Fixing my Mess of a Garden

[SweetSilver]

Quote: Just the tree chips that have composted in place.

 

[SweetSilver]

Is there anyway I can cover the grass in soil all over, kill the grass by locking out the sun, and at the same time level it out with the compost or some soil?
Cheers

Yes...sheet mulch. Use layers of newspaper or card board, over lapped and if cardboard wetted down. Then add new topsoil and/or mulch on top. Unless it's pokey, do not mow the grass or weeds, simply squash them down. That's why cardboard is better.

 

[nicolemac]

Yes...sheet mulch. Use layers of newspaper or card board, over lapped and if cardboard wetted down. Then add new topsoil and/or mulch on top. Unless it's pokey, do not mow the grass or weeds, simply squash them down. That's why cardboard is better.

that sound fairly simple! what do you mean by pokey? Oh, and do I fill in the big craters in my garden with soil or mulch too? Or do i squash cardboard into them?

 

[cmcanallen]

I would fill them in with whatever soil and compost you have avalible then cover everything with the cardboard

 

[nicolemac]

I would fill them in with whatever soil and compost you have avalible then cover everything with the cardboard

I can get 3 x 35 litre bags of top soil for £10 (i think $15) OR 3 x 120 litre multipurpose compost for £25 (i think about $40)
Which is better to fill in a garden? I think i will be needing a lot.

 

[cmcanallen]

I would use the top soil. The compost might make the soil richer in nutrients but I personally like to have my compost to be even over the garden. In your situation, I would use top soil to fill the holes; then cover everything with newspaper/cardboard. Then cover the newspaper/cardboard with more topsoil and compost mixed(3-6in deep). That way you have a solid base over the rocky soil and it's ready for your chickens.

 

[nicolemac]

I would use the top soil. The compost might make the soil richer in nutrients but I personally like to have my compost to be even over the garden. In your situation, I would use top soil to fill the holes; then cover everything with newspaper/cardboard. Then cover the newspaper/cardboard with more topsoil and compost mixed(3-6in deep). That way you have a solid base over the rocky soil and it's ready for your chickens.

thankyou very much! i will do exactly this. i think all my wages are going to end up in the garden, but it will be worth it in the end!!

 

[SweetSilver]

Quote: Sorry for the delayed response....haven't been here for a few days....

Just...pokey... like how dried grass and weed stalks get. They can poke through the paper and spoil the paper. You do not want gaps in the paper/cardboard. A fix would be to reapply paper to the area wear the tear occurred.

 

[nicolemac]

Sorry for the delayed response....haven't been here for a few days....

Just...pokey... like how dried grass and weed stalks get. They can poke through the paper and spoil the paper. You do not want gaps in the paper/cardboard. A fix would be to reapply paper to the area wear the tear occurred.

no that shouldn't be a problem, i have raked all of the grass to the side and all the rain has kept it squished down

 

[cmcanallen]

thankyou very much! i will do exactly this. i think all my wages are going to end up in the garden, but it will be worth it in the end!!

All my Jan/Feb pay and my christmas/Valentine's/anniversary gifts go to my garden every year. My in-laws say it's easy to know what presents to get for me, they just snoop through my catalogs for the dogearred items.