Wildflower patch v perennial weeds....

[mew]

My lottie sits on a piece of spare ground behind my mum and dads which was full of rubble, bricks, tarmac, clay, sand and a smidge of soil oh and lots and lots and lots of weeds as its been untouched for years save for 4 fruit trees my Dad had put in a few years ago.

Anyway, last year MOH and I dug out 4 raised beds and we spread (not the bricks and tarmac obviously) the contents thinly down the bottom end of the plot. We made an insectory at the bottom as we wanted to introduce as much wildlife as we could, so MOH spray a couple of packets of wilflower seeds in one part. They came up last year, some of which flowered but on inspection from being up there over the past couple of weeks the ground is covered in perennial weeds (which undoubtedly came through the thin raking of stuff from the dug out beds), so I really have my doubts as to whether they will come through.

The ground is too hard and there is far too much land to be able to dig up all the weeds by hand. I dont really want to use nasty chemicals but wondered if there was a way I could get rid of the weeds which isnt environmentally damaging so we can have another go at growing some wildflowers, hopefully with a bit more success as I will be able to keep a close eye on them and hopefully keep the perennial weeds down with regular weeding.

Many thanks

MEW xx

[Millymollymandy]

Your weeds are of course wild flowers! Do you know what they are? Some have beautiful flowers. I'd be happy to leave a patch wild containing half the weeds in my garden - and they'd be more beneficial to native insects than packets of seeds of 'wild' flowers.

Actually when I say 'happy to leave a patch etc', I do! They are all over the place.

[MrFalafel]

I control weeds with my flamethrower!



With repeated applications, the weeds give up and stop trying to push through.

Another way is to simply cover the area with opaque plastic sheeting or old carpet for a few months or an entire season which should kill off the weeds enough for you to give the wildflowers another try.

[mew]

Hi MMM, yeah I know they're all wildflowers, sadly the weeds I have arent of the variety you would wish really in your garden, albeit admittedly I have no idea what they are. I could post some pics perhaps.

Hi Mr Falafel, yep I think the old covering up for a season may be the way forward. I have loads and loads of cardboard which I could put down, its really thick stuff too and I could hold them in place with some old tyres.

Think I may try this and see how it goes

Many thanks

[kirkpatc]

It always seems that the weeds that you disregard immediately are the most flavorfull, or beneficial in other ways. It might be worthwhile to research what you do have. (that makes me the neighborhood looney gathering clover and dandelions out of the abandoned lot next door)
In fact that is how I found this forum, trying to research some plant's supposed properties.

Chuck

[hedgewitch]

Oooh yes post some piccies - more often than not you'll be surprised at just what exactly it is you have growing there.