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Hello hoping for some advice. I created a new veg garden in an open field (before I started looking at no dig gardening). I filled the large beds with the topsoil dug to create a new pond … BIG MISTAKE. Whilst the soil is loam/clay (some beds more clay than loam!) the soil looked good and is indeed fertile, I also added layer of mature cow manure and covered in black sheet from Oct – February. However, I spent most of the first growing season fighting dock weeds which completely took over the beds and literally broke my spade trying to dig them out. They were everywhere! The crops were lovely but got swallowed up by the docks and I cannot go through that again and so have decided to start again. I am going to remove the soil used to infill the beds but am concerned that the docks and their seeds will remain in the soil at the bottoml. I am worried that putting cardboard and then then a thick layer of mulch will still not kill the docks (they are awful). I was wondering whether I could put a layer of weed fabric on the bottom initially and then carry on with the layers of mulch? Will the fabric be porous enough? Or should I go with the cardboard, thick layer of much and then cover with plastic sheet for full growing season? Has anyone had a similar problem with docks? Your advice would be appreciated. Many thanks.
Hi Meadow 1, I rcommend a sharp spade to slice down and cut dock roots about 6 inches below surface level. In my experience they either do not re-grow, or weakly so another incision eg with trowel will weaken the parent root and then they give up.
If you had done that last year,nit would have been easier, always worth taking all necessary precautions in first year.
After removing roots, maybe poly/ tarp over the top until late summer: grow potatoes or squash through holes.
Don’ put membrane down with soil or compost on top, you are poisoning soil,nstopping movement of worms etc.
Be thorough!
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