Please help...made a mistake

[dobby101]

Hi please can someone help me. I am trying to sort out my garden by hand. Basically it needs levelling. I began by digging it with a fork and turning the soil over...I didn't realise you are meant to remove the weeds and grass first. Ooops...my question is as I have dug the garden already what should I do?

I was thinking...,most probably am wrong again but would it be ok to try to level it as much as I can and getting rid of green stuff I see poking though and then either trying to kill the weeds via some kind of spray....or by putting some kind of plastic down and doing it that way? (I have no idea what I am doing) What do you guys think would be the best option in this situation? And cheapest too? I am on a budget and can't really afford much.

I would be ever so greatful if someone could reply to me. Many thanks

 

[Andyc84]

I fully turned my garden as well last year, but i did this intentionally to save as much soil as I could as I am going to level the ground and in doing so, will have to import some top soil.

I used a rotorvator to fully break down all the manure I'd chucked on top, this was covered with tarps to stop weed growth, I returned the soil this spring and it was fairly weed free, any weeds there were dug out. I have since left it uncovered and used a weed spray to sterilize the soil by killing off anything that is currently growing.

Having left the old lawn in the mix, when I have come back to it, there is very little of this left, but I did turn it last summer, so it's been undercover for a good half year and killed off for 3-4 months.

As i said I am then going to import some top soil and turf after this. but this will be over a years worth of work, so it does depend on your timescales.

 

[dobby101]

Thank you for the reply...I was looking for a kinda quick fix option....but even the sprays to kill off weeds are saying 1-2 months. What about levelling it...even partially would that not be a good idea? Sorry I am thick I don't know anything about gardening.

 

[Andyc84]

I am just a DIYer and provide my advice from my own experiences so don't have all the answers, however, I see no harm in levelling it and picking out some of the green. at least you'll be a step closer to your finished goal, you will also then only have to treat the stuff that grows from your finished level.

If you kill it all off and then level, you may well turn up new weeds which will grown having been "leveled" to the top surface.

There are many more knowledge-able people on here who will reply in the next day or two who will know what to do, main thing is, there is rarely an easy fix for any solution!!! if there was then we'd all know about it surely?

 

[dobby101]

Thanks Andy, I was hoping someone would say that it can be leveled. I will try and get the big stones....and all the green bits out as much as I can. Then should I use that plastic covering to kill the weeds or some spray? Thanks so much your advice is really appreciated.

 

[Andyc84]

I have been assuimg you are going to replant and turf your garden at the end of leveling...

If this is correct then, my experience of sheeting is that it stops weeds growing and does kill off some plants, but as soon as you lift it to replant, your weeds will be back.

I have been using roundup weedkiller from B&Q (maybe not the best but it works for me) and so far it has killed everything off within a week or so of spraying, some weeds faster than others. it has also killed off the grasses that have grown back.

As i said before I think removing the worst of it while levelling would be a good start, advice I have seen before as well is to remove stones above about 20mm, below this, they will be ok in the soil under turf, obviusly flower beds may be a different matter, but these can be picked off the top when they surface if you want.

 

[WalksWithTurkeys]

I think you have two problems. Firstly if you level now, as the turf rots, you may see dips appear. Secondly you will have turned over weed roots, so weeds will grow back. I would leave it (you can't really seed now anyway), and when weeds grow back, glyphosate (cheap on ebay). Sowing in late september is a good time. I found more weeds appeared in spring.

 

[stephanovich]

Just my two pennies worth of advice...

When digging over a surface with grass and weeds...dig over and remove the clods of grass/turf as you go,shaking the earth off and throwing the grass/turf/weeds to one side...with the weeds you need to dig down 18 inches or so and remove as much of the roots as you can...(some roots can go down a long way but take out what you can)...then leave the area to settle for a couple of weeks and turn the earth again going through the same process of removing roots that you see...you ought to be left with a reasonably weed free area...any that do show through after a time will be young and can be pulled out or treated with a weedkiller...if you`ve got a decent turf on the surface this will keep weeds coming through to a minimum...it`s always worked for me...good luck.

 

[Deleted2797112]

.....and used a weed spray to sterilize the soil by killing off anything that is currently growing.

'Weed sprays' don't sterilise anything.

 

[JohnD]

Whenever you dig, you will disturb weed seeds. Rake and level it, after a couple of weeks a lot if them will have sprouted, so spray to kill them. They will be small and weak. After a couple of weeks, if there were sturdy roots of established weeds that come through again, use glyphosate on them. You will probable have to rake and level again as it will settle. Apart from things like Pathclear, modern weedkillers are not persistent and will not damage the lawn seed or turf you put down later.

Sprays do not take months to work, they take days. A fast-acting spray like weedol will kill seedlings fastest. Strong established plants needing glyphosate may need a couple of weeks. Roundup is just a trade name for an expensive version of glyphosate.

Once you have grassed it, the lawnmower will cut off most weeds and the grass will compete with them. Apart from specialist lawn weeds, not many plants can survive being repeatedly cut down to less than two inches, which your mower will do.

 

[Andyc84]

.....and used a weed spray to sterilize the soil by killing off anything that is currently growing.

'Weed sprays' don't sterilise anything.

ceres, you are absolutely correct, I was mostly referring to killing off weeds. wrong choice of word I guess, but the idea is still there, I realise this is not the same as sterilizing soil in a greenhouse for instance.

 

[munchingB]

if it was only your intention to level the garden then first focus on that.

any weed growth can be controlled with a selective systemic lawn weedkiller like resolve or verdone which will only attack the weeds and not the lawn grasses.

do not use roundup or glyphosate as it will kill everything that you spray it on and there really is no need to kil absolutely everything is yo have some grass already.

 

[JohnD]

although you can use glyphosate to kill weeds up to and including the day you put seed or turf down, as long as it has dried first.

you should not use a selective lawn weedkiller until after the lawn has established, which will take some months.

 

[dobby101]

Thanks everyone, your advice is really appreciated