Removing weeds

[aart]

Not all trimmers will except or have the power to run a blade. Most curved shaft trimmers are a homeowner grade and have a flexible drive shaft.

You can get those plastic blade heads for a curved trimmer, they can take down some fairly sturdy stuff. That and a pruning or chain saw should clean up this area, tho the copper heads would give me pause for sure.

 

[mowin]

You can get those plastic blade heads for a curved trimmer, they can take down some fairly sturdy stuff. That and a pruning or chain saw should clean up this area, tho the copper heads would give me pause for sure.

The plastic finger heads work well on heavy grasses and weeds.
Ya, the copperheads would be unnerving. Definitely knee high rubber boots should be worn.

 

[April’s Zoo]

I know you don’t want to kill the grass long term....
the original, cheapest-available Round-up weed and grass killer will kill what is there without preventing new stuff from growing there later — actually even the long acting kind will work the same way, but you don’t need to spend the extra money...
Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Round-up, kills by disrupting the enzymes in plant cells preventing them from being able to move water through the cells. Furthermore, it becomes completely inert (inactive) upon contact with the soil. It won’t hurt people or pets (well, unless you actually drink the stuff— but their website says it is not toxic to people or pets when applied as directed, and the directions say to exclude pets until it has dried.... not a problem for any future chickens). Round-up will not prevent new plants from growing in the treated area.... so you can sow new grass seed there later, of a type you really want.
The problem with going a chemical route in cases like yours, is that even after you kill the grass, you’ve still got to remove it..... grass that high can’t just be tilled under once it’s dead. So assuming your goal isn’t 6 foot tall dead grass/weeds, you’re still going to have to cut it down.
One of the power tools people have already mentioned would probably drive any wildlife out of the area as you use it, but I know I would still be apprehensive moving through the brush, and especially picking it up afterward.
Personally, with the possibility of venomous snakes in the area, I’d look to hire someone— human or goat— to do the job for you. Honestly, you’d have to do some calling around, but I’m not sure goats would be much cheaper, because if you are renting them say, by the week, it’s gonna take a few weeks for them to do their thing, and they won’t clear them out completely, the roots will still be there. On the other hand, if you hire someone, either a single person or a crew, it would be finished in at most a day and likely just a couple of hours. And you could specify whether they remove the roots and all. Of course, once they’re cut down, you can spray the roundup then (assuming it’s not too hot where you are— it has to be below like 90 deg. or so to apply it and have it work properly, otherwise you’re just wasting money.), and till it under in a few days.
So I guess it comes down to how fast you want it done.

 

[mowin]

I know you don’t want to kill the grass long term....
the original, cheapest-available Round-up weed and grass killer will kill what is there without preventing new stuff from growing there later — actually even the long acting kind will work the same way, but you don’t need to spend the extra money...
Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Round-up, kills by disrupting the enzymes in plant cells preventing them from being able to move water through the cells. Furthermore, it becomes completely inert (inactive) upon contact with the soil. It won’t hurt people or pets (well, unless you actually drink the stuff— but their website says it is not toxic to people or pets when applied as directed, and the directions say to exclude pets until it has dried.... not a problem for any future chickens). Round-up will not prevent new plants from growing in the treated area.... so you can sow new grass seed there later, of a type you really want.
The problem with going a chemical route in cases like yours, is that even after you kill the grass, you’ve still got to remove it..... grass that high can’t just be tilled under once it’s dead. So assuming your goal isn’t 6 foot tall dead grass/weeds, you’re still going to have to cut it down.
One of the power tools people have already mentioned would probably drive any wildlife out of the area as you use it, but I know I would still be apprehensive moving through the brush, and especially picking it up afterward.
Personally, with the possibility of venomous snakes in the area, I’d look to hire someone— human or goat— to do the job for you. Honestly, you’d have to do some calling around, but I’m not sure goats would be much cheaper, because if you are renting them say, by the week, it’s gonna take a few weeks for them to do their thing, and they won’t clear them out completely, the roots will still be there. On the other hand, if you hire someone, either a single person or a crew, it would be finished in at most a day and likely just a couple of hours. And you could specify whether they remove the roots and all. Of course, once they’re cut down, you can spray the roundup then (assuming it’s not too hot where you are— it has to be below like 90 deg. or so to apply it and have it work properly, otherwise you’re just wasting money.), and till it under in a few days.
So I guess it comes down to how fast you want it done.

I don't like roundup. I don't believe it's as safe as it's claimed to be.
I've had decent results with organic weed killers. Avenger and burnout are the two I've used.

 

[bruceha2000]

Note that Glyphosate has been linked to the die off of honeybees.

I don't suppose the area is far enough from the building to burn the weeds. Renting a trimmer with a blade would likely be the most practical THOUGH you might want to buy one with that capability. I bought a battery operated one (fairly quiet so as to not aggravate DD1's permanent migraine) and that was OK for regular trimming though only for about 20 minutes, then 45 to recharge. But I have some of those tall thick stemmed weeds around the pond that laugh at the trimmer and shred the plastic string, even relatively small stinging nettle will do it. So I bought a gas powered one that can handle a saw blade, still need to buy that for the thicker brush though, and runs ~45 minutes on a fill of gas.

You said the gate is too narrow to get a machine in, seems like something you would want to do in the future anyway. Could you put in a wider gate? A picture would help but other than rocks and ledge (which I have in abundance) moving the gate posts shouldn't be too hard.

 

[IamRainey]

There is NO WAY I'd ever use Round-Up let alone around animals or with the thought of tilling it into the soil.

 

[April’s Zoo]

Note that Glyphosate has been linked to the die off of honeybees.

Round-up gets a bad rap because the name is used by consumers as a generic term for “weed killer”— much like facial tissue is called “Kleenex”
The die off is related to the use of any weed/brush killers (including the organic [i.e. herbicidal soap] products) that have been overused to kill off flowering plants, be they weeds or other. If there aren’t enough flowers from which to gather pollen, the bee colonies will die off. Bees can travel a long distance to find pollen, but if all sources are a long distance, the ability of the bees to effectively gather enough to fully support their hive is compromised.
Unfortunately, this is becoming a real problem, particularly in suburban areas, where everyone wants easy-to-maintain, perfectly manicured, weed-free lawns and hedges, and where flowering plants are under-utilized because they are perceived as difficult to grow.....

There is NO WAY I'd ever use Round-Up let alone around animals or with the thought of tilling it into the soil.

There are weed killers that persist in the soil... but original Round-up is NOT one of them. As I mentioned above, Roundup is used as a catch-all term... I believe it’s important to understand the mechanism of action of any chemical products I use.... I have read many peer-reviewed, scientific articles on Round-up (in its various formulations, most of which differ only in concentration, but some of which have other ingredients to extend their effectiveness) as well as on many other garden chemicals. I have researched exactly how glyphosate works within the cells of the plant and why it has absolutely no persistent action in the soil. You could literally water the ground with it, and the weeds a few inches away will grow happily, because the glyphosate breaks its molecular bonds and becomes inert in contact with the dirt. It’s why if it rains after you’ve used it, it doesn’t work. Because the leaves of the plant must absorb the glyphosate for it to do what it’s designed to do. It’s also why there are so many “new & improved” formulations on the market that include ingredients that form a “lacquer” and make it ‘rainproof in x # of hours’ ....
Anyway... I’ve taken this way off topic, and realize that I’m not going to change your mind about Round-up or similar products with my post on BYC.... so I’m just gonna end my rambling, and agree to disagree on this topic.


It’s a wonderful thing that we can all have our own opinions about various subjects, and can share them with one another, so that we can learn from each other, and make decisions for ourselves in the best interests of our own properties, families and animals.

 

[IamRainey]

It’s a wonderful thing that we can all have our own opinions about various subjects, and can share them with one another, so that we can learn from each other, and make decisions for ourselves in the best interests of our own properties, families and animals.

I can and I'm happy to agree with that much! But, as a person who takes great care to achieve healthy soil so I can have healthy plants and animals, that's about as far as I can go.

Happily the OP will be able to decide for him/herself.

 

[lazy gardener]

Here's an article that appears to be unbiased re: the effects of glyphosphate on the soil and the organisms that keep the soil alive.

https://www.soilassociation.org/media/7202/glyphosate-and-soil-health-full-report.pdf

I have chosen to go the no-glyphosphate route. Previous reading has pointed to the fact that glyphosphate is an endocrine disrupter, and it also has a long term negative effect on soil micro-organisms. The study I read indicated that glyphosphate was not detected in the soil, but it was detected in the soil life after application. In the instance of heavy weed infestation, my first choice action would be to tramp down the weeds, apply a very thick layer of cardboard (about 1/2" thick, followed by a heavy mulch of hay or other plant based product. Diligence to pull any sprouts that are able to make their way through the overlapping cardboard layers and mulch should result in the weedy growth being killed within 2 seasons, while the underlying soil is amended and structure improved by the mulch.

I am working on reclaiming such an area (woody weed infestation on a cement like/clay/held together by rocks and boulders) by use of cardboard and sheet composting. A full year of that has killed off the weeds. I am following up this year by keeping the area covered with mulch, and planting hills of squash, beans and corn. A variation on 3 sisters b/c I'm using bush beans in corn hills, while squash have their own hills. It will be about 3 years before this little patch of ground has arrived at a useful level.

 

[JDN]

Look to see if you can rent a Jerri Mow. Its about like a brush hog, but smaller, I'd guess no wider than your average push mower.

Otherwise, buy a machete, gloves, jeans, a jean jacket, and start whacking.