did you forget how to edit pix size??? i am surprised imageshack wont do it automatically on upload??? are those poison ivy vines??? for the kids sake.. if so .. i cut them at ground level.. apply generic roundup .. and then cut them at about 6 feet ... so that there was nothing left for the kids to play with ... and then reapplied the round up two or three times per year [or every time i saw that it regenerated green tissue] .. until it finally died ... and dont burn the waste.. let me know if i need explain ken

I'm trying the newspaper layers (6-8 pages thick) topped with a thick layer of the free wood chippings I get from our city compost site. This is a SW corner of my yard where arborists cleared some trash trees/shrubs out between the lilac hedge and a small grove of conifers. There was a leggy honeysuckle and even leggier spirea left in the gap both of which I hard pruned to hopefully rejuvenate them. And I'd like to eventually get a couple of other things in there to flesh it out. I've always liked weeding - especially where the weeds are big and having them gone is really noticeable. I use a short handled spade, dig down and lever out the weeds. It is labor intensive, but once into it, you'd be suprised how much ground you can clear. Once I got out the major weeds in this corner, I scuffle hoed up the little weedlings and will see if the newspaper and wood chips suppress them for good. It looks nice anyway! I would think for layering to be successful, you should at least cut down the big weeds as close to ground level as possible - good green additions to a compost pile.

Oh boy!! Well, at this point I'm concentrating mainly on getting the garlic mustard out and only pulling others when they're right in with the GM. Hopefully the 2nd isn't as prolific as the GM, or I'll be in another world of hurt next year! I'm still dealing with the remnants of Jerusalem artichoke as well! Yeesh! OH BTW - could #1 maybe be an Actaea? I'm really hoping not to have to pull it - I've got a bit of it in there and it's actually kind of pretty in a group - I'm gonna keep an eye on it, and see if it blooms and what they look like.

Thank you for your great suggestions! I had a busy week and couldn't get back on. Thanks for letting me know that you think the plastic idea is not good for this project. I'm actually very familiar with what's growing there and am wondering if maybe I don't have a woodland...just a thicket area with some trees? I think this was just the "edge" of a farm field at one time that a farmer allowed to just "fill in" as it wanted. Some of the trees are cottonwood and buckthorn, there may be an elm. I'm actually pretty knowledgeable about trees and some of them just plain have me "stumped". As for the native plants...it is mostly goldenrod that grows in the sunnier areas and some type of tall grass that covers the entire field behind my little wooded strip. There's some yarrow in there, which I've already made use of on my property and which grows in my lawn. Other than that, there really aren't any wild flowers. I've watched this area grow every year because I'm very keen on preserving things if they are nice. But as for the goldenrod, my husband and I both have allergies and it will be a blessing to get it out, even though I do think goldenrod can be beautiful. Your suggestions are good...I think I'll use round up on a mop head or glove so that I can be more selective and perhaps just do a portion at a time. Thank you so much! Mary