Weeds. No idea what I’m doing. Please help!

[Goingthroughit88]

Hello! My garden has become over run with weeds, it’s so bad. I think I need a weed killer I have tried pulling them all up but physically I can’t do anymore. Could anyone tell me a safe weed killer to use with dogs? I also have loads of nettles which I need to get rid of, would the weed killer help with those? Complete beginner. No idea. Thanks so much in advance xx

If you can possibly avoid weed killer, please do. It’s so bad for your garden and the wildlife that live in it.

What kind of weeds are they? Can you upload a picture?

This is the most over grown bit (I am embarrassed)

What’s meant to be where the weeds are? Should it be lawn or flower bed?
You need a plan of what to do with the space once the weeds are gone. If you don’t fill it with something then more weeds will just grow again.

For a lawn, I'd buy a good strimmer to get at the biggest bits then go over it with a lawnmower. I mostly leave the weeds in my lawn but dig out big stinging nettles.

For a flower bed I'd do the strimming part too but cover it with weed membrane for the rest of the year afterwards. In about March/April I'd uncover it then top with some cardboard and cover the cardboard with lots of compost for planting. If planting larger plants or trees you could always cut through the cardboard and dig a hole where you need to but I'd keep as much cardboard as possible over the rest of the bed so there's more time for the weeds to die off.

Easier than a strimmer would be to grab the plants you dont want at the base, and prise them out using a root digger tool. It is easiest when the soil is wet, and easier when the plants are large, rather than when they are small seedlings, because you can see what you are digging out and get the whole thing out.

it honestly doesnt look impossible. Bin the weeds afterwards, i assume you dont have a compost heap that gets very hot, and some weeds need to be binned. that area looks like it would take up to an hour, put some cardboard layers down afterwards, weighed down.

use the rains, if any, for such jobs. Definitely possible without weedkiller, which will leave the spot yellow for months on end and won’t help long term. Weedkiller only if you have japanese knotweed or horsetail really. Harmful to animals and people.

Sorry, just read that you physically cant do it anymore. Which is fair enough.

please be careful with strimmers because hedgehogs, slowworms, sometimes birds and doormice sleep there and are badly injured by strinmers, especially at this time of year.

remember that it wont hurt if it isnt all done, and we are still in No Mow May which gives you good reason for a wildlife garden, should you need one.

the pesticides could hurt your dogs so also not good.

Get gardening gloves and pull the nettles out, they're normally quite easy. Strim what is really long ( or get some loppers and do it by hand) and then mow. Keep on top of the mowing and the weeds will be controlled because they won't get to the stage of seeding everywhere.

Sorry probably should of said I’m physically struggling because I’m 34 weeks pregnant with twins 😂 I’ve had a good go at it this afternoon with your suggestions while it was cool and I’ve already made a dent I suppose. I think my mower is broken it’s took all the grass and left me with mud 😂

If you read about the mon——santo court cases and the evidence gathered that was ignored and supressed, it makes you wary of using chemicals in your garden. With babies, young kids and dogs, it should be a chemical free garden because the potential side effects are huge, and chemicals linger in the soil longer than the manufacturers claim.

if the soil is too dry, cut any seedheads off and bin them ( so they don’t reproduce), then, strange as it sounds, water the weed roots, till the soil is flooded and puddled. An hour later, letting the water trickle
down, you can, with a long weeding tool, ease them out without problems. Even hawksweed, thistles, nettles. You might also find something you want to keep because it is pretty.

the weeding tools i have are very slim and blunt, like letter openers, but 10 inches long and one inch wide. I have one by gardena. A trowel would be too wide and makes it harder to focus the push and reach down to the root. And thick gloves for nettles. You have to get the interlocking roots out, so pull hard once you find a root. If you can leave a few in an unloved corner that would help ladybirds, and butterflies. You will be paid back in aphid control in years to come. Gardening is a long game.

Ah bless you, getting so far with twins!! Congrats though as they'll be here soon!

For nettles and thistles, I strimmer-ed them close to the ground, then I've been using this weed puller up thing. It takes zero effort and has been amazing. I think you could man age pregnant, best done the day after rain. I'm really glad I bought it.

I take Monty Don's advice to weed a small square well then stop for the day rather than go at it all at once. I did my totally neglected garden when I moved in like this, it took ages but they haven't come back 20 years later.