We're looking to start a new flower bed which is currently covered with grass. Does the grass need to be removed first or can it be tilled in? This area will be done straight from seeds instead of plants, so if the grass is tilled in will it still give too much competition? TIA!
We've begun a garden both ways. It really depends on what kind of soil you have to work with, and what it needs.
When we've started our gardens from scratch, the soil has been very sandy and compacted, with not much organic matter. In this case, we discard the topsoil and grass (you can save it to sprinkle over lawns or fill holes or fill the bottoms of clay flower pots, or plant grass upside down at the bottom of rose/tree plantings along with a handful of bone meal). You can shake most of the topsoil off the grass roots first (and save it) if you plan to compost the grass.
We dig down about 18 inches (doesn't need to be that deep - 8-12 inches would do). Then we line the bottom with a thick bed of seaweed and bury it with sandy soil at the bottom and compost/loam and peat mixture at the top. I've also added bags of composted leaves and forest topsoil. The forest topsoil can bring problems, though, because it has weed seeds, so it should be fully composted first.
Each year we use a rototiller with more peat/seaweed and compost/bovung/cow manure. Then we place metal supports that are 5-6 feet high for tying up rows of tomatoes and cukes, with zucchini, green onions, herbs, and frequently picked produce along the edges.
Don't forget to add lime if the soil has a low pH (most of the Northeast has a low pH). It takes lime about 6 weeks to take the most effect but add a little anyway if it's needed, or use wood ashes if they're available. Tomatoes are ok with a relatively low pH and don't need much liming. Flowers and most veggies will benefit from a somewhat higher pH soil. A suitable pH helps to make soil nutrients available to plants.
If you have nice clay/loamy soil, you won't have to go to these extremes. I've also planted pumpkins, peppers, onions, beets, chard, tomatoes, and squash in fields where only rototilling and a little compost was needed and have had lots of success there, but the soil there is loamy.
This year we're adding a new area for veggies and although it's pretty sandy, we're only going to till in a small amount of peat and add some lime because it's a bigger area. We're going to dig holes and fill them with improved soil just in the spot where pumpkin and Hubbard squash hills will go, so they can spread out over the new (poorer) soil areas that haven't been improved yet.
Anyway, the short answer is that the lighter and richer in organic matter that you can make the soil, the better your flowers will grow. If you have sandy soil to start with, you can keep up to about 1/3 of it, so long as you add peat to lighten and aerate, and compost for nutrients. If you have clay soil (hard, cracked, dry soil with poor drainage), add sand for drainage and peat to lighten.
Good luck with your project, K -- keep us posted with your progress!
--CM
WOW!!!!! Do you know your gardening or what--thank you!!!
My soil is clay. I tilled and have a better lawn than before. Grass and weeds thick as a jungle. I would cover the area with tarp and let the sun bake it first. Mine is huge so I'm going to spray with vinegar first and till several times. Trench the area around the garden as grass will grow under 4 to 6 inches. Make it a habit of using a spade to cut the encroaching grass roots around the perimeter. CM...ahhh the luxury of seaweed. Pure garden gold in my dreams.
Tarps I can easily do, I wonder how long it would have taken me to finally figure that out...
Buying Roundup concentrate has been banned up here. You have to have a license to use it. Kinda tells you how dangerous it is. So I'm going to try straight vinegar. Better for the environment. One section has a tarp on it. I found a swimming pool cover someone was throwing out. It has one side black to absorb the heat from the sun. Perfect to fry grass and weeds. Contact your pool dealer they must toss them all the time.
In this house tarps are practically growing from the trees, my roommate is a hoarder. Anyone need a 1967 puffy bonnet hair dryer?.......
I'll swap you for a 1940 bee smoker.I'm not a beekeeper!?
The less chemicals we can use, the happier I am. I love doing things the natural way!Originally Posted by KarenB
I wouldn't want to use Roundup on a veggie garden and I don't like the thought that it's being used commercially on Roundup-ready crops, either.
If you use vinegar in large enough quantities, you might need to use some lime to counterbalance the acidity. They have some electronic soil pH testers or simple test kits (sometimes you can bring a soil test to a local garden center, too).
As far as cooking the weeds, a tarp is a good idea for cutting down on some of the weeds, but if only it were so simple! Many weed seeds survive high temperatures (many even come back after forest fires). Some weed seeds are sitting under the surface for years until you till them up. Many require light to germinate (some require darkness!), and just sit dormant until the conditions are right.
--CM
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