Re: new garden site

On Mon 12 Apr, Wade & Michelle Peterson wrote:
> Hello everyone,
> 
> We bought some land and I am planning on planting a huge garden.  My
> problem is that this land hasn't had anything done with it in over 10
> years.  It is overgrown with weeds.  What is the best way to clear this
> land so that I don't get so many weeds?  How do I start?  I do know that
> it is clay, so I need to amend that, but anything else?
> 
> Michelle Peterson
> WI
> wdpmap@lse.fullfeed.com
>

Here is my 'faq' 


Five methods to clear your land
 1) cover everything over with a light
excluder e.g.old carpet, black plastic, newspaper and
manure/compost/straw on top, and leave for 6 months or more
2) Dig it all out a bit at a time and keep on at it
3) Use glyphosphate spray(e.g.Roundup,Tumbleweed), a bit expensive but
sure fire if carefully done, it kills all the roots of perennials and
you can start to dig/plant relatively soon. Yes, it clears bindweed.
4) sodium chlorate, then wait 6 months+
5) Get a rotavator and go over it regularly for a season. This is the
best way for soil condition as it incorporates the plant material as
humus and will also get rid of some annual seeds.

Note that 1-4 will not remove the seeds of annuals. Only persistence
with cultivation will eventually win here.

-- 

Allan Day  Hereford  allan@crwys.demon.co.uk
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