carpet or something similar, to exclude all light. The most noxious weed will eventually die without light for photosynthesis.

  • mike bathomike batho Posts: 10
    It's probably around 8ft by 4ft, and really how long will it take for lack of light to kill the weeds? We're just moving in and don't really want to look at an old carpet for long image x
  • Steve 309Steve 309 Posts: 2,753

    A year or so I should think - unless it's horsetail!

    Black membrane that you can plant through, maybe?

  • mike bathomike batho Posts: 10

    image

     

    image

     

  • mike bathomike batho Posts: 10

    So I got home and was able to upload the pics.

    I mean, I have no issue with hand weeding them out, but if the earth is now full of seeds and root systems that will cause regrowth, is it not a realistic option to dig out & discard the top layer? :-/

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