Weed infested flower bed

[Eurosceptic]

Weed it then stick in some spuds !

Great idea.

 

[robinbanks]

I’ll admit I never inherited my old man’s green fingers

I don't think it's something you inherit, per se.. Perhaps your life is too busy to take the time out for gardening, and also you don't have much passion for it. If you want the look you could hire a gardener? Or even see if you can pay a neighbour or friend whose garden you admire, to tend this bit too?

Keeping control of nature is a continuous process, and you might not ultimately see the value in spending the time doing it yourself but if it does have some worth to you, paying someone to do it is reasonable .. So what's it worth? 20 quid for an hour a week, half the year? Would you pay 500 quid a year to have it looking as you want? In those terms it might sound expensive; only you can know if that will be worth it to you, or what you value your time at doing some other thing you do enjoy in order to pay for it

 

[Eurosceptic]

I don't think it's something you inherit, per se.. Perhaps your life is too busy to take the time out for gardening, and also you don't have much passion for it. If you want the look you could hire a gardener? Or even see if you can pay a neighbour or friend whose garden you admire, to tend this bit too?

Keeping control of nature is a continuous process, and you might not ultimately see the value in spending the time doing it yourself but if it does have some worth to you, paying someone to do it is reasonable .. So what's it worth? 20 quid for an hour a week, half the year? Would you pay 500 quid a year to have it looking as you want? In those terms it might sound expensive; only you can know if that will be worth it to you, or what you value your time at doing some other thing you do enjoy in order to pay for it

V good advice. Like the “look” so could use a gardener. (Two members of family use one, and their gardens always look great) Thanks

 

[StephenStephen]

Thanks all. Nothing growing there now, but had various bedding plants there until last year. I (think) I gave up as they were supposed to be hardy annuals but not the case.

Hardy annuals are called annuals because they're likely to only live for 1 year.

 

[JohnD]

Heavy mulch.

Do you have a lawn?

 

[Odds]

Heavy mulch.

Do you have a lawn?

How heavy?

 

[Odds]

I don't think it's something you inherit, per se.. Perhaps your life is too busy to take the time out for gardening, and also you don't have much passion for it. If you want the look you could hire a gardener? Or even see if you can pay a neighbour or friend whose garden you admire, to tend this bit too?

Keeping control of nature is a continuous process, and you might not ultimately see the value in spending the time doing it yourself but if it does have some worth to you, paying someone to do it is reasonable .. So what's it worth? 20 quid for an hour a week, half the year? Would you pay 500 quid a year to have it looking as you want? In those terms it might sound expensive; only you can know if that will be worth it to you, or what you value your time at doing some other thing you do enjoy in order to pay for it

t'big 'ouse at top o' lane pays £150 p/w to keep their garden tidy...considering their Baronial pile must be worth up to half a mil' it's cheap at t'price.

 

[robinbanks]

Gosh.. I'd hope that my place was worth half a mil and I struggle with the idea of paying a gardener a one off of 150 quid, never mind 8 grand a year!

 

[Eurosceptic]

Heavy mulch.

Do you have a lawn?

Yep

 

[pete01]

It doesn't need to be done weekly, I have a gardener he does my weeding every 3 weeks 5 hours 80 quid.

 

[Scally-Ho]

Sod gardening for a pastime; I invested a fortune in many tons of sandstone and paved the frikkin lot from boundary to boundary and house to the gated compound where my large workshop sits.

 

[JohnD]

You can mulch it with organic matter. On a sunny day, hoe it once and rake off the weeds, let the sun kill remaining disturbed seedlings, apply a good layer which will cut off the light, and will dry out enough that new weed seedlings will not thrive. Any strong perennial weeds that come through you can spot treat with glyphosate or other weedkiller. There should not be many.

As you have a lawn, you can use grass cuttings that have been left in the sun to dry, then raked off or collected in the mower box. It needs to be 100mm-150mm thick as it will contain weed seeds. If you have used a lawn weedkiller, do not use the first two mowings until they have been composted.

Or you can use autumn leaves or garden compost. Unless you have a large garden and two good compost heaps, you will get the most bulk from grass cuttings and autumn leaves, depending on time of year. If you are able to mix and compost them first, they will rot down better, be more nutritious, and weeds and seeds will mostly be killed. If you have no compost heap you can pack leaves lightly into plastic sacks and store them, upside down to keep rain out, to rot.

I formerly used horse muck, on wood shavings bedding which does not smell unpleasant and is easier to spread than straw bedding. You may find a local stable that you can dig it out from into your own sacks. Dig out may be free. Ready bagged is usually much more expensive. It will include a useful supply of baler twine.

You will need to mulch about twice a year. The organic matter will rot down and the worms will kindly draw it into the ground for you, you don't need to dig it in.

It is very easy to pull out any odd weeds that germinate, the material is too loose for them to anchor into the soil unless you let them grow.

Any of these can be drawn right up to the stems of roses and other shrubs, except uncomposted green grass cuttings or wet strawy horse manure, which can be hot or acidic until they dry out in the sun.

 

[Eurosceptic]

You can mulch it with organic matter. On a sunny day, hoe it once and rake off the weeds, let the sun kill remaining disturbed seedlings, apply a good layer which will cut off the light, and will dry out enough that new weed seedlings will not thrive. Any strong perennial weeds that come through you can spot treat with glyphosate or other weedkiller. There should not be many.

As you have a lawn, you can use grass cuttings that have been left in the sun to dry, then raked off or collected in the mower box. It needs to be 100mm-150mm thick as it will contain weed seeds. If you have used a lawn weedkiller, do not use the first two mowings until they have been composted.

Or you can use autumn leaves or garden compost. Unless you have a large garden and two good compost heaps, you will get the most bulk from grass cuttings and autumn leaves, depending on time of year. If you are able to mix and compost them first, they will rot down better, be more nutritious, and weeds and seeds will mostly be killed. If you have no compost heap you can pack leaves lightly into plastic sacks and store them, upside down to keep rain out, to rot.

I formerly used horse muck, on wood shavings bedding which does not smell unpleasant and is easier to spread than straw bedding. You may find a local stable that you can dig it out from into your own sacks. Dig out may be free. Ready bagged is usually much more expensive. It will include a useful supply of baler twine.

You will need to mulch about twice a year. The organic matter will rot down and the worms will kindly draw it into the ground for you, you don't need to dig it in.

It is very easy to pull out any odd weeds that germinate, the material is too loose for them to anchor into the soil unless you let them grow.

Any of these can be drawn right up to the stems of roses and other shrubs, except uncomposted green grass cuttings or wet strawy horse manure, which can be hot or acidic until they dry out in the sun.

Many thanks. Have tried compost and horse manure without much success. No compost heap unfortunately.

Have just cut front and back lawns, but doubt whether enough for a 4-6” covering?

 

[JohnD]

Have just cut front and back lawns, but doubt whether enough for a 4-6” covering?

Do a section, of a few square yards if necessary, with what you have. The thick covering will mat down after rain, this will make it harder for birds to throw it about. Spread thinly, over a larger area, it would not prevent weed growth. It has to be thick enough to prevent light getting to the soil, and for the top to dry out in sun so seeds can't grow. A strong plant like a peony or a gladiolus will push through.

If you have anything awkward to weed, that you don't want to damage with a hoe, weed round it once, them mulch heavily, to save effort later.

If you are rich, you can buy bark chippings or something.

I have a shredder, and use the output from that from pruning. It is better balanced if you fork brown waste over with green to mix it. I do use shredded wood, but this starves your crops of nitrogen. Horse bedding is soaked in dried urine, so Is OK.

 

[Eurosceptic]

Do a section, of a few square yards if necessary, with what you have. The thick covering will mat down after rain, this will make it harder for birds to throw it about. Spread thinly, over a larger area, it would not prevent weed growth. It has to be thick enough to prevent light getting to the soil, and for the top to dry out in sun so seeds can't grow. A strong plant like a peony or a gladiolus will push through.

If you have anything awkward to weed, that you don't want to damage with a hoe, weed round it once, them mulch heavily, to save effort later.

If you are rich, you can buy bark chippings or something.

I have a shredder, and use the output from that from pruning. It is better balanced if you fork brown waste over with green to mix it. I do use shredded wood, but this starves your crops of nitrogen. Horse bedding is soaked in dried urine, so Is OK.

Many thanks once more,