Derelict garden

[CptDondo]

Get a honking big mower to cut away the worst of it. Burn it, haul it off, or (my usual, environmental solution) mulch it.

Then rent a honking big tiller and plow it under.

When (with luck, if) it germinates, plow it under again.

Get a truckload of green wood chips - not mulch, you want the green stuff. Spread it all around and choke the weeds.

When the woodchips turn to mulch, you're ready to do whatever you want.

A bit unorthodox, but worked for me a couple of times. YMMV, and a lot easier than pulling by hand.

[Dave]

After you've gotten all the plant material out that you can, use spading fork as deep as you can plant it. Turn the soil over as you pull it out. Do not tread on it except to get any major rootage out. Loosen this treaded earth again with the spading fork. Leave dormant for a year. Apply any mulch loosely, don't mix it in yet. If not present, dump some earthworms to start the process. Add non-meat, non-bone food scraps. Keep the soil moist, not wet. Pull any greenery in the interim. Turn the soil again next autumn, leave it loose. Do a soil check at the end of the period the following spring. Then, if needed, fertilize accordingly. The entire family should participate in the spading, and weeding as a family unit. Toddlers eat anything, watch out. Dave

[Billy]

John, thank you for your response. You know that I am philosophically opposed to ". . cides" but who knows, maybe one of these days I'll run into a problem that my philosophy can't cope with, maybe. It is probably my pragmatic side (or neurotic side) that keeps me looking at the horizon.

Your friend.

[Billy]

And in "Omnivore's Dilemma", Michael Pollan made the observation that insects went after the leaves of plants when artificial fertilizers were used because that is where the nitrogen was stored. Additionally, chem ferts such as ammonium sulfate are salts and kill off soil micro-organisms that could slowly feed plants without a big surge of nitrogen. And lastly, there is a group of nutrients called phyto-nutrients that seem to be important to our health and are deficient in artificially fed plants.

Pays yo' money and take yo' chances.