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Reclaimed part of the garden do i turn over all of the soil or just part?
luke.blyth
Posts: 5
During lockdown and working from home i have finally decided to reclaim our top section of garden which was home to brambles, bushes ivy and plenty of weeds.
most of it has been cleared, i am still finding the odd bramble root.
I want to use the area to grow veg and flowers and have already started to turn over the ground near the fence panels so the flowers can be planted, but its a reasonable size and i want the centre of the garden to plant plenty of veg.
Do I turn over the entire ground all in one go to get rid of as many weeds as possibly or do i do it piecemeal and hope that any weeds don't encroach on anywhere that i have already turned over?
I am turning over by hand rather than using a rotovator.
0
Posts
I think you need to draw a plan on paper of where you want flower beds and where you want fruit and veg and how best to take advantage of the fences which will make good supports for climbing plants such as roses and clematis but also blackberries and fan trained apples/pears/cherries/plums.
I would then fork over the beds where planting will be permanent, rake it level, pile on a good thick layer of well-rotted manure and get trees and climbers planted this autumn.
You could also mark out and do the same for a bed that will hold plants such as raspberries, red and blackcurrants, gooseberries, rhubarb.
That leaves vegetable beds and, apart form asparagus and glove artichokes, these tend to be annual plants grown in a 3 or 4 year rotation. These beds you could simply rake smooth and cover with cardboard - minus tape and staples. Cover the cardboard with organic matter form a compost heap or buy in some cheap MPC and/or well-rotted manure.
I would advise you to consult the RHS website for info on crop rotation and also Garden organic and have a look for info about Charles Dowding and his No Dig method for growing veg. Between them you'll minimise the digging, work out what and when to grow and when to apply manures or lime and so on to promote better crops and reduce damage from pests and diseases.
Even if they only use stones or pegs to hold it down it will block light, prevent germination of weeds and will also rot down and be an asset to the soil and its micro-organisms.
Carpet tiles, in general, are cheap synthetic materials and do not rot down and will be a hindrance, not to mention full of undesirable chemicals. Bite the bullet and get rid.
Shops selling large items such as fridges and freezers and TVs would be good sources of cardboard as may the dump be if they have a paper and cardboard collection point but you'd have to ask.