This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.
Soil of the ancients
Ross White
Posts: 6
Hi, I've decided to tackle what appears to have been a border below the front windows of our flat (we just moved in last year) but it hasn't been touched for years and when I started to fork it out it came up in huge compacted lumps. Adding to that, the membrane that was laid down previously has probably rotted away and I now have clumps of grass/weeds growing on the soil. I would like to use it as a border again but the soil seems almost unworkable as it is. Should I break it up as much as I can then add some new soil on top? Or will the grass and weeds creep back through again? Perhaps I should just cover it with polythene over the summer to kill the weeds and start again next year?
0
Posts
I would just put some colourful bedding in for now, then when that comes out mulch with a really thick layer of well rotted manure, the worms etc and the frost will do the rest, when you come to plant in the spring, you should only have to tickle the soil
You could sprinkle the phacelia tanacetifolia that is used as a green manure. It will grow on just about anything. Let it flower. The bees love it. Then in autumn cover the area with a thick layer of compost or other organic mulch. Let the worms do most of the work.
If its up against the building walls, you will probably need to water it well.
Break it up as much as you can, may need a good watering to soften it, add as much compost and manure as you can. Sow or plant annuals if you want something quick for this year. Next year it should then be easier, but there will always be weeds, just a part of gardening, like doing housework.
What direction does it face? Will it get much sun? and does the rain ever fall there? There are loads of good plants for shade if necessary. If the building shelters it from the rain it will need lots of compost and manure to retain the water.
I also would give it a good soak and then just try to break up the clumps as much as possible and get out any roots you find.
Thanks for your replies, much appreciated. Edd, I'm not sure what happened to my reply there, I did answer all your questions but they disappeared! To answer them again, the soil is sitting on what appears to be a permeable membrane, it's probably around 1and a half to 2 feet deep. The existing border is around a foot and a half wide, and around 20 feet long. To answer artjak's question it lies in a northerly direction which only gets sun in the latter part of the day, and even then it's not a lot as I live in Scotland haha. That should also answer your other question; yes it does get rain! There are no worms at all at the moment, I may have to introduce some
The worms may be stopped by the membrane. Busy L's advice is good. I had a problem area outside my fence, it was just weeds and I guess the land isn't really mine. The Council used to cut down the weeds once a year. So I dug out all the weeds, let it lie for a few weeks until more weeds came up and then sprayed with a not very nasty weedkiller that allows you to plant within a certain time. It has flourished with not much care; I tend to over - plant so that weeds do not get much space to thrive.