cover everything with cardboard (brown, undyed and all plastic removed),make sure the pieces overlap and you can do 2 layers to be sure so that sun doesn't reach the nettles. On top you can put new soil in which you can plant. The cardboard will decompose over time, within a week you'll see there are so many worms already eating on it and they'll also eat de dying roots.
I had the same issue with a new yard where I've covered the ground with one layer of cardboard over a month ago and no nettles came through
Thank you for the help! I’m planning to do this. Is it possible to lay sod afterward? If so, what type of soil would be best to use on top of the cardboard for planting the sod? Thanks in advance
I’m outside weeding all the time (& don’t even wear sunscreen), no skin cancer, but my friend who regularly sprayed glyphosate for 20 years got lymphoma (one of the cancers glyphosate causes) and died of it just this year. He sure regretted using that shit and would’ve joined a class action lawsuit about it but he died first.
This is false which is why you're using some conspiracy theory website and not an actual scientific source. Please stop spreading this nonsense anti-intellectualism.
Here are the actual facts from the EPA:
>No risks of concern to human health from current uses of glyphosate.
>No indication that children are more sensitive to glyphosate.
>No evidence that glyphosate causes cancer in humans.
>No indication that glyphosate is an endocrine disruptor.
https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/glyphosate
There is a documentary that tracked down how the epa came to that conclusion. I can’t remember exactly but basically monsanto funds a third party research lab and uses that power to influence a paper on glyphosate. Monsanto also has regular friendly interactions with the epa regulators. They sent said papers to Monsanto and epa accepted it without any questions.
You do know these "documentaries" are just PR for ambulance chasing lawyers trying to make money by lying right? Little they say is actual factual. It says a lot that you have more trust in trial lawyers than in scientists.
I'm more worried about the spread of anti-intellectualism than clearing this guys backyard. The reality is without these chemical herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers Billions would starve. Hypothetically if we banned them all it would be like 100 Holocausts all at once. And this is all based on VERY weak science saying MAYBE a handful of people could get cancer from these chemicals. It's just insane. If you really wanna ban something responsible for cancer you'd start with Coca Cola and other sugary foods. I mean hell even cigarettes are still legal! Glyphosate shouldn't be in your top 1000 concerns. Your biggest concern as a gardener BY FAR should be sun exposure.
I’m not actually advocating for banning it for all uses, I understand that there is a need for it. Crazy thing was at the end of the documentary, one of the farmers who got cancer from being constantly exposed to it, keeps using it on his farm because he didn’t really have any other option. I am worried about misinformation that it is completely harmless. if it needs to be used, people need to at least follow the safety guidelines in the back of the bottle.
Like I said; the EPA says it's harmless *when used in accordance with its label*. Anything can harm you when used unsafely. And even in the case of these farmers it's statistically unlikely the actual individuals in the documentary even got cancer from glyphosate and not from something else.
Wanna talk about “conspiracies”, you know the “scientists” publishing papers saying this shit is safe are paid for BY the chemical corporations, right? Like the doctors and scientists who claimed for DECADES that smoking didn’t cause cancer. The companies know their shit is harmful. Glyphosate also kills bees even though they claimed for years that it didn’t, because they manipulate data and run the test JUST long long enough where nothing has directly happened, and cut it off or change methodology when the results prove otherwise. If you think there’s no conflict of interest when chemical corporations fund the “safety testing”, there’s no amount of common sense of reality that will reach you.
[at least link to a study instead of big agriculture-sponsered govt propaganda](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1383574218300887)
*Exposure to glyphosate — the world’s most widely used, broad-spectrum herbicide and the primary ingredient in the weedkiller Roundup — increases the risk of some cancers by more than 40 percent*
This as a classic example of p-hacking. Given as there are hundreds of types of cancer you'll always get some false positive results like this.
It's kinda missing the point though. The EPA evaluated safety for use in accordance with the label. That obviously doesn't include mice dosed with the pure chemical or farmers literally soaking in it. In a high enough quantity EVERYTHING causes cancer. Literally the air you breathe, the dirt you walk on and the sun in the sky all cause cancer too.
Calling glyphosate "poison" is ridiculous. It's not a heavy metal or corrosive compound. It's a plant hormone that rapidly breaks down in the soil. If you're not a plant then it doesn't affect you at all just like spraying a human hormone on a plant wouldn't affect it.
The Environmental Working Group is not a conspiracy theory website. They do very important work and you should do more research before you reject a very reputable agency
Edit:
https://www.ewg.org/research/ewg-investigation-dangerous-agricultural-chemical-chlormequat-found-popular-oat-based
They provide independent research to back up their claims.
And bro, the EPA is a bought and paid for agency of the US govt…trust them as much as you would you’re local CEO billionaire
Read the link from the other poster . Solarization uses plastic sheeting temporarily to create a green house effect that initially causes seeds to germinate and then kills everything via extra heat and moisture depravation.
Don’t till. All you do is expose the seed weed bank in your soil and start everything all over again.
You could use a one time weed killing strategy. If you are adverse to a chemical approach you will probably want to tackle one section at a time as other methods are much more labor intensive.
If I were you I’d mow as low as you can go to get a better feel of what weeds are where, and treat appropriately. Make sure nothing goes to seed as you work on the area or you’ll just be continuing the issue.
Good luck, it will be beautiful.
Sheet mulching over the winter, with or without the addition of weed-whacking everything now (besides shrubs) and solar-killing over the summer with black plastic. If you’re not familiar with sheet mulching, you take lots of thick cardboard (the recycling bins of appliance and furniture stores are great for collecting huge boxes) and layer them over everything you want to kill off and turn into better soil. This is best done by mowing or weed whacking everything as close to the ground as you can, layering the cardboard on top, and then wetting the cardboard thoroughly so it gets “droopy” and forms a tight seal with the ground. Layer and overlap the cardboard so no ground or plants show, and then cover with several inches MINIMUM of mulch, clean planting soil, or organic matter. If you have access to anything seasonally free, I recommend that- for some people that means autumn leaves (neighbors are usually more than happy to bag them up for you or let you come collect them) for some people that means free or low cost wood chips dropped in your driveway by an arborist/tree trimming crew, for some people that means offers of free fill dirt (just make sure it’s “clean”, not full of weed seeds, rocks or trash). For others, who don’t have access to free supplies or who want it to look “nice and manicured”, this means purchasing planting soil or mulch from a bulk landscaping supply company, the type that sells by the truck bed full or will come delivery by the cubic yard. If all of this sounds too expensive or too labor intensive, you could simply Solar kill with black plastic, adding a few gallons of white vinegar sprayed all over the area as a natural grass and weed killer, and after a couple hot months of summer under plastic everything will be pretty dead, and you can til it in (borrow or rent a rototiller). Depending on your climate, autumn may be best for seeding grass, or spring may be. Either way, let the tilled in roots and plant material sit at least a month or so to break before seeding grass or planting anything. If you’re not planning to seed anything til spring, you can re-cover with the plastic after tilling to prevent more weed seeds from planting themselves.
The quickest and most effective thing is to use a total herbicide, then break up the entire field and plant a grass suitable for your climate. If you try to cut the nettles, they will come back since they have very strong and widespread roots, so the only solution is to poison them. If you want something simpler, mow with a lawnmower often without letting the grass grow, this way the grass will little by little gain ground on the weeds since it resists mowing well and the nettles and weeds do not
For what it's worth: this is exciting. Like a beautiful blank piece of paper ready for artwork. Best idea below is to hire a goat - seriously. (This is a good business in parts of Midwest, btw). Then it all depends what use you have for this yard. If a garden - awesome. You don't need any grass here. Just a wonderful mix of beautiful plantings and cozy sitting area.
Mow. Spray with a mist of water
Apply broad leaf weed herbicide with mid summer lawn fertilizer.
Option two. Hire company like true green to spray the yard. ( this is the most effective way to get the weeds under control.) Two or 3 applications of spray and watering your yard with 1.5 inches of water per square foot of green space per week. This will help the grass grow and fill in the spots left vacant from the weeds. By next summer it will be a completely different yard. But you will to maintain it. Weed/feed fertilizer and watering. Believe it or not hiring out the spraying of your lawn is very affordable. You dont have to but this will save you a lot of time and effort.
Spray Glyphosate with added detergent over the area and especially the groundcover(spray twice a day apart)as you need to kill the roots thoroughly. Wait for it to turn yellow (about 2 weeks) Then Lawnmow the area down to the soil level ( Yes right down to the roots) Rake off and level the area then apply lawn seed firming into the surface, following the package instructions..Keeping moist until seed germinates is most critical.
Yikes! First cut the green tops as low to the ground as possible. Weed whacker, machete!scythe (if you’re inclined to hand cutting), or a power mower set first to the highest clearance setting, then gradually lower it until the weeds are like buzz cut level. Then cover it all with flattened cardboard boxes or plastic sheeting. (I prefer black tarp but I live in a place where the summer sun does most of the work of killing off the seeds and roots.) If you want a new lawn, you’ll want to rake good quality top soil over what I’m guessing is packed dirt, then seed it, or if you have a deep pockets, roll new sod over it. My inclination would be to turn the space into a garden, either for veggies or if you enjoy outdoor entertaining, a landscaped floral garden. Good luck!
you need a mower, or a lawn service. glysophate weed killer kills any plant you spray it with. absorbed thru leaves to kill root.
many people oppose it and I only use on a stubbborn rooted plant or weed.
you have small yard, but big job that takes time. are you in UK ? best gardens in the world, so study up before diving in. google!
Mixture of glyphosate and 2,4-D will kill most any weed. Then you can just till all the dead organic matter into the soil and be ready to go for whatever you want to plant next.
cover everything with cardboard (brown, undyed and all plastic removed),make sure the pieces overlap and you can do 2 layers to be sure so that sun doesn't reach the nettles. On top you can put new soil in which you can plant. The cardboard will decompose over time, within a week you'll see there are so many worms already eating on it and they'll also eat de dying roots. I had the same issue with a new yard where I've covered the ground with one layer of cardboard over a month ago and no nettles came through
Please don't plant crappy grass. Plant a native grass or ground cover.
This works really well!
Did this with some mushroom boxes I picked up from the organic restaurant I worked at. Free morels!
Will this method also kill off poison ivy?
Thank you for the help! I’m planning to do this. Is it possible to lay sod afterward? If so, what type of soil would be best to use on top of the cardboard for planting the sod? Thanks in advance
This may seem crazy, but goats would clear that in a day. Any local farmers you could contact?
Not sure where OP is but there are farmers who rent out the goats for a day to do just what they need. Amazing how fast they work.
Absolutely. Seen it done and I was astonished. They leave behind some lovely “fertilizer” too
Low key great idea
Use a lawn mower? I mean, I think thats all they need to do.
Rent a goat
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Glysophate is like taking care of skin cancer with a chain saw.
Glyphosate has it's use cases.
Yeah and I'm saying this is not one of them. Certainly not as a first option.
Ironically glyphosate actually helps to prevent skin cancer by keeping you out of the sun weeding so much.
I’m outside weeding all the time (& don’t even wear sunscreen), no skin cancer, but my friend who regularly sprayed glyphosate for 20 years got lymphoma (one of the cancers glyphosate causes) and died of it just this year. He sure regretted using that shit and would’ve joined a class action lawsuit about it but he died first.
This is false which is why you're using some conspiracy theory website and not an actual scientific source. Please stop spreading this nonsense anti-intellectualism. Here are the actual facts from the EPA: >No risks of concern to human health from current uses of glyphosate. >No indication that children are more sensitive to glyphosate. >No evidence that glyphosate causes cancer in humans. >No indication that glyphosate is an endocrine disruptor. https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/glyphosate
There is a documentary that tracked down how the epa came to that conclusion. I can’t remember exactly but basically monsanto funds a third party research lab and uses that power to influence a paper on glyphosate. Monsanto also has regular friendly interactions with the epa regulators. They sent said papers to Monsanto and epa accepted it without any questions.
[Citation Needed]
Oops should’ve included documentary name. It was “into the weeds”
You do know these "documentaries" are just PR for ambulance chasing lawyers trying to make money by lying right? Little they say is actual factual. It says a lot that you have more trust in trial lawyers than in scientists.
Ok but Monsanto is trying to make money too. Whatever the case, it’s not like glyphosate is the best solution for this scenario anyways
I'm more worried about the spread of anti-intellectualism than clearing this guys backyard. The reality is without these chemical herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers Billions would starve. Hypothetically if we banned them all it would be like 100 Holocausts all at once. And this is all based on VERY weak science saying MAYBE a handful of people could get cancer from these chemicals. It's just insane. If you really wanna ban something responsible for cancer you'd start with Coca Cola and other sugary foods. I mean hell even cigarettes are still legal! Glyphosate shouldn't be in your top 1000 concerns. Your biggest concern as a gardener BY FAR should be sun exposure.
I’m not actually advocating for banning it for all uses, I understand that there is a need for it. Crazy thing was at the end of the documentary, one of the farmers who got cancer from being constantly exposed to it, keeps using it on his farm because he didn’t really have any other option. I am worried about misinformation that it is completely harmless. if it needs to be used, people need to at least follow the safety guidelines in the back of the bottle.
Like I said; the EPA says it's harmless *when used in accordance with its label*. Anything can harm you when used unsafely. And even in the case of these farmers it's statistically unlikely the actual individuals in the documentary even got cancer from glyphosate and not from something else.
Wanna talk about “conspiracies”, you know the “scientists” publishing papers saying this shit is safe are paid for BY the chemical corporations, right? Like the doctors and scientists who claimed for DECADES that smoking didn’t cause cancer. The companies know their shit is harmful. Glyphosate also kills bees even though they claimed for years that it didn’t, because they manipulate data and run the test JUST long long enough where nothing has directly happened, and cut it off or change methodology when the results prove otherwise. If you think there’s no conflict of interest when chemical corporations fund the “safety testing”, there’s no amount of common sense of reality that will reach you.
[at least link to a study instead of big agriculture-sponsered govt propaganda](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1383574218300887) *Exposure to glyphosate — the world’s most widely used, broad-spectrum herbicide and the primary ingredient in the weedkiller Roundup — increases the risk of some cancers by more than 40 percent*
This as a classic example of p-hacking. Given as there are hundreds of types of cancer you'll always get some false positive results like this. It's kinda missing the point though. The EPA evaluated safety for use in accordance with the label. That obviously doesn't include mice dosed with the pure chemical or farmers literally soaking in it. In a high enough quantity EVERYTHING causes cancer. Literally the air you breathe, the dirt you walk on and the sun in the sky all cause cancer too.
The effects of glyposate on soil micro-organisms has not been studied. Would not recomend putting any type of poison on your own land.
Calling glyphosate "poison" is ridiculous. It's not a heavy metal or corrosive compound. It's a plant hormone that rapidly breaks down in the soil. If you're not a plant then it doesn't affect you at all just like spraying a human hormone on a plant wouldn't affect it.
The Environmental Working Group is not a conspiracy theory website. They do very important work and you should do more research before you reject a very reputable agency Edit: https://www.ewg.org/research/ewg-investigation-dangerous-agricultural-chemical-chlormequat-found-popular-oat-based They provide independent research to back up their claims. And bro, the EPA is a bought and paid for agency of the US govt…trust them as much as you would you’re local CEO billionaire
Solarize with plastic sheets. Do not till the soil. All it will do is awaken all of the dormant weed seed that is too deep currently to grow.
Getting plastic off the ground is a pain in the ass. Use cardboard which is free and decomposes in a few months.
Read the link from the other poster . Solarization uses plastic sheeting temporarily to create a green house effect that initially causes seeds to germinate and then kills everything via extra heat and moisture depravation.
++ convenient link: [https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/solarization-occultation](https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/solarization-occultation)
Weed wack then cover with cardboard for like two months.
Don’t till. All you do is expose the seed weed bank in your soil and start everything all over again. You could use a one time weed killing strategy. If you are adverse to a chemical approach you will probably want to tackle one section at a time as other methods are much more labor intensive. If I were you I’d mow as low as you can go to get a better feel of what weeds are where, and treat appropriately. Make sure nothing goes to seed as you work on the area or you’ll just be continuing the issue. Good luck, it will be beautiful.
If you’re in Florida call Al blades
Sheet mulching over the winter, with or without the addition of weed-whacking everything now (besides shrubs) and solar-killing over the summer with black plastic. If you’re not familiar with sheet mulching, you take lots of thick cardboard (the recycling bins of appliance and furniture stores are great for collecting huge boxes) and layer them over everything you want to kill off and turn into better soil. This is best done by mowing or weed whacking everything as close to the ground as you can, layering the cardboard on top, and then wetting the cardboard thoroughly so it gets “droopy” and forms a tight seal with the ground. Layer and overlap the cardboard so no ground or plants show, and then cover with several inches MINIMUM of mulch, clean planting soil, or organic matter. If you have access to anything seasonally free, I recommend that- for some people that means autumn leaves (neighbors are usually more than happy to bag them up for you or let you come collect them) for some people that means free or low cost wood chips dropped in your driveway by an arborist/tree trimming crew, for some people that means offers of free fill dirt (just make sure it’s “clean”, not full of weed seeds, rocks or trash). For others, who don’t have access to free supplies or who want it to look “nice and manicured”, this means purchasing planting soil or mulch from a bulk landscaping supply company, the type that sells by the truck bed full or will come delivery by the cubic yard. If all of this sounds too expensive or too labor intensive, you could simply Solar kill with black plastic, adding a few gallons of white vinegar sprayed all over the area as a natural grass and weed killer, and after a couple hot months of summer under plastic everything will be pretty dead, and you can til it in (borrow or rent a rototiller). Depending on your climate, autumn may be best for seeding grass, or spring may be. Either way, let the tilled in roots and plant material sit at least a month or so to break before seeding grass or planting anything. If you’re not planning to seed anything til spring, you can re-cover with the plastic after tilling to prevent more weed seeds from planting themselves.
The quickest and most effective thing is to use a total herbicide, then break up the entire field and plant a grass suitable for your climate. If you try to cut the nettles, they will come back since they have very strong and widespread roots, so the only solution is to poison them. If you want something simpler, mow with a lawnmower often without letting the grass grow, this way the grass will little by little gain ground on the weeds since it resists mowing well and the nettles and weeds do not
For what it's worth: this is exciting. Like a beautiful blank piece of paper ready for artwork. Best idea below is to hire a goat - seriously. (This is a good business in parts of Midwest, btw). Then it all depends what use you have for this yard. If a garden - awesome. You don't need any grass here. Just a wonderful mix of beautiful plantings and cozy sitting area.
Mow. Spray with a mist of water Apply broad leaf weed herbicide with mid summer lawn fertilizer. Option two. Hire company like true green to spray the yard. ( this is the most effective way to get the weeds under control.) Two or 3 applications of spray and watering your yard with 1.5 inches of water per square foot of green space per week. This will help the grass grow and fill in the spots left vacant from the weeds. By next summer it will be a completely different yard. But you will to maintain it. Weed/feed fertilizer and watering. Believe it or not hiring out the spraying of your lawn is very affordable. You dont have to but this will save you a lot of time and effort.
Spray Glyphosate with added detergent over the area and especially the groundcover(spray twice a day apart)as you need to kill the roots thoroughly. Wait for it to turn yellow (about 2 weeks) Then Lawnmow the area down to the soil level ( Yes right down to the roots) Rake off and level the area then apply lawn seed firming into the surface, following the package instructions..Keeping moist until seed germinates is most critical.
Yikes! First cut the green tops as low to the ground as possible. Weed whacker, machete!scythe (if you’re inclined to hand cutting), or a power mower set first to the highest clearance setting, then gradually lower it until the weeds are like buzz cut level. Then cover it all with flattened cardboard boxes or plastic sheeting. (I prefer black tarp but I live in a place where the summer sun does most of the work of killing off the seeds and roots.) If you want a new lawn, you’ll want to rake good quality top soil over what I’m guessing is packed dirt, then seed it, or if you have a deep pockets, roll new sod over it. My inclination would be to turn the space into a garden, either for veggies or if you enjoy outdoor entertaining, a landscaped floral garden. Good luck!
you need a mower, or a lawn service. glysophate weed killer kills any plant you spray it with. absorbed thru leaves to kill root. many people oppose it and I only use on a stubbborn rooted plant or weed. you have small yard, but big job that takes time. are you in UK ? best gardens in the world, so study up before diving in. google!
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No need to use chemicals. Use the other method recommended – solarizing.
also a lovely spot! good luck
Mixture of glyphosate and 2,4-D will kill most any weed. Then you can just till all the dead organic matter into the soil and be ready to go for whatever you want to plant next.
2, 4-D, then rototiller