starting a new garden

[ray jay]

Hi, Im going to start a garden in a spot that had a good garden two years ago it been taken over by weeds and grass. My question is can I just turn the grass over and let it make compost by spring or will it just grow more grass? Any advice will help.

 

[godspeedsuckah]

You can turn the grass over a couple weeks before you plant and it will be fine. The green grass adds nitrogen to the soil, when it is allowed to dry out and then turned over it adds carbon to the soil; both good. You can do what they call "lasagna" layering as well. This is where you put down wet newspapers, keep them overlapping on the edges, and then pile on peat moss, compost and good soil after you mow the spot down. I am going to try a no till approach, "lasagna" method, this year and see how I like it.

 

[CasualGrower]

Nothing like adding grass clippings to your garden.... Till them in, and then use clippings later as mulch.... after harvest, just till them in too...


After a year or so of this, you will have some pretty hot soil with a sponge like consistency.... Great for aereation... I cant wait till I get my next home... there will be a chunk of land with it 8)

 

[cubby]

Iv'e had a good deal of success by tilling it in and covering with black plactic for a week or so.
The plastic heats the soil and also kills off any remaining weeds as well as weed seeds.
Growing grass and weeds are not a green compost. They add nothing of any use. All they will do is extract nutrients needed by your desired plants.
The only way to get anything of value from weeds and lawn grass is to remove them and throw them in a compost pile.
Mown grass can be used as a mulch but it will easily mold and if your growing tomatos it's an invitation to cut worms, tomato blight, and brown spot.
You would be better off laying down a layer of landscape fabric, it's cheap, locks out weeds,and alows water to penetrate the soil.

 

[jungle]

I tilled some grass (yard) so I could have a garden spot. I'm going to plant some sweet corn..and zuchini....tomorrow....I'm growing brandy wine tom...roma tom..cherry tom...anahiem pepers..jalepeno peppers...spinich...lettuce...radishes...onions...cilantro...pole beans...cucumbers...I think thats about it....a rabit ate my six egg plants...One time I laid down black plastic to warm up the soil in the spring and when I uncovered it there were about 100 gardner snakes....under the plastic...my neighber at the time caught them and removed them thank God...lol...I set in a chair by my garden and enjoyed watching it very much today...just as much as I liked watching my last marijuana grow...I like to grow things I guess.....mainly wanted to touch base with other gardners scince I now have one of my own...now...

 

[jungle]

I saw two egg plants now when weeding my garden...they must of grew back amongst the lettuce...after they were chewed off...happy happy..there about 7 or 8 inches high now....I've been pinching (super cropping)..my plants..Weve had lots of rain...I've heard many say there gardens arnt doing so good...Mines doing good..as far as i'm concerned...I have a place for grass clippings for future compost...I've been keeping the weeds out so the garden not overcome by them.now that things are getting bigger there will be less weeds and less work...I like to completly go over it and clean it from weeds...then do it again later while still small then aftterwards its less work and not a problem..lettuce is the only thing I've eaten so far..

 

[jungle]

Cubby thanks I'm going to use grass clippins for compost only ... I didn't know they invited that much trouble...I was up early this morning and did some green thumbing....for a couple hours...suns coming out about now..I sprayed my plants with tiger bloom...yum yum...see what happens...weeded...composted around some plants...cleaned out weeds in the peonie bushes...This use to be sombody elses garden spot..and theres some nice borders..around some of it...the gardens 9' by 12'...8 tomato plants i'm growing are in 5 gallon buckets they are border plants as well..