Weeds

I have recently moved into my house and I have a real problem with weeds of the rather large variety (and there's alot of them!) from brambles to stinging nettles. I need sone advise on how to get rid of them bearing in mind i have two jack russel dogs so it needs to be safe for them.

 

you need to cut back the top growth of brambles with loppers/machete/garden shears, and bin it, dig out the roots, brambles are quite easy to dig out, best to wear thornproof gloves and safety glasses as they can whip about, dependant on scale, you could use a machete or just slice at the roots with a sharp spade.
Nettles are a sign of fertile soil, and the plants should be composted [if you are going this route], to my way of thinking weedkiller is only to be used as a final control methodto kill off re growth which you feel cannot cope with.
If you start by spraying weedkiller on and kill your weeds , you still have to remove them and you will find that they will start up again.
Most brushwood weedkillers have clear instructions, just keep dogs out for a week or so or until rain has washed everything in to soil.

[ 03. April 2006, 07:27 PM: Message edited by: Lady Gardener ]

 

completely agree with TLG - get stout gloves, hack brambles back, chop into small bits to pout in bags to take to tip, then dig out the roots - deep!! As for nettles - their roots spread a lot too - very yellow and fibrous - dig it ALL out, and compost it if you can - otherwise - local tip, for green waste. No need for weedkiller of any sort, IMO - and I've done it a lot! And borne the scars! You can use a strimmer to bring doen the level of the nettles before digging them out, but that doesn't work with nettles. A machete, or just secateurs and loppers will do far better. Have fun!! :D