Hi all.

 I'm not a farmer but I do enjoy coming here occasionally and reading the postings. Occasionally I ask a question because I am interested in farm work etc.  I have another question if anyone can help me with it I would be grateful.

I have just bought a bungalow in East Keal in Lincolnshire which is in need of total refurbishment, the land surrounding it is about 1 acre and it is full of brambles and that Vine weed with the White parachute looking flowers and long grass.  I basically want to kill it all so I can re seed it next year.  No animals will be going on the land. 

 The round up weedkiller and such will cost me an arm and a leg to kill all I need to so does the farming profession use anything that will suit my needs cheaply and will I be able to obtain some from anywhere?

On my metal detecting trips I have noticed after harvesting that all the weeds have been treated with something as everything has turned Brown before the ploughing.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

Many thanks.

 

If it were a field of mine it would get at least 4l/ha of glyphosate with a wetter in a heavy dose of water (more than 200l/ha, maybe up to 400l/ha if there is a huge volume of greenery). So your acre would need about 2l glyphosate and 0.5l wetter, depending on the brand.

Now, the problem is, that strictly speaking with the chemical handling and sprayer operator laws as they are you can't buy this from a friendly local farmer you may know for a bit of cash, or if he could get a tractor and sprayer in his insurance wouldn't cover him, if you were to offer him a bit more cash to put it on for you!!!

Bovril is on the money there. Glyphosate (Round Up) is the cheapest and easiest option open to you. But if a farmer can;t get his sprayer in there it'll mean alot of walking with a knap sack sprayer for some one!

As above, but if you're on a budget the cheapest Glyphosate will be something like Clinic as the Round Up can be expensive.

Have the weeds actively growing when you spray

Keep in mind that brambles can be difficult to kill and may need to be strimmed after spraying to eradicate. Tungsten carbide blade on the strimmer and use full PPE Safety kit. The fields you walk through have been managed to a high level and therefore the weed count will be low. Your plot will be more established and therefore harder to kill.

 

Many thanks for this information guys, Can you give me some indication on how much I will need and what it may cost (assuming I can find a friendly accomodating farmer to supply me with it of cousre) :-).

Kind regards.

If the brambles are too big or dense to allow access, or if they would shield other plants from the weedkiller, you might be best to get a flail topper in there first, though it will leave a lot of debris behind which would be best cleared away before spraying.

conna:

much I will need and what it may cost

 

Bovril gave you the quantity required.

We pay 80 Euro inc VAT for the 20L can of Clinic

We have old stock of the wetter agent, so I don't know the current price. 

put some pigs in to it. by spring it will be all cleared and ploughed ready to sow

glasshouse:

put some pigs in to it. by spring it will be all cleared and ploughed ready to sow

 

Buy a nice wee chest freezer on E-Bay for the bacon

 

Mmmmm I love Bacon lol.  Thanks for all the replies chaps.

Regards

You may also like to consider asking a neigbour with a smaller tractor and topper to clear the land, (assuming you are sure there is not a load of angle iron, fence wire and the like hidden from view)

I cleared a few acres with a Dexta and 6' Amex topper for a neigbour a few years ago and have used it for sheep ever since. I did not use roundup as that would have necessitated re-sowing with that added expense. The first year, in addition to the sheep, I had to mow it a couple of times to prevent brambles, burdock and some thistles re-establishing themselves, but since then, sheep and one topping a year has resulted in a decent acre or two for grazing.

During my initial topping, some of the growth was as high as my head seated on the tractor, and I did proceed cautiously with the topper as high as I could sensibly hold it.

I've justg looked at your posting again, and can see that you do not intend to put animals on the land, but intend to re-sow. In that case I agree with glasshouse to put pigs on for a season. You could try topping to clear the rougher stuff as well as.

If you are thinking of growing veg or something however, spray it prior to planting.

 

 

 As everyone else has said, use Roundup or a another brand like Clinic, for the 1 acre you have 1.5 lit would do the first time around then when its dead, (make sure it has time to dry before it rains when spraying too) flail tpo it then get it disked up or rotorvated then let any seed chit off and leave till quite green then spray again at the same rate, thats if your plot is weed ridden and your looking for a clean soil in which to work with next year.