New member - and invasive plants

Hi there

I'm relatively new to gardening on a scale bigger than some pots and window boxes. I have a bigish garden (120ft long approx), with a heavy clay base that is either waterlogged or baked like a brick. It's north facing, but is sufficiently long that most of it is in full sun. I'm not far from typical Yorkshire moorland and so get quite a lot of cold winds, although we have high beech hedges to half the garden so that helps shelter some of it.

I'm struggling with some inherited plants that I want to get under control though - the previous occupants planted big section of carex pendula, crocosmia and loosestrife that are taking over the whole garden. Getting rid of them is awful - any top tips? Short of resorting to agent orange?
Regards
Returnmack

 

Hi returnmack and welcome.

Crocosmia is a problem that I am still trying to deal with myself, it is a very difficult plant to get rid of. The corms go very deep and so it is very hard to dig out, and then you have the problem of getting rid of them once you have. I am just getting to the stage of resorting to glyphosate, but it won't be easy as the crocosmia are amongst the roots of large shrubs etc.

Loosestrife is a bit easier, I just kept digging it out as it appeared until it eventually gave up.

Good luck with it all

 

Hi returnmack and welcome. I hope you get your garden sorted out, it sounds like a major job, good luck!

 

Welcome to g c returnmack.

 

Hi and welcome from me too.

It will be a rare event that I give out gardening advice but hope to see you on some of the topics now and then. Enjoy :D

 

I would get a rotorvator and get everything out and start again. Incorporate soil and compost so it's a fresh start for new plants. It's hard work, I know, but worth it in the end and I would do a bit every weekend or so.
Pick an area of a size manageable and do a days worth until cleared.
Then I would cover the area with a dark cover to keep weeds from appearing, rest until the following weekend and so on. It's easier said than done, I know, nevertheless, that's what I would do. Good luck. Fonz.

 

to G C returnmack I am a newbie myself and the people on this site have been a great help to me it has so much information

 

Hi Returnmack
If it were me I would get the glyphosate out after I had removed any seedheads that might find their way into the ground to self seed. Apart from that I would leave as much plant as possible (an expert told me that plant to root ratio is very important to improve the effectiveness of weedkiller). Spray on a non windy day with no rain forecast (a problem this year!!) Then leave to take its effect. I don't like to use weedkiller but I think this might be the only option (you have a big area). If you do use a rotivator, I would definitely try to get as much of the crocosmia corms as possible before you start.

 

Hi there Returnmack and a very warm welcome to G.C from lovely Lancashire :D :D