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Preparing cleared soil for sowing grass seed - killing weeds
WildFlower_UK
Posts: 236
We cleared our reasonably small patch of front garden (a quarter circle shape, roughly 15msq) of bush growth in the summer, and plan to turn the front 2/3s into grass/lawn and create a 1m or so border alongside the front wall (full shade), and maybe also a strip alongside the path to the door of the house (partial shade), and plant up with some shade-loving plants.
The problem is, the removal of the bush growth disturbed the soil and became open so that it has become overrun with weeds; clumpy grass, maybe some perennials, most I don't know. To be honest we should have kept on clearing it over the last few months but we just didn't have the energy! We used some weed killer within 4-6 weeks after we cleared the area (the kind that doesn't leave residue so that the soil isn't too damaged to grow seed) but this barely did anything.
To prepare the ground for sowing grass seed in the Spring, we plan to cover the area over the winter to try and kill off as much of the weeds as possible by blocking light. Our plan is to:
- Cut the weed growth back to just a couple of inches
- Cover with a layer of cardboard, and lay a plastic weed barrier over the top
- Weigh down the edges with some spare bricks and tent pegs.
I guess my questions are:
1) does this sound like a good solution overall?
2) do I need a special kind of weed barrier membrane?
3) should we lay some compost over the ground after trimming it back but before covering it? I read somewhere this can help with the decomposition of the weeds.
Anyone with experience clearing weedy soil for growing seed would be most appreciated!
The problem is, the removal of the bush growth disturbed the soil and became open so that it has become overrun with weeds; clumpy grass, maybe some perennials, most I don't know. To be honest we should have kept on clearing it over the last few months but we just didn't have the energy! We used some weed killer within 4-6 weeks after we cleared the area (the kind that doesn't leave residue so that the soil isn't too damaged to grow seed) but this barely did anything.
To prepare the ground for sowing grass seed in the Spring, we plan to cover the area over the winter to try and kill off as much of the weeds as possible by blocking light. Our plan is to:
- Cut the weed growth back to just a couple of inches
- Cover with a layer of cardboard, and lay a plastic weed barrier over the top
- Weigh down the edges with some spare bricks and tent pegs.
I guess my questions are:
1) does this sound like a good solution overall?
2) do I need a special kind of weed barrier membrane?
3) should we lay some compost over the ground after trimming it back but before covering it? I read somewhere this can help with the decomposition of the weeds.
Anyone with experience clearing weedy soil for growing seed would be most appreciated!
"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need"
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Posts
Strimming all your weeds down to ground level now is certainly a good idea as is covering with cardboard to exclude light but I don't think you need the plastic cover too. Getting wet from winter rains will help the cardboard break down into the soil so, if you can, cover it instead with well-rotted manure which the worms and soil organisms will take down into the soil for you. This way you'll just need to rake or lightly fork the soil next spring to remove any remaining weed roots and get it level and the right texture for sowing seed.