Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Help with flower bed Ide like for summer

RockhopperRockhopper Posts: 38
in Problem solving
Hi 
 I wonder if anybody could give me abit of advice , I’ve been digging over an over grown neglected flower bed that I would like to plant in . The trouble is it has been left for years and had a thick layer of grass on it , I’ve roughly dug it over but there is some big clumps of grass balls , there really difficult to break up and I’m abit concerned about it growing back . In highensight I maybe should of removed the sods and put fresh top soil on it but to late , any suggestions , I thought of weed killer or putting some vis queen over it but think it will take to long to kill it all , ideally Ide like to plant it ready for summer . Should I just persever with a spade and hoe also any ideas what this thing is that’s starting to grow,,,,I’m new to gardening so forgive my lack of knowledge 
Thanks in advance 

Posts

  • gardenman91gardenman91 Posts: 429
    edited February 2021
    It could be worth removing the top soil and replacing it with new top soil mixed in with some organic matter?
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Try to break up the clods  so that most of the earth falls off the grass roots (try bashing them and shaking them around with a fork), and take out the grass and roots as much as possible. It has to be well buried to stop it coming back, if you leave it in.  Some dry weather will help the soil to get more crumbly and easier to shake off the grass roots. Then you can dig in organic matter. I don't know what the plant is but you could leave it and post a pic when it's grown some more and has developed leaves that people might be able to recognise.

    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    You need to dig out all that grass or it will just re-root and grow again. It looks as though your soil is quite heavy and wet so it won't be easy. I know, I've just been doing the same thing. I loosened the earth with a fork, then knelt down on a kneeling pad and dug up the grass and weeds with a hand fork. I had tried lifting the turves of with a spade but it gave me backache. Then dig in a lot of compost. 

    My bed was part of the lawn and I put black polythene on it a month ago so the grass went yellow. It may have killed it eventually but I don't have time, I have roses to plant. The soil doesn't look too bad but it's clay underneath and that bit has had 2 bags of compost dug into it.



    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • RockhopperRockhopper Posts: 38
    Hi thanks for the replies guys , yes the ground around the house it’s clay , I think that’s part of the reason the back garden bogs easily , yes I’m really struggling to break up the clods , I think il pull out the thick and tip them , then dig some compost into it. 
    Again cheers 

  • Liz.SprLiz.Spr Posts: 31
    The plants look like bluebells
    I have green thumbs and no aphids on my roses.
Sign In or Register to comment.