The Other Harry wrote:

One thing I neglected to mention in my previous post, which is
probably relevant to no else but me, is that I also recently
awoke from a several years that were dedicated to the
consumption of alcohol. The point of owning up to that is so
anyone who may relate to just how much fun *that* is, will
understand that my yard has taken on a symbolic value which
goes well beyond merely wanting it to look nice.

Now then, today's question:

My back yard includes a small garden plot (maybe 8' x 16")
which has been fallow for many years. It is currently
overgrown with weeds of various types.

What I would like to do with it this year is simply to get it
ready to use next year. In my mind -- so far at least --
doing this will involve installing some raised borders (I have
already researched previous posts to this group with regard to
what to do and not to do in the border department), and to
prepare the soil.

The soil is typical Virginia clay. I have read about that
also. The general advice being to add compost, organic
materials, and maybe a bag or two of gypsum every year or so.
Mix everything together, and the soil should gradually
improve. In the fall, my impression is that things like
leaves and lawn trimmings can go right in.

That gets me to my question, which concerns tilling.

- Should I just go ahead right now and till those friggin'
weeds directly into the soil? (along with some compost, I
suppose) Or should I remove the existing weeds before
tilling?

A related question concerns power tillers:

- Am I going to want to buy one? If so, any recommendations?

I do realize that many of you will laugh at the notion of
getting a tiller for such a small plot. I tried manually
tilling that SOB with a pick and a shovel last year, and,
given the current condition of the soil, that is not something
which I look forward to doing. I'm not even sure I am
physically capable of doing it.

Thanks!

Harry



First, congratulations on getting dried out. That is a major accomplishment.

Did you mean 8x16 feet, or 8 feet x 16 inches? (I'll assume 16 feet)

As far as the weeds are concerned, it depends on what the weeds are. If
there are perennial grasses that run underground (like johnson grass or
bemuda), I would not hesitate to spray the whole thing with Roundup. I
know most of the folks here are too holy to use Roundup, but that's the
only way to control some weeds.

If you don't have invasive perennial grasses, and if the weeds are not full
of seeds, I would mow them down and leave the clippings on the ground. If
they are full of seeds, I would mow them down and bag the clippings and
discard them.

Then I think I would plant a cover crop; maybe mustard. That is vigorous
and fast growning and should be able to crowd out the weeds the come back.
This fall, rent a tiller and till the mustard under, along with some
gypsum and any organic matter you can get your hands on. Check with your
county agent and see if there's a winter cover crop you can plant, like
maybe Austrian peas. Plant that and/or winter rye in the fall and till it
under in the early spring. Now the soil should be good enough to grow
things you transplant. The weeds will keep you very busy, but you can
probably control them by hand now instead of herbicides. Keep adding
compost and grass clippings as you can. By the next year you ought to have
the weeds under control enough to plant things (beans, corn, squash,
melons, cucumbers, etc.) directly in the ground from seeds. You will
probably never get rid of all the weed seeds in the ground just waiting for
you to disturb the soil, but they will get much easier to pull when your
soil is better.

Good luck, and best regards,
Bob