[cadalot]

One thing to make sure is that it isn't going to rain for at least 24 hours after you have applied weed killer

[ruudwoods]

I think it was dry for at least 24 hrs after i had applied it. It has definitely yellowed a bit. The heavier sections are still gree. By heavy i mean grass upto around mid shin height.

When its finally gone brown whats the next step in terms of removal? Given that a lot of it is weedy grass i wouldnt be able to hand remove. Do i just rake it all up aggresively?

[cadalot]

If it's that tall then its going to take time to get down to the roots, you may have been better off cutting is so that there was less travel distance to get to the ground and roots. I've been cutting back spraying and once nice and brown skimming with a shovel and then covering with black or dark grey damp proof membrane plastic sheeting or carpet that the last chap left on the site and I weight it down with soft bricks (plastic milk bottles filled with sand) which keeps the light out and will not allow much to grow until I can uncover and dig over.

I've put weed membrane and woodchip paths around 2.4x1.2m beds and I still have about a 1/3 of the plot covered hopefully to dig and turn into beds and paths ready for next years growing season (if the rain ever stops!)     

[ruudwoods]

If it's that tall then its going to take time to get down to the roots, you may have been better off cutting is so that there was less travel distance to get to the ground and roots. I've been cutting back spraying and once nice and brown skimming with a shovel and then covering with black or dark grey damp proof membrane plastic sheeting or carpet that the last chap left on the site and I weight it down with soft bricks (plastic milk bottles filled with sand) which keeps the light out and will not allow much to grow until I can uncover and dig over.

I've put weed membrane and woodchip paths around 2.4x1.2m beds and I still have about a 1/3 of the plot covered hopefully to dig and turn into beds and paths ready for next years growing season (if the rain ever stops!)     

Yes, i see what you mean. The only reason i didnt cut it was because someone advised not to as leaving it meant more surface area for the roundup. Perhaps i didnt explain the situation too well.

I planned to leave it three weeks anyway so its got a bit to go yet. I do botice that it is getting more and more yellow every day now though.

What should i do when its browned? Use a lawnmower to shorten weeds and grass then a shovel to dig the rest up?

Also why do you cover it? Im not sure i follow that bit and if its something i need to do lol. Have you not fully dug out yet and trying to prevent further growth?

I really appreciate all the help here. It will help me get there  in the end lol.

[cadalot]

The weed killer will kill weeds, then more weeds will grow, however covering with thick cardboard, black plastic or weed-control fabrics, stops the light getting to the weeds and weakens anything that survives after the weed killer has done it's job.

[ruudwoods]

The weed killer will kill weeds, then more weeds will grow, however covering with thick cardboard, black plastic or weed-control fabrics, stops the light getting to the weeds and weakens anything that survives after the weed killer has done it's job.

Thanks. So is this something i need to do also in addition to the steps outlined in the first responses.

Do i cut the grass/weeds first when brown then follow those steps mentioned at start of thread then cover it up for a while?

Basically i think i need to go one step at a time i think starting with what to do first when its all gone brown. I can pull/dig all actual leave type weeds out but not too sure what to do about the grassy type weed i have some of which is at mid shin height.

[ruudwoods]

Anyone able to help me out further with this?

My back gardens almost all yellow now and not sure what to do next

Mow, dig, cover up?

[snowdrops]

Start digging it, removing any weeds, brown or otherwise as you go, leave it rough for the frosts to break down over the winter. In spring fork over it, rake it to level. If you have garden compost or manure add it as & when you can,your choice whether you dig it in or put on the top but the frost can't get to it if it's covered. You could cover a small area to give you an early start next year.

[ruudwoods]

Start digging it, removing any weeds, brown or otherwise as you go, leave it rough for the frosts to break down over the winter. In spring fork over it, rake it to level. If you have garden compost or manure add it as & when you can,your choice whether you dig it in or put on the top but the frost can't get to it if it's covered. You could cover a small area to give you an early start next year.

Ok, so its all completely yellow now. It hasnt turned brown (is this normal?)

Now you say to dig it up. The majority of the area is now sort of yellow grassy type weeds. Do i just shovel up the entire back garden into my garden waste bin leaving only soil.

Also when you say the frost cant get to the compost if its covered. What do you mean by this? What happens if the frost gets to it?

My apologies but like i said to start with, i really am clueless

[catllar]

You might like to ask Santa for some basic gardening books because for every question you ask there is sure to be more than one answer - what works for one doesn't necessarily suit another person - many of us are non-chemical people, many of us are chemical users - so you will get different answers depending on the tates and experiences of the person responding to you. I would suggest you think about which camp you prefer to join and that will help channel your questions and therefore the answers you get.

Gardening isn't hard but it is a long haul job. You will discover the joys and disappointments along the way. Don't be in too much of a hurry, which is why I suggest a book or two to be digested accompanied with a cup of tea ( or glass of  your favourite medecine)    Patience is necessary - sometimes waiting and doing nothing is the best plan to begin with.  Take some photos of your plot as you go so you'll have something to look back on with pride for the road you have travelled.

[ruudwoods]

Hello again....Time to revive this thread! 

I took some of the advise in the last post on board and decided to just wait. I have tried a bit of reading but to be honest much hasn't sank in.

In terms of chemical or non-chemical, i'm not really fussed, However i had already begun the chemical approach i guess by using roundup which turned my grass/weeds yellow originally. Its now a kind of mushy yellow/green mix.

Anyway, its almost february and i want to get cracking again.
When would be the best time to get started on this again?

Should i apply the roundup again to begin with? I'm thinking roundup and then dig it all with a spade. Could be heavy work though with all the digging.

[Yorkie]

There's no point in starting with roundup until the grass starts growing again. So another month or two, depending on the weather where you are. 

I'm not convinced that starting digging now would be a good idea either.  The ground will almost certainly be pretty wet, and you will damage the soil structure by going on to it if it is too wet.  It is also very hard work to dig when the soil sticks to your implements!

I suspect you'll have sufficient time to get it done later in spring; don't forget that many things either don't go into the ground until after last frost date, or have staggered sowing / planting dates anyway.

[diospyros]

How about, you post us a picture of your garden so we can say what approach we would take if we took it over?  Because a non-gardener trying to describe a garden to a gardener is a bit... well... clueless!

Also, collect pictures (real or mental) of gardens you see that you like, so that you can get ideas of what you would like to have.

And above all my advice would be to get to know what you have got, climate, aspect, soil, wildlife etc so you are not battling against nature but working with it.  Lawns are great if you've got kids who need space for their toys, but they're a lot of work to keep perfect and a bit barren and boring really to my mind.

[ruudwoods]

Thank you both for the advice.

I don't really understand a lot of what you say but i'm determined to get there if i take it a bit at a time.

I take on board whats been said about the wet season so i'm happy to wait another couple of months before i start. This makes sense now, the trouble was i just didn't have a clue when was the time. I just thought 'springs soon, must be time'.

I'll take some pictures of my bombsite and that will hopefully give you all an idea what i'm working with. As well as a soggy backdoor i now no longer have my fences as the wind got them this winter 

In terms of what i'm looking for, the honest answer is simply anything grassy really. I'm not looking for anything special, i won't pretend to be a gardening enthusiast, i really just want a lawn thats green and where 80% of what grows on it is grass. The sort of grass you encounter in a public park or playing field would satisfy me in my garden.

I basically joined the forum because the garden is what i would describe as disgusting and just to get some helpful step by step prods in the right direction for how to improve it and grow something that resembles grass on it... and learn some basics at the same time

[Goosegirl]

Hi from GG! When you say you don't have a clue, it's not easy as a learner but don't forget - we've all been there and done that. Some advice from me is - don't rush things - there's plenty of time yet; prepare your soil well beforehand - a lawn is a permanent fixture and you could always hire a rotovator; buy some utility-grade lawn seed as that should suit what you want; don't worry if some weeds germinate with the new grass as they will succumb to mowing. Best thing for the moment is to follow the advice about looking at garden pictures and decide what you would like to achieve such as a cottage garden, minimalist, easy-to-maintain etc, then sort out where you want your lawn, the size and shape, and what borders you want. Another thing to consider when planning a garden is walkways - i.e. where your feet naturally take you, as that may help with where to put them. I know everything is wet through but just have a trip round a few times to look at it all and you will see where your feet take you. It would be helpful to know how much sun and shade the area gets, the type of soil you have (if you don't know, try grabbing a handful and squeezing it - if it stays in a clump it is probably heavy especially if it is a grey or reddish colour, if it falls apart then probably loam (darkish), peaty (very dark) or sandy, and also if it has any stones in it. If you let us know this, plus what successful plants your neighbours have, it will give us more idea as to what you are dealing with, plus a pic of course!