HHHHEEEEEEELLLLLLPPPPPP!!!!

[MKG]

Well, paraffin doesn't leave any combustion residues, so it's certainly clean. Watch your hair when you set it alight, though.

Mike

[Treelover]

Hi, i appreciate your problem, having ME myself which also means i have to go slow; i think these are cool ideas so i've nothing to add bar sympathy and encouragement; and i'm going to try the cardboard and straw idea on my own excess of twitch grass, Hubby suggests napalm so have just poked him well.

[the.fee.fairy]

Slow and steady wins the race!

I would suggest that you clear an area where you can grow runner beans/any climbing things (peas, beans etc). Then you can put up a tipi of bamboo sticks. I did that when we cleared our veg patch and its amazing how you suddenly feel like you're really getting somewhere when you see the bamboo tipi! It's more a morale boost than anything else - the rest is overgrown and messy looking, but that tipi just looks like it's a real garden,

[grahamhobbs]

Burning off areas is good, although it will not kill the real nasties, like brambles and bindweed.

Dealing with the problem in sections is good, although you want to burn off/chop down everything first. Decide where you want to start growing, here you will need to get the nasties dug out, but mulching will improve the soil and slowly make digging that bit easier, in the meantime hoe. Then there are areas that you are not immediately ready to deal with but will want to cultivate, these you can cover with cardboard, organic matter, as much mulch as you can, and thick plastic or carpet (although these can contain harmful chemicals). Then with the remaining areas - mow them regularly, the grass will establish itself and slowly all the nasties will die off. If you do this for a couple of years even couch grass starts to give up and then converting to cultivated land is much easier.

Good luck