What do you do first if you have an overgrown weed filled garden?

It depends if it is a large or small space. If. It is a manageable size, use Round-up on all the weeds. Remember it kills everything so if there is a shrub you want to prune and save be careful of the wind. Wait a week to make sure they all die off and then start turning over the soil. Break up the clods of earth with a shovel pulling any dead weeds as you go. If you or one of your neighbors have a hand operated tiller, this would make things much easier and faster. At this point, I would add compost, manure, and/ or peat moss to enrich and loosen the soil. Don't skip this step because it's the ideal time to make sure what you plant in the future thriveS. Many people lay down plastic sheeting or landscape sheeting over the dirt to prevent future weeds from growing. Then they cover it with mulch. If you are planting in the area, do this before you apply the mulch.

If you have a large area to clean up, break it down into managable size. Maybe 4'x 10' And do it a little at a time. I would use the Round -Up on the whole area though because those weeds will continue to spread.

I absolutely disagree with any form of round up. This type of poison is extremely toxic and takes decades to wash out of your garden soil. Hubby and I have gardened many years and I recommend a deep tilling followed by lots of raking and hoeing to remove any visible weeds. Then spray the area down well with white vinegar and dish soap and till it under. Cover your garden area with landscape paper except for the line where you seed and then cover the paper with pine straw to keep moisture in and weeds out. Please research any weed products well to see if they are environmental toxins before using them. Round up kills bees too and we NEED bees to pollinate our plants! 😊

I'd go with the over up method too - cover with old carpet or weed supressent fabric for a week or so and you start killing the weeds, then you can dig them up much easier, but there's not going to be much you can do to avid hard digging if you've got woody, shrubby plants invading.

Contact your local Extension office, to get expert advice. Where I live, we have Master Gardeners volunteers who staff an office where they meet gardeners, take phone calls, and set up soil tests. You can get a lot of helpful information.

Hope it rains and the weeds will pull very easily.