[trufflesdad]

Just taken over a small allotment which is covered with Twitch/Docks etc..I am looking to buy a small
strimmer/rotavator to keep the weeds down whilst I rough dig it then fine it up with the rotavator.
Been looking at the Flymo and the Ryobi..Are these good buys and is there anything else I should look at
Must be in the cheaper range...

[Fen]

Really do think that you would do better to spray off all the vegetation with glyphosphate (Round Up). It's quite safe and is inert once it touches the soil. Trying to kill twitch any other way is almost impossible and you won't get rid of it this year. So treat with round up before you do anthing else. Leave it ten days and re-spray anthing that hasn't turned yellow. When everthing is yellow(dead) you can dig it over and all the persistent weeds will be gone.

[Yorkie]

Welcome to the forums Trufflesdad 

Can't advise on the best model, and it sounds as though you've got a good plan there, but just to emphasise that it's best not to rotavate until you've got the weeds cleared - unless you will be able to weaken the weeds by rotavating every couple of weeks throughout the season. 

I would not advise a battery operated strimmer for keeping on top of couch grass, I've got one and always resort to glyphosate at least once a season when it gets too thick to continually strim with the relatively weak power of the battery.

[trufflesdad]

Really do think that you would do better to spray off all the vegetation with glyphosphate (Round Up). It's quite safe and is inert once it touches the soil. Trying to kill twitch any other way is almost impossible and you won't get rid of it this year. So treat with round up before you do anthing else. Leave it ten days and re-spray anthing that hasn't turned yellow. When everthing is yellow(dead) you can dig it over and all the persistent weeds will be gone.

Thanks for the reply..I  need to cut down the weeds before I apply the weedkiller as
it does not seem to permeate through the the dense vegetation...I have tried Roundup
a couple of times and it has very little effect but I borrowed a strimmer (Ryobi) from another
allotmenteer and on the patch I strimmed Roundup worked well...I know I can borrow the
strimmer again but I do  prefer to have my own..

[Fen]

Glyphosphate is taken up by the foliage of a plant and then transmitted to the roots which are killed. The more foliage on a plant the greater amount of glyphosate taken up and the speedier the kill. If you remove vegetation/foliage prior to spraying you are making the gyphosate less effective. If the results were poor it may be that the weeds were not in full growth or rain followed too soon. You need 6+ hours dry after spraying. Don't spray when damp in the morning or before a damp evening. Ideal time to spray now, warm and not too dry. I've never known round up not to work and I've sprayed acres.

[Kristen]

"I have tried Roundup a couple of times and it has very little effect"

Something wrong then I think, because it should be very effective.

Might be worth trying Resolva (SP?) which is Glyphospahte (Round up) plus Diquat (Weedol).  Plants will go yellow in 24 hours or so, so you will be able to see if you have missed anything, and supposedly it has a better surfactant (the thing that makes the spray stick to the plant) so that the absorption is better.

Don't apply to the point where it runs off the plant - getting the leaves nicely damp is perfect.