Help with persistent weeds

[xyz321]

hi

in our driveway we have mostly paved area. However there are three corners where therre is some gardening space. I have tried to put some bulbs in one of the areas and its not too bad.

Other two ares have lot of weed that keeps coming back. i tried using weedkiller and glyphosate but weeds came back after few months. Areas aer relatively small , one is 1 m by 1m and other is 3 m by 2 m.

Weeds can easily be pulled by hand so dont seem to go in very deep! Will try to post a pic later.

Question i want to ask what can i do to get the soil back to semi decent shape so i can plant something?

I was thinking of removing first few inches of soil and replacing with compost/top soil.

1) how deep do i need to dig? hopefully its not so deep such that the paving around these areas is not affected for short time between me removing soil and replacing it!

2) do i fill it with compost or top soil?

ta

 

[Deleted2797112]

If weeds grow there is nothing wrong with the soil. If they're easily pulled they're probably just annual weeds that you've allowed to seed. Just keep pulling them or hoe the soil while the weeds are still small. Plant whatever it is that you want to put in, the more of the soil you cover with plants, the less weeds you will have. Or if you can't be bothered pulling weeds and hoeing, plant through weed membrane and put a mulch of gravel, bark or whatever you prefer on top.

 

[r896neo]

As ceres says there are pernenial weeds such as dandelions docks etc. pulling these without removing the root will just let them re-grow a few weeks later.

Perenials need to be dug out by the roots and will be hard to pull without really loosening the soil. Annuals much easier to pull.

Annuals arrive on the wind or bird droppings etc and will be easy to pull.

Having pulled them did the same weed come back?

If so and round-up didn't kill them it then it may be that it is a difficult invasive weed.

Perhaps marestail or ground elder?

If your not keen on weeding then ceres advice about the membrane is good

 

[xyz321]

Thanks. All weeds look the same but I can remember some weeds are same ones which I pulled.

If membrane us put then I can't grow anything else as well right?

 

[Deleted2797112]

Thanks. All weeds look the same but I can remember some weeds are same ones which I pulled.

If membrane us put then I can't grow anything else as well right?

No. Spread the membrane over the soil, cut holes in the membrane where you want to plant, make a hole in the soil, put your plant in, backfill the soil, repeat for as many plants as you want and when everything is planted, spread gravel or bark or whatever over the membrane.

 

[xyz321]

Thanks. All weeds look the same but I can remember some weeds are same ones which I pulled.

If membrane us put then I can't grow anything else as well right?

No. Spread the membrane over the soil, cut holes in the membrane where you want to plant, make a hole in the soil, put your plant in, backfill the soil, repeat for as many plants as you want and when everything is planted, spread gravel or bark or whatever over the membrane.

Thanks. How deep should i put the membrane or is it almost on the surface only covered by bark/gravel?

 

[Deleted2797112]

It sits right on the surface of the soil and then you cover it up with whatever mulch - gravel, bark, etc you prefer. The way it works is by stopping light (it's dense black material) getting to anything underneath it and no light means no growth. It's permeable so rain and water can get through it to the roots of the plants that you do want to grow.

 

[r896neo]

If you could post a photo just to check its not a difficult weed like those i mentioned.

 

[xyz321]

thanks. will take a photo tonight and try to post later today or tomorrow morning. ta

 

[xyz321]

Here are 4 photos.
thanks
View media item 67134
View media item 67135
View media item 67136
View media item 67137

 

[Deleted2797112]

There's nothing I can see in there that would worry me. You've just got a healthy crop of annuals. The reason they keep coming back is because you're allowing them to flower and set seed, the seeds drop onto the soil and produce the next generation. Pull them out, put down your weed membrane, plant through it and mulch. If you get any weeds poking up around the edges of the membrane or in the mulch, pull them when they're small - don't allow them to flower.

 

[JohnD]

Or use Pathclear, which is a weedkiller that leaves a residue on the top of the soil to prevent seeds germinating. If you break this layer up by scratching, hoeing or digging, they will grow again. Youi can apply it to the soil around e.g. roses or shrubs, as long as you do not put it on the leaves of those plants they will not be damaged. It does not poison the soil itself, just the top film.


Without weedkiller, pulling weeds up disturbs the soil and encourages more weeds to grow. If you hoe, you must do it at least once a week, then you will keep killing the weeds before they can set seed or grow leaves to build up the roots, so they will eventually go. More weed seeds will constantly blow around so you need to keep them down.

 

[munchingB]

dig all those weeds out, pull all the rubbish out the soil and plant something with foliage so leaves will cover the soil and stop vandals from seeding.