Eradication of Docks,Nettles and Brambles

Hocus Focus

Due to planning requirements, (don't ask:( ) , I have recently taken possesion of a strip of land bordering my garden. Because the farmer never cut silage right up to the boundary there is heavy weed infestation, principally Docks, nettles, brambles, and along the former boundary, ivy. I have strimmed all this back to ground level and have been researching selective weedkillers to deal with the problem and found that there are some pretty effective ones which seem to allow the ground to be used for food production after a specified withdrawal period, but these all seem to require the production of a herd/ flock number, or other qualification , for purchase. Of the ones accessible to the general public, I would like to know (a), which ones I can use on an area in which I intend to establish a vegetable plot and (b) which ones can I use that will allow me to safely use the grass cuttings in compost or mulch.

looksee

Now you have strimmed it back, any weedkillers that would work on the weeds you describe will not work. The only thing that will make an impression on nettles and brambles is something like Roundup (which you can buy in small quantities over the counter). However this needs to be applied during the growing season, onto vigorous growth or it will not work.

My suggestion would be, buy a mattock and dig up the bramble roots completely. Nettle roots come up quite easily and satisfactorily with miles of roots and are not a problem, but getting up the roots is vital. Don't be tempted to rotavate it, you will just spread bits of root around to create new plants. It sounds like a lot of work but grubbing the main roots out manually is way the best solution.

Then leave it till next late spring and take up (or weedkiller) the new stuff that will come up anyway. I would not be in too much of a rush to put in veg, maybe put in potatoes next season and it will be much more ready for veg the following season.

blackbox

SBK will kill all of those. But only when actively growing.

@Hocus Focus

@Hocus Focus I would cover the area with a tarp now. The vegetation will rot away leaving bare soil after a couple of months. Then I would dig out the roots when there is no frost or when the ground isn’t too wet. After that I’d add a layer of cow manure and cover again with the tarp (in February) The worms should incorporate it. As @looksee said the best thing to plant would be potatoes (April maybe). It will break up previously uncultivated soil. Personally I wouldn’t put weed killer anywhere near where I’d be growing veg.

On another note nettles are a great liquid feed for veg. Also great habitat for peacock butterfly caterpillars.

https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/maintain-the-garden/how-to-make-a-nettle-feed/

Hocus Focus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117960199#Comment_117960199

I suppose I should just concentrate on the area where I intend to move the polytunnel and veg plot to, and just try to level out any humps and hollows on the remaining area so that I can keep it under control with the ride-on. I already have a mattock. I can use this to take out the bigger bramble roots, but theres quite a lot of it there, as the area was completely neglected for many years . The other big problem is ivy along the line of the old fence and I need to get rid of this as it is close to buildings and seemed to spread like wildfire this year.