Newbie question: weed removal for rock garden

[fishgottafly]

Hello,

 

We moved into a place in Crookes with a 9 ft x 9 ft front garden. The only feature is an ugly tree stump (about 4" diameter) in the middle that is growing back. Otherwise, it's just overrun with weeds and the ground is hard with a scattering of rocks.

 

I'd like to remove the "stump", kill the weeds, and lay down stones over the whole area for starters. But my attempt at pulling the weeds failed -- it looked lovely, but then they grew back just as bad as before. So I feel like this is a totally idiotic question, but how do I kill the weeds so I can lay the rocks? I know I'm supposed to get the roots, but the ground is so hard, I don't see how that's possible. If anyone could point me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it.

 

I am willing to put in time and effort (though not money since we are renting), but I'm at a complete loss as to how to get the job done. Thanks for any advice you may have.

 

(Also, I learned a lot reading through previous posts, so thanks. I got some ideas for plants when I get there and learned that I should put weed control fabric under the rocks.)

 

Amy

[Hayley1]

weeds will always grow. You can pull them all up, and over the next week, more will appear. I would suggest that you hire in someone to remove the stump ot make it a feature.

Something containing gyphosate will kill your weeds (try your local allotment's shop) and once that's done, you really do need to either keep weeding, or put the membrane down asap....make use of the duller weather to do this if you can.

 

You may have noticed the beautiful display we've had of dandelions over the warmer days in gardens, along verges, a stunning sea of yellow. Unfortunately, these soon change to the 'clocks' and each tiny seed had the potential to ruin all your hard work. You see this type of weed has a very deep tap root, and if you don't dig down deep enough and remove every single piece of root, you'll not kill it.

 

Other types like clover and buttercup run roots along laterally, and pop up along the garden somewhere else. This is a beggar to remove, and again you need to remove every single bit.