Overgrown garden advice

pegdrums

Glass fused light wrote: »

Yes I know, but the OP could put it on the list for the post winter cut.

What now the hooded cape or the scythe?

pegdrums

La.m wrote: »

OP I'd give serious thought to getting a gardener in just to clear it as opposed to buying equipments that you'll (hopefully) not need again. I spent €200 when I moved into my house to get a gardener to clear the entire thing (and it was seriously overgrown) and it was the best €200 I ever spent. Took him 1 1/2 days, he took all the rubbish away and gave me advise about the plants he unearthed. We even found a paved garden path that you couldn't even see due to it being so overgrown.

I have thought about it but i would take great pride in doing it myself.
As regards the tools I'd see myself using the hand tools plenty in the future....Loppers, secateurs, pick etc. Perhaps not so much the slash hook. I'll need a hedge trimmer at some stage but perhaps not a bad ass petrol one.

It's easy to say all that now though isn't it!

Glass fused light

pegdrums wrote: »

I have thought about it but i would take great pride in doing it myself.
As regards the tools I'd see myself using the hand tools plenty in the future....Loppers, secateurs, pick etc. Perhaps not so much the slash hook. I'll need a hedge trimmer at some stage but perhaps not a bad ass petrol one.

It's easy to say all that now though isn't it!

Right then, very first thing you need to do is buy a measure tape.

Measure the wall and floor space of that block shed
subtract
* the walkway up the middle,
* the house DIY tool space,
* the you are not keeping that in the house space
Once done you should be half way to figuring the garden tools.



PS keep a spot down the back for the it was too cheap to leave behind

miezekatze

That doesn't look too bad actually! I would put it all into fairly sturdy bags once done and then bring to a recycling centre. If it's not too much you could stick it in the brown bin.

gozunda

pegdrums wrote: »

What now the hooded cape or the scythe?

Don't forget the couple of goats ...

Glass fused light

gozunda wrote: »

Don't forget the couple of goats ...

Ahem .... Errr.. Pigs (and a tooth pull)?

gozunda

Glass fused light wrote: »

Ahem .... Errr.. Pigs (and a tooth pull)?

Now you've lost me ...

Glass fused light

gozunda wrote: »

Now you've lost me ...

Totally off topic

looksee

That thing on the right looks like a very overgrown clematis montana? Does it have prickles (Montana doesn't)? This information is not a lot of help as they are still a nightmare to get out once they are out of hand. That's probably why the previous people moved...

peasant

Slash hook, welding gloves and safety boots is all it takes from experience.

The slash hook really is the only tool that delivers satisfying results with brambles (dead and green). Hedgecutters, strimmers (even with blade) or chainsaws don't work. The brambles are too elastic (and tough at the same time).

The hook for slashing and pulling, the gloves for gathering everything together and the boots for trampling it into a compact bundle that can easily be removed.

Oh and do get the secateurs as well..perfect for cutting that one string of bramble your slash hook just can't quite get to.

Finish it all off with a robust lawnmower.

gozunda

peasant wrote: »

Slash hook, welding gloves and safety boots is all it takes from experience.

The slash hook really is the only tool that delivers satisfying results with brambles (dead and green). Hedgecutters, strimmers (even with blade) or chainsaws don't work. The brambles are too elastic (and tough at the same time).

The hook for slashing and pulling, the gloves for gathering everything together and the boots for trampling it into a compact bundle that can easily be removed.

Oh and do get the secateurs as well..perfect for cutting that one string of bramble your slash hook just can't quite get to.

Finish it all off with a robust lawnmower.

^^^ This ...

peasant

peasant wrote: »

Slash hook, welding gloves and safety boots is all it takes from experience.

The slash hook really is the only tool that delivers satisfying results with brambles (dead and green). Hedgecutters, strimmers (even with blade) or chainsaws don't work. The brambles are too elastic (and tough at the same time).

The hook for slashing and pulling, the gloves for gathering everything together and the boots for trampling it into a compact bundle that can easily be removed.

Oh and do get the secateurs as well..perfect for cutting that one string of bramble your slash hook just can't quite get to.

Finish it all off with a robust lawnmower.

Really long brambles are hard to pile up though. Ive had plenty of success with a hedge cutter. I know a slash hook will work. But with the hedge cutter taking 6 inches off the face each time leaves you with v debris that is easily raked up into a pile.

Maybe it's because I use a still hedge cutter (long reach) and the cheap ones are no good

Lumen

Deleted User wrote: »

Maybe it's because I use a still hedge cutter (long reach) and the cheap ones are no good

Maybe. Mine is electric and whilst it's fine for actual hedge trimming, it is easily defeated by clearance work.

Graces7

CJhaughey wrote: »

Be wary of small pieces of blackberry, they will start to root and regrow if not removed from the ground, I would be inclined to stack it to dry and burn as much of it as you can to prevent regrowth.
If you have good neighbours a hot fire won't release much smoke, just don't overload it with green material or it will produce a lot of smoke.

You beat me to this. Brambles and nettles are very successful at growing.
I cleared a small patch to plant and am pulling out long strings of woody blackberry root and nettle roots as in several feet long, Take care by the way as the nettle roots sting mightily .

So cutting down is only the first part,

I am lucky in that I have access to an old disused field but yes they wlill regrow

magicbastarder

depending on the sort of garden(ing) you want, you could just stack all the mulched material in a corner and let it rot down.
i'm lucky enough to have a big enough garden that we have one corner i just dump hedge cuttings on. evey few years i dig out all the stuff that's composted down and spread it elsewhere in the garden. the frogs like the big pile of hedge cuttings.

pegdrums

Again many thanks for all the advice and enthusiasm!!

I very nearly picked the 4 in 1 multi tool that they have in Aldi at the moment but composed myself and left it their! 150 lids was a bit much considering you'd get a better machine second hand in decent nick for that.


I think I'll pick up a slash hook, gloves and maybe a machete. Who hasn't wanted to buy a machete at some stage?Brute force and new house excitement should tide me through.

That shed will probably need rebuilding so best save the yo-yos for that.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1g4LHrbIWMm3_8K_KVFYStxyV0Ww-AAUi
https://drive.google.com/open?id=15Ac3H13mq1zFzq9zNkCv729fGKh2pDvo

gozunda

pegdrums wrote: »

Again many thanks for all the advice and enthusiasm!!

I very nearly picked the 4 in 1 multi tool that they have in Aldi at the moment but composed myself and left it their! 150 lids was a bit much considering you'd get a better machine second hand in decent nick for that.


I think I'll pick up a slash hook, gloves and maybe a machete. Who hasn't wanted to buy a machete at some stage?Brute force and new house excitement should tide me through.

That shed will probably need rebuilding so best save the yo-yos for that.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1g4LHrbIWMm3_8K_KVFYStxyV0Ww-AAUi
https://drive.google.com/open?id=15Ac3H13mq1zFzq9zNkCv729fGKh2pDvo

Great stuff - sounds like you're sorted. Photos of the progress please

A2LUE42

Is weedkiller an option? Spray using a pumped sprayer, leave for a week, cut back what you can reach, dispose of waste, rince and repeat. You would be amazed how fast you progress and you are killing the roots as you go. I echo everyone who suggested good gloves. I have cleared much worse on the past year. Once you start toake progress it will fly. Just get started before other crap starts growing up through it and blocks your view of the bases.