How to remove overgrown weeds?

aimeet

Hi all,

I recently moved into a property which had the garden well kept. Unfortunately it has since got terribly overgrown with weeds, I've tried hand pulling but I can't physically do it and they are coming back worse.

I'm wondering what tools would be best? I was going to get a whipper snipper to initially cut them down but I am new to gardening and don't want to make it worse.

It's now coming up through the pavers and starting to crack.

Any advice would be great!

EricL

Hello @aimeet

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your garden.

I propose a two-step approach, I recommend leaving the weeds as is for the current time being and regaining control of your garden. I propose using a mid to heavy duty line trimmer such as the Ryobi 18V ONE+ 33/38cm 4.0Ah HP Brushless Cordless Line Trimmer Kit or the Ozito PXC 36V (2 x 18V) 300mm Cordless Line Trimmer 2.0Ah Kit PXCLTK-2182E. Your goal is to trim the garden back down until it looks like a lawn. Anything that is more than 25mm tall will get cut.

If you have a lawn mower that will be the next tool to use to gather up all the tall weeds and grass that you've cut down. If you've no access to a mower, I suggest using a Saxon 14 Teeth Braced Garden Rake to gather all the cut debris and putting it in your green bin for garden waste. Repeat the trimming process until you can't see any weeds and the lawn has technically re-appeared.

Now, weeds being super aggressive will be the first to show any form of growth. This is your signal to attack with a chemical spray or a manual removal tool such as the Cyclone Multi Surface Weeder Long Timber Handle or spray the lawn with Yates 2.4L BuffaloPro Weed 'N' Feed Hose On Weed Killer. Repeat the removal process for several weeks until all the weeds have been trimmed back and you have full control of your lawn.

Here are some handy guides that will help:

Please remember to wear personal protection such as gloves, goggles and a mask when using chemical sprays.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

aimeet

Thanks Eric,

These are growing under bark and soil not grass.

EricL

Hello @aimeet

Thank you for that extra bit of information. If you wish to start from scratch, I propose spraying the entire area with weed killer. This is on the condition that there are no other plants you wish to rescue and that you wish to start from scratch.

I suggest having a look at these discussions - How to start over with a new lawn? by @toffeeapple and Lawn renovation by @homeinmelbourne.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

aimeet

Hi Eric,

Thanks for this. I've ordered sodium hypochlorite as the weed killers I have aren't working.

Do you think using a line trimmer to shorten the weeds and then using the hypochlorite would work?

JacobZ

Hi @aimeet,

I would caution you against using sodium hypochlorite, which is bleach, as a weed killer.

Bleach is highly alkaline and can seriously damage soil health. It burns plants on contact but doesn’t kill roots, so weeds often grow back. More importantly, it raises the soil’s pH, kills beneficial microbes, and leaves behind sodium salts that cause compaction and poor drainage. This makes it hard for anything to grow, and restoring the soil can take months of flushing, adding organic matter, and rebalancing the pH.

I'd suggest using something like this Slasher Weedkiller Concentrate instead, as it is designed for this purpose and will not negatively impact all life in the area. It might require multiple applications over the course of a few weeks, but it is a much safer alternative than bleaching your whole yard.

Knocking the weeds down with a line trimmer before applying your weedkiller would also be worthwhile.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

AlanM52

Hi @aimeet,

That's a big job and in your case I suggest a one-off visit by a gardener/handyman; manageable state where you can takeover maybe starting with a Weed puller (stand up) and 'one touch' weed killer which avoids the mass spraying thing.

Cheers