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Large polytunnel and beds and no clue where to start

LOUISE5LOUISE5 Posts: 7
in Problem solving

Hi This is my first post so please bear with me. I have recently moved house and now have the pleasure of owning a large polytunnel already set up with beds and filtration system. Outside of this are two beds with some sort of wood and wire structure and plants growing up them.

You may have guessed I am a total beginner and do not have a clue where to start. Both areas are quite overgrown with nettles as well. Do I dig it all out and start from scratch or do I try and salvage what is there? If I did everything out is it best to weed kill due to the nettles and does this affect future growing in the beds if I have used weedkiller??

I hope someone can give me advice on where to start image

Thanks

 

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Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Central Norfolk UKPosts: 82,290

    Hi Louise and welcome image

    We love trying to help - can you take some photos and post them on here to give us a few more clues?  If you save the photos to your pc then click on the picture of a tree that appears in the toolbar when you start to write a reply, it's fairly simple - even I can do it - but if it all goes wrong someone on here will help image

    “I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh







  • LOUISE5LOUISE5 Posts: 7

    Thanks dovefromabove I will see what I can do much appreciated

     

  • steephillsteephill Posts: 2,621
    You will find that nettles are probably all connected. They spread by runners, thick yellow roots running under the surface. When you start to dig them out you will be able to trace these runners and remive the worst of the problem. It may take a year to remove the weed problem though. I would suggest trying potatoes in the outside beds as these can out compete a lot of weeds. Inside the tunnel I would go for glyphosate then dig over the soil.
  • LOUISE5LOUISE5 Posts: 7

    These are pictures of inside of the polytunnel and the beds outside hope this helps.

    Thanks image

     

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  • LOUISE5LOUISE5 Posts: 7

    Thanks steephill sorry total beginner whats glyphosate?

  • LOUISE5LOUISE5 Posts: 7

    sorry googled and now know its a weedkiller, how long after using glyphosate do you need to wait before you can grow things again?

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Leicestershire, UKPosts: 11,391

    Glyphosate inactivates when it touches the soil - you only spray it on the weed leaves, which absorb it.  It then kills the whole plants, roots and all.  As soon as the weeds have died and gone brown you can remove them and plant immediately.

    What a wonderful resource you have in that large polytunnel, Louise - I'd love one that size!image

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 20,461

    Glyphosate takes about 3 weeks for the weeds to die. The weeds absorb it through the leaves and then it kills the roots. It doesn't rest in the soil so when the weeds are gone you can grow things straight away.

    That all looks almost professional and a lot for a beginner. Don't try to do it all at once. Nettles may take more than one go to get rid of. If you want to grow something straight away you could grow some tomatoes in the tunnel and clear a raised bed or two for growing something you like.

    I think it would be a good idea to buy a good book on gardening. Amazon would have some at reasonable prices. It's a big subject and confusing at first. Also think wht you would like to grow and "Google" it for advice.

    Dordogne and Norfolk
  • LOUISE5LOUISE5 Posts: 7

    Thanks for that Bob sounds like I have a starting point. I am totally not green fingered so I having to learn fast. It does seem that it could be a great resource in the right hands hopefully if I spend some time on it and learn as I go I can do it justice image

  • LOUISE5LOUISE5 Posts: 7

    Thanks busy-lizzie, books were my next port of call but there has been quite a bit of growth over the last few days and the research and advice I had already received was very mixed. So I thought this would be a great place for advice image

     

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