Gardening tips needed - Weeds

[luke2177]

Hello all,

We have recently cleaned out a whole lot of weeds in part of our backyard, and although we know we may ultimately be fighting a losing battle, we'd prefer these weeds never come back! The area itself was originally just sand pretty much, before I decided to place matting and bark over the top (after removing the weeds) 3 or 4 years ago.

Despite our best efforts, over the years the weeds fought their way through the matting and actually became part of the matting itself. It got ugly.

So now we've cleaned it all up again - does anyone have any tips/suggestions from experience as to what keeps weeds away for good?

I've been told weeds are bound to come back within a few years even if we place plastic matting and pebbles/bark over the top - so I guess I was just hoping there'd be a way to keep the area "weed-free" forever.

Any advice from any aspiring Don Burke's out there would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks.

 

[mantis]

Don't put down plastic, it's very bad for the soil. To inhibit weeds growing, place thick layers of newspaper & then a good mulch on top of that, it helps limit the weeds & also improves the soil & encourages worms. Unfortunately, you can't be weed free unless you concrete your entire yard.

 

[gerta]

Do what my old man did one day when a spray drum fell off the back of the ute...

Pure roundup applied straight to the patch... trust me weeds will never grow there again... nothing else will either...


or you could try the lazy man's method... my personal choice.. get newspapers... lay them over the top of the weeds (make the newspapers as thick as u can) and then put some mulch over the top....

Bobs ur uncle...

 

[mantis]

Do what my old man did one day when a spray drum fell off the back of the ute...

Pure roundup applied straight to the patch... trust me weeds will never grow there again... nothing else will either...


or you could try the lazy man's method... my personal choice.. get newspapers... lay them over the top of the weeds (make the newspapers as thick as u can) and then put some mulch over the top....

Bobs ur uncle...

I beat you to it.

 

[gerta]

I beat you to it.

Yep u certainly did... although pure roundup works a treat

 

[TigerCraig]

concrete mate

 

[Harvey Leadpipe]

Move house.

 

[ssreid]

Just keep cutting the grass.

 

[jimmy35]

Don't put down plastic, it's very bad for the soil. To inhibit weeds growing, place thick layers of newspaper & then a good mulch on top of that, it helps limit the weeds & also improves the soil & encourages worms. Unfortunately, you can't be weed free unless you concrete your entire yard.

Mantis is spot on , there is no way to stop weeds rather try and manage them , never use plastic . naughty , naughty.

Pure roundup applied straight to the patch... trust me weeds will never grow there again... nothing else will either...

This is incorrect , Roundup acts on the foliage of plants , it is nullified on contact with the ground. There was a product that worked in this manner on the ground called Transarc (and probably others) but these are restricted agents nowdays.

 

[luke2177]

Thanks for the tips. Seems to be a strong sentiment against plastic - even plastic matting? I thought the whole purpose of plastic matting was to prevent weeds from coming up again!

So if we're trying to make an area look presentable (forgetting the weeds for a minute) - what is the best option? some type of bark, rocks (stones, pebbles etc), mulch?? The area would be about 8 or 9 metres long by 4 or 5 metres wide with a concrete path in the middle.

 

[jimmy35]

That depends on your taste really and also the theme of your garden and plants you have/want to put in.
I personally don't like pebbles but have areas at home where they suit or are needed. As a rule I like fine bark mulch , you need to top it up every year but it is good for your garden and soil.Don't skimp on it either , put it down at least 10 cm's thick.
Plastic is a non-no because it starves the soil of water and nutrients (and I classify air in that category) which are both vital for healthy soil.
Healthy soil = healthy garden.

 

[gerta]

Mantis is spot on , there is no way to stop weeds rather try and manage them , never use plastic . naughty , naughty.



This is incorrect , Roundup acts on the foliage of plants , it is nullified on contact with the ground. There was a product that worked in this manner on the ground called Transarc (and probably others) but these are restricted agents nowdays.

GOod work... Come to think of it it was in an orange and white drum so it would have been probably trifluran... not exactly sure on the spell on that one...

 

[VANDA]

Completely ignore the suggested quantities on the Roundup bottle.

Buy a weed sprayer & give it the full Agent Orange treatment.

 

[mantis]

Completely ignore the suggested quantities on the Roundup bottle.

Buy a weed sprayer & give it the full Agent Orange treatment.

Bad Vanda's, you shouldn't use lethal insecticides willy nilly, they can get washed off into our drains, plus affects wildlife, like lizards & birds.

 

[thewhippersnapper]

Bad Vanda's, you shouldn't use lethal insecticides willy nilly, they can get washed off into our drains, plus affects wildlife, like lizards & birds.

Who cares!

 

[YOTC]

Wow, lizards and birds, it's their fault for getting in the way.

 

[mantis]

Who cares!

People who aren't idiots & care about not polluting our world.

 

[thewhippersnapper]

Wow, lizards and birds, it's their fault for getting in the way.

 

[Van Der Zeevalk]

Just keep cutting the grass.

Yep. I'll agree with that.
As long as it's someone else's grass, of course

 

[mantis]

Yep. I'll agree with that.
As long as it's someone else's grass, of course

FFS sake get over your bullshyte, I doubt very much that any woman would want to bed you, you are so desperate for people to think you are a stud, you make up stories, you have admitted you are cold & emotionless, women hate your type, stop talking crap.

 

[jimmy35]

FFS sake get over your bullshyte, I doubt very much that any woman would want to bed you, you are so desperate for people to think you are a stud, you make up stories, you have admitted you are cold & emotionless, women hate your type, stop talking crap.

Don't know about cutting his grass mantis but you sure round-upped it.

 

[Zeke]

A lush, healthy lawn will will outperform most common weeds.

 

[gerta]

A lush, healthy lawn will will outperform most common weeds.

Unfortunately for that Zeke u need a fair bit of water... Something that Lukey in bendigo wouldn't have...

 

[Zeke]

Unfortunately for that Zeke u need a fair bit of water... Something that Lukey in bendigo wouldn't have...

Ah.

Move.

 

[luke2177]

Unfortunately for that Zeke u need a fair bit of water... Something that Lukey in bendigo wouldn't have...

Only with a hose between 7pm and 8pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays!