An old polytunnel and weeds
Discussion
Oh no it's him again....
As part of the house we've bought there's a 12m x 4m polytunnel.
I'm clearing the national weed collection from the raised beds (except in general there's only about 3" soil in them and the largest docks and smallest carrots and strawberries I've ever seen).
Around the perimeter there's alsorts of stuff, fern, bracken, strawberries, slugs, a slow worm etc. It's coming into the tunnel from the outside where everything is overgrown.
I want to kill off the weeds outside and inside. I know glyphosate is now supposedly safe but being cautious, is there anything else?
Thinking rock salt spread which will soon be available in the garden/builders merchants again spread around the outside or should I just go for glyphosate. Could either damage the polythene.
As far as the beds themselves, thinking there's bound to be loads of seed from the weed, so thinking a good watering to spark growth then a second weeding?
Any other ideas on offer?
Thanks
As part of the house we've bought there's a 12m x 4m polytunnel.
I'm clearing the national weed collection from the raised beds (except in general there's only about 3" soil in them and the largest docks and smallest carrots and strawberries I've ever seen).
Around the perimeter there's alsorts of stuff, fern, bracken, strawberries, slugs, a slow worm etc. It's coming into the tunnel from the outside where everything is overgrown.
I want to kill off the weeds outside and inside. I know glyphosate is now supposedly safe but being cautious, is there anything else?
Thinking rock salt spread which will soon be available in the garden/builders merchants again spread around the outside or should I just go for glyphosate. Could either damage the polythene.
As far as the beds themselves, thinking there's bound to be loads of seed from the weed, so thinking a good watering to spark growth then a second weeding?
Any other ideas on offer?
Thanks
Glyphosate always has been 'safe'. It's just the quinoa-eating liberals with no science who get afraid of anything technical.
Glyphosate breaks down on contact with the soil and disappears, allowing plants to regrow. Salt will poison the soil (make it saline) and unlike glyphosate hasn't been tested/approved as a pesticide. Either way plastic will not be affected. Take yer pick!
Repeat doses of glyphosate every 4-6 weeks is the best answer short of weeding by hand.
Glyphosate breaks down on contact with the soil and disappears, allowing plants to regrow. Salt will poison the soil (make it saline) and unlike glyphosate hasn't been tested/approved as a pesticide. Either way plastic will not be affected. Take yer pick!
Repeat doses of glyphosate every 4-6 weeks is the best answer short of weeding by hand.
Simpo Two said:
Glyphosate always has been 'safe'. It's just the quinoa-eating liberals with no science who get afraid of anything technical.
Glyphosate breaks down on contact with the soil and disappears, allowing plants to regrow. Salt will poison the soil (make it saline) and unlike glyphosate hasn't been tested/approved as a pesticide. Either way plastic will not be affected. Take yer pick!
Repeat doses of glyphosate every 4-6 weeks is the best answer short of weeding by hand.
Exactly this. There is also the benefit of having no choice - it's glyphosate or nothing these days! Glyphosate breaks down on contact with the soil and disappears, allowing plants to regrow. Salt will poison the soil (make it saline) and unlike glyphosate hasn't been tested/approved as a pesticide. Either way plastic will not be affected. Take yer pick!
Repeat doses of glyphosate every 4-6 weeks is the best answer short of weeding by hand.
Andehh said:
Exactly this. There is also the benefit of having no choice - it's glyphosate or nothing these days!
I've seen Ammonium Sulphamate suggested as a long term path/drive weedkiller, you cannot buy it as a weedkiller, but you can as a fire retardent...If you want to kill growth then be able to grow things do you want later then glyphosate is the thing.
Mobile Chicane said:
Having inherited a seriously weed strewn vegetable garden I can say from first hand experience that there will be so much weed seed in the soil that the only sane option is to have the topsoil dug out and replaced.
Really? That must have been pretty bad. Could you not just keep spraying until nothing weedy was coming up? 
Simpo Two said:
You can, but there will still be seeds blown in or dropped by birds.
Yes, but that's true of all gardens all the time isn't it? Topsoil is such an important bit of a garden that I'm surprised anyone would go to the work and expense of ditching it unless it was otherwise of poor quality. CharlesdeGaulle said:
Simpo Two said:
You can, but there will still be seeds blown in or dropped by birds.
Yes, but that's true of all gardens all the time isn't it? Topsoil is such an important bit of a garden that I'm surprised anyone would go to the work and expense of ditching it unless it was otherwise of poor quality. Charles, you certainly strike a chord with me. Recently built a new house on a hilly piece of land. Spent about £4,500 on having good soil taken from site in order to level. Wife is now buying top soil from our local garden centre by the bag! I suspect we are buying our own soil back! Plus, having removed most of the good soil we are now faced with mostly clay.
Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff