Question
I don't know if this is something you do so forgive me if I picked the wrong expert but here抯 the situation. A couple of years ago my husband and I bought our first home, which happens to have rock-edged planting areas bordering the yard. The man who owned the house before us for several years told us that he hadn抰 cared for them but the elderly couple before him had lots of flowers etc growing there.
For the past couple of years we抳e watched as the area comes up mostly weeds, ferns and ivy with the occasional flower breaking through. This year I cleared a small area for a garden and that has gone well but I am intimidated by how to get a clean slate with the rest since I see weeds with roots so big I can抰 pull them up. There are also yard lights that no longer work and a gas line for a grill and just so much to consider.
What do I need to do? Clear things and put down weed-killer? Mulch? No-grow sheeting? And when do I do it? Is there anything I can do this fall or should I wait 憈il next spring? I hate to see the weeds and wasted space but just don抰 know how to tackle things as a fairly newbie gardener.
Thanks for your help
- Kristen


Answer
Hi Kristen- One method of removing vegetation is through chemical application.  The most popular is "Roudup" (other similar brands are available at the "Big Box" hardware stores).  Their website is http://www.roundup.com/

A word of caution - if the roots you spoke of are actually TREE roots, then you may damage these trees with this chemical approach...but if you have a hidden gas or electric line, a mechanical solution is not advised.

The chemical will *kill* any plant it is applied to, so use with caution.  It dissipates after a few weeks, so you can then garden over the treated area in a few short weeks.  (See the back banel of the product for warnings).

The advantage is it is immediate.  Other methods (like plastic barriers and such) take more time to work, but are more "environmentally friendly", especially if this area is going to be used for a vegetable garden that you get to eat from!

Hope it helps ~Marc