Miles of weeds have swallowed haha

[JoceAndChris]

Since my new "neighbour" cleared the corner where the public footpath goes I see there have been pickings away at our old Regency haha. Some of this revealing has been done by me, some by him I suspect.

If he thinks he's stealing my haha he can think again. Gosh I wish BC were listed. Still, Gareth has very kindly put in an application so we'll just have to wait for that to play out.

I think the best way to restake one's claim of one's rightful property is to make it look loved and cared for. Fortunately it's only this corner that can catch Sam's magpie gaze, the rest of the haha lies between our garden and our new field.

How on earth to get rid of the great bank of weeds, about 100 metres long?

There is a haha in there somewhere!

And by pulling the ivy off, will it all just fall apart?

 

[MdB]

How on earth to get rid of the great bank of weeds, about 100 metres long?

Power tools!

Weed kill it and then leave for a couple of weeks then use a strimmer with a metal blade.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Was worried you'd say that. How to weed kill such a vast area - 100 m by 4 m?

 

[Moo]

Get yourself something like this: http://www.hozelock.com/spraying/effortless-outdoor-sprayers/killaspray-mod/killaspray-16.html

 

[skier-hughes]

I have one of those for doing the driveway, very useful. Make sure you get some eye googles and a face mask as well so you don't breath in the week killer and only do it on a still bright morning.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

and presumably keep cats, fluffies and eggs well out of the way?

 

[JoceAndChris]

Mmm, I think so! This is home to so many creatures, I feel guilty but it has to go.

Thanks for the recommendation of the power spray Moo.

Not really sure which way round to do it - spray then strim us going to use masses of horrid chemical. Strim then spray would use less - I think I have to speak to a farming company.

Is there an animal that would just eat it all?

I do want to put livestock on here.

 

[skier-hughes]

Pigs would eat it for you.

The dilema is a valid one. To kill a plant using week killer it has to be growing, so if you strim first you'd need to wait for it to start growing again before weed killering.
If weed killering first you'd then need to wait a while before strimming for weed killer to kill down to the roots and you'd just be chopping dead wood away.

Excellent but deadly weed killer roundup, buy it in 5 litres at around £50 and dilute it properly.

 

[JoceAndChris]

In that case I'll just put pigs on there. I've done a few hours of brush cutting with the massive Stihl petrol thing; it's back breaking work and very dangerous. Your ears ring, every muscle thrums and stones fly up and cut you - and that's wearing all the gear. And I don't mind a bit of weed killer but gallons and gallons sprayed around just a few metres from where the chickens live is too scary.

If it's thought that pigs would root through the brambles and ivy in a year or so then that has to be the green answer.

 

[Moo]

If it's thought that pigs would root through the brambles and ivy in a year or so then that has to be the green answer.

And then, when they reach the end of their useful gardening lives, you would have them humanely euthanised and bury them in proper graves with whimsical headstones, of course.
Or send them to a pig sanctuary.

 

[Penners]

If it's thought that pigs would root through the brambles and ivy in a year or so then that has to be the green answer.

One can hope, but I wouldn't put money on it.

I agree that it's best to hack it all down, and then to spray whatever new growth emerges from the remaining wood. But the hacking, as you've found, is going to be a major task.

Do you know a friendly local farmer with a tractor-mounted flail cutter? If so you might be able to do a deal with him. Just be sure to warn him not to get his flail chains anywhere near the haha.

But just to rewind for a moment, I'm trying to follow your thinking on this. If I understand correctly, you're worried that your neighbour will pinch bricks from your haha. Is that right? If so, might the wall not be safer from light fingers if it's buried in its protective shield of vicious thorns?

And if you're worried that the neighbour might think the haha is his, I would put up a notice on the exposed section: "This wall is the property of Beacon Cottage". If he says anything about it, you can smile sweetly and say, "Oh, the sign isn't aimed at you. It's aimed at whoever has been pinching our bricks."

 

[MdB]

If it's thought that pigs would root through the brambles and ivy in a year or so then that has to be the green answer.

The local small family of pigs in a largish field have ignored the brambles and just dug up the rest. In a more enclosed space I guess that they might be more useful.

 

[JoceAndChris]

No easy answer - I have vowed that if I have pigs they won't have names or molly coddling, they'll come in spring and be dispatched in autumn to fill my freezer and perhaps be discreetly advertised in my egg "shop". There are only so many pets one person can manage - the thought of the chicken sheds AND pigs in winter is too much.

But just to rewind for a moment, I'm trying to follow your thinking on this. If I understand correctly, you're worried that your neighbour will pinch bricks from your haha. Is that right? If so, might the wall not be safer from light fingers if it's buried in its protective shield of vicious thorns?

And if you're worried that the neighbour might think the haha is his, I would put up a notice on the exposed section: "This wall is the property of Beacon Cottage". If he says anything about it, you can smile sweetly and say, "Oh, the sign isn't aimed at you. It's aimed at whoever has been pinching our bricks."

I'm more worried he thinks the haha is his. If he does, he might garden it - replace the missing bricks with inapproprite ones or start splashing cement around. He seems very obsessed with his new field hobby at present.

The bricks are so fragile and crumbling I hope they don't present too much of a tempation to light fingers. Moreover, there are other, better, old bricks in the next field that would be much better to steal - a demolished Georgian farmhouse.

I LOVE your idea of the sign. How about "This wall is a historic, listed feature of Beacon Cottage. Please be careful around it as bricks are old and may fall and cause injury"

Do you know a friendly local farmer with a tractor-mounted flail cutter? If so you might be able to do a deal with him. Just be sure to warn him not to get his flail chains anywhere near the haha.

I don't, but by asking around I could find someone perhaps- thanks, it sounds like a good idea, if pigs prove unworkable. We still haven't fenced our field as there is so much chainsaw work to be done before that becomes possible.

If it's thought that pigs would root through the brambles and ivy in a year or so then that has to be the green answer.

The local small family of pigs in a largish field have ignored the brambles and just dug up the rest. In a more enclosed space I guess that they might be more useful.

Naughty pigs - I can just picture this! :lol: I suppose they can be manged with electric fencing.

 

[skier-hughes]

I LOVE your idea of the sign. How about "This wall is a historic, listed feature of Beacon Cottage. Please be careful around it as bricks are old and may fall and cause injury"

Absolutely NOT, this shows you are aware of the danger of the ha ha and anyone who is injured will be able to claim you knew of the dange but failed to prevent it. Stick to Penners idea.

Keep the pigs in the brambled area and it'll be gone in no time.

 

[Penners]

"This wall is a historic, listed feature of Beacon Cottage. Please be careful around it as bricks are old and may fall and cause injury"

I think Graham has a point. But anything that just shouts "IT'S MINE", really!

 

[Juju]

I agree with others - signs of your ownership are definitely needed urgently! I don't like the sound of the weedkiller myself. I'll try and find out what the NT did at Chastleton where most of the garden was smothered in brambles and ivy like your pictures. I don't think they would have used weedkiller but on the other hand they had greater resources at their disposal...

Julie

 

[skier-hughes]

like p*** off you haha grabbing loon

 

[skier-hughes]

100m of brambles would be done with one 5l tub of roundup gold at about £50 and you'd have loads left over as well.

 

[JoceAndChris]

like p*** off you haha grabbing loon

:lol: Love that.

100m of brambles would be done with one 5l tub of roundup gold at about £50 and you'd have loads left over as well.

I've just measured it, and seen I have 800 square metres of weeds. I think I'll have a little trial with the Round-up I have lying about on a non chickeny patch.

Thanks Juju, and Penners too!

 

[skier-hughes]

can't remember the concentration, but one tub should do it. It's commecial grade so is measured in hectares!!!!!