[ex-cavator]

I've got a very small piece of ground - only a couple of square metres or so - that goes to a narrow point behind my shed, and bounded by a 6ft fence on one side & a 3ft wall on the other. It's not big enough for anything but storage (I have to climb over the wall & access iit from next door anyway!) but I'm plagued with ivy & brambles growing up through whatever I put there. I don't really want the cost or hassle of concreting it over, so how do I basically kill it off / sterilize it so I'm not always having to fight off triffids? 

[Trillium]

I think you'll have to go through the long route with these terrors. First cut down short. Then dig up as much root as possible and level the soil. Then keep an eye open for any new shoots and immediately give them a  good spray with some glyphosphate product. You'll need to do this repeated times over the summer but eventually they'll die off.

You may or may not like to use chemicals but this is the only way to beat them short of concrete.

[bigben]

I think Trillium is dead right but if you did not want to use chemicals you could cut down short, dig most of the roots out then cover with damp proof membrane which not only cuts out light but cuts out water as well.

You would need to pay attention to the edges to stop stuff peeping thru but could weigh it down with pots or growbags and grow stuff on top for a season or two. The membrane is not uv stable so will become brittle after about 3 seasons. Hopefully by then the stuff should have been killed off, but when you lift it I would redig to remove anything else that looks living.

[Dominic]

Glphosate will kill anything growing, I'm not aware of anything that will render it permanatly, or even semi permanatly, sterile.

[lightyears]

take off a nuke the site from orbit, its the only way to be sure.


i'll get my coat....

[ex-cavator]

Thanks for the replies, guys. Digging, membranes, etc are not such an easy option - stuck in a narrow triangle between a 6ft fence, a 3ft wall, and the back of a shed, digging is difficult, especially to the depth required to get all the roots out, given the tricky corners, awkward little gaps in the concrete footings, and the fact the roots go under the fence / shed as well.

I like the nuke idea, but not sure my neighbours would, so, as it's not suitable for growing anyway (apart from ivy & brambles) I think I'll use copious quantities of glyphosphate, and repeat as necessary 

[noshed]

Spray every 2 weeks and it should get rid of most of it and severely frighten the rest. Buy the generic glyphosate, it is cheaper and if you can get in there with a watering can, get a cheap plastic one to use only for that purpose.
Dilute it like it says on the tin and keep it off your skin. Wash your hands after using it.
I found it good even against Japanese knotweed and bindweed.

[stompy]

Cut all the offending plants down and then apply Sodium Chlorate and cover with weed supressant membrane.

Be aware it's nasty stuff so wear gloves and eye protection, nothing (and i mean nothing) will grow there for at least 6 months, romove covering and apply again after 6 months and the ground will be sterile 

[someoneorother]

Salt the earth? Does that actually work?

[stompy]

Sodium chlorate isn't a salt it's a very strong weedkiller that stays in the soil for a long time.

I personally wouldn't use it, but i was just answering the question.

[richyrich7]

Sodium Chlorate is now unavailable to purchase after new EU legislation.

Some "path" weedkillers  will last for a few months, there is or was some trade weedkillers that will render the ground sterile for a season or so. But you'd have to be licensed to spray them

How about weed membrane ?

[Kristen]

Salt the earth? Does that actually work?

Sodium Chlorate / Sodium Chloride

[someoneorother]

Salt the earth? Does that actually work?

Sodium Chlorate / Sodium Chloride

I wasn't referring to the previous suggestion - I was thinking more Biblically


Edit: actually, a quick Google suggests the whole 'salting the earth' thing was more symbolic than intended ot actually do anything. SO, my question answered and apologies for the derail.

[Kristen]

Ah! Beg-your-pardon

[JayG]

Alas, poor sodium chlorate; I knew it well!   

Not surprised it's now banned; as a youth I used to mix it with flour and/or sugar to make bombs in the back garden (only in the interests of furthering my knowledge of chemistry, you understand!) 

(Oh, it is chemically a salt, by the way, and very soluble so can spread rather unpredictably hence killing far more than intended and producing a possible fire hazard to boot!)