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Beginners Question - Do I Need To Replace The Top Soil?

KrisboKrisbo Posts: 7
in Problem solving
Hi all,

I'm new to gardening so please be gentle with me if this sounds like an absolute beginners question, as it is.   

I purchased my house a few years ago and had a row of conifers where the soil is in the pictures below. Sadly the conifers died, I don't think they were in great shape when I purchased the house (thats my excuse). I dug the dead ones up and replaced them but sadly they never took hold.

I have since left it and want to try again. Since my last efforts the only thing that seems to grow is weeds, grass and the local cats think it is a wonderful outdoor litter tray. 

I'm wondering if the best course of action would be to dig out a large proportion of the soil, and replace with a large bag or two of top soil and try again with the conifers? Before I spend £55 on a grab bag of top soil, is this the right thing to do?

Do I need anything for drainage, sand or small stones that I need to put down first? and then put the top soil on top if I do? At the moment it does flood easily but I put that down to the current 'soil' being potting compost as I was given 3 large bags and didn't have use for it at the time and I put it where the conifers used to be.

Sorry the pictures aren't great, I need to cut and tidy the grass, it not been cut since last year. Sorry once again if these are basic questions, I'm fairly new to all this and looking at the pictures objectively I've a lot to learn!

Thanks in advance for your help.

Kris 
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Posts

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    I would improve what you have. If you can get some well rotted manure, or even a sack of peat, and add some fertiliser. A 1 kilo box of blood fish and bone from Wilkos should do it.  Mix it all up and you will get a better base to plant into.  The conifers will have sucked all the nutrients out of the soil.  Something like peat or compost will help to hold nutrients in the soil and hold water.
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    Not a daft question at all @kboard_100 , we were all beginners once  :). I agree with Fidget bones, and would add that, if possible, you make the planting area a little wider if you can, maybe up to the edge of the first paving stone at the back. (Hope that makes sense! ). What sort of conifers are you thinking of planting ?
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Hi Kris - the girls are right. The soil will need a huge boost there, and it would certainly help if the border was a bit wider. If you cut a nice straight line along the grass edge, to define the border, that will help too. Keeping the grass at bay helps the planting to stay weed free as it lessens the competition for water and nutrition. You don't need a solid border edge of any kind, just a well cut one that you can keep trimmed when grass cutting.
    Are you dead set on having conifers? There's other planting that might be nicer, and easier for you.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    As that looks like a front garden, does it get windy at times. Conifers get wind burn especially when little, which would have killed them. Also any new tree needs watering regularly for up to a year to establish.  There are lots of lovely plants you could use as Fairygirl says that won't need as much looking after and will give colour/interest. So improve soil and have a think about what you want.🙂
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Is it your path/driveway on the other side of the border, or the neighbour's?  If not, do you really need tall planting along there?  That's a narrow border, so anything that will get tall will probably also get wide and overhang both the path and the grass.  Check the final width of whatever you choose, and make the border wide enough for it or you'll be forever cutting back.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • KrisboKrisbo Posts: 7
    fidgetbones said:
    I would improve what you have. If you can get some well rotted manure, or even a sack of peat, and add some fertiliser. A 1 kilo box of blood fish and bone from Wilkos should do it.  Mix it all up and you will get a better base to plant into.  The conifers will have sucked all the nutrients out of the soil.  Something like peat or compost will help to hold nutrients in the soil and hold water.
    Hi Fidgetbones, 

    Thanks for your advice and reply. I'm sorry that I'm a little late coming back to you. Sadly work has got in the way over the last couple of days. 

    Can I just ask, is blood fish and bone "bone meal" or is that something different?

    Thanks for your help and taking the time to answer my question.

    Kris 
  • KrisboKrisbo Posts: 7
    AnniD said:
    Not a daft question at all @kboard_100 , we were all beginners once  :). I agree with Fidget bones, and would add that, if possible, you make the planting area a little wider if you can, maybe up to the edge of the first paving stone at the back. (Hope that makes sense! ). What sort of conifers are you thinking of planting ?
    Hi AnniD,

    Thank you for helping me out sorry its taken a few days to reply back to you. I hadn't considered making planting area wider, but does make sense. I'll have a think about how best I can do this. 

    I'm not a conifer expert. But I like the ones that grow around 1 meter to 1.5 meter tall. I can't give any details other than that. I was thinking of the ones that are about 3 for £10 in B and Q. They also don't have to be conifers either. I had them before and they nicely blocked next doors car from view (They park on the gravel / stones you can see).

    Thanks for your help 

    Kris 
  • KrisboKrisbo Posts: 7
    Fairygirl said:
    Hi Kris - the girls are right. The soil will need a huge boost there, and it would certainly help if the border was a bit wider. If you cut a nice straight line along the grass edge, to define the border, that will help too. Keeping the grass at bay helps the planting to stay weed free as it lessens the competition for water and nutrition. You don't need a solid border edge of any kind, just a well cut one that you can keep trimmed when grass cutting.
    Are you dead set on having conifers? There's other planting that might be nicer, and easier for you.  :)
    Hi Fairygirl, 

    Thanks for your help. I'll make sure that when I cut the grass that I cut a straight line along the grass edge. There is some logs cut in half if that makes sense that are meant to define the boarder and go from bottom to top. The grass have overgrown them and  you can't see it in the picture. So need to get that looking a lot better. 

    I'm not set on having conifers at all. I'm open to suggestions and something that is nice and easy ticks boxes for me. Originally I wanted to block next doors car out a little from view when I drive up the street, but I'm not set on this. I'm definitely open to ideas. 

    Kris 
  • KrisboKrisbo Posts: 7
    purplerallim said:
    As that looks like a front garden, does it get windy at times. Conifers get wind burn especially when little, which would have killed them. Also any new tree needs watering regularly for up to a year to establish.  There are lots of lovely plants you could use as Fairygirl says that won't need as much looking after and will give colour/interest. So improve soil and have a think about what you want.🙂
    Hi Purplerallim,

    Thank you for responding to my post. 

    It is a front garden (I realise now that I have not stated what is obvious to me! - I'll learn) Its a cut-de-sac so and is windy especially as wind seems to whirl around the cul-de-sac as well.

    I'll have a think about conifers given the weather issues. I sort the soil out and improve that and also get on top of the grass as well. Its definitely my project to sort my garden out this year.

    Kris 
  • KrisboKrisbo Posts: 7
    JennyJ said:
    Is it your path/driveway on the other side of the border, or the neighbour's?  If not, do you really need tall planting along there?  That's a narrow border, so anything that will get tall will probably also get wide and overhang both the path and the grass.  Check the final width of whatever you choose, and make the border wide enough for it or you'll be forever cutting back.
    Hi JennyJ, 

    Thank you for taking the time to reply to my post. 

    Looking at the picture, the gravel / stones on the left of the second picture I posted are my neighbours. So yes the boarder is narrow. I'll post some measurements shortly so it gives a clearer idea. 

    I hadn't considered the cutting back, thats a good point. Thank you for sharing.

    Kris 
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