In article ,
"Staycalm" wrote:


What should I do next to get early use of that part of the bed? Cover in
plastic and "bake" it for a few weeks or better to pile with newspapers and
mulch and give it a couple of months?

Hi Liz! Wait till the grass looks pretty dead before covering it with
anything, that's all I've heeard.

I would like to put in a barrier so
I'm not forever doing this but it's so backbreaking digging in our soil. The
bed is more than five metres long. I would consider raising the beds but
can't really justify buying more topsoil at the moment. I'm trying to tackle
it one area at a time so that I can at least do some planting.

I am not sure physical barriers work that well for a grass like couch. There
used to be couch on one side of my Dad's garage, and it crept all the way
under the slab and out the other side!

Also I'm on a limited budget and was planning to get bales of hay or pea
straw to use as mulch but I've been noticing the new breeds of mulch in
Bunnings. Any of the one with nutrients and wetting agents any good? I also

Look, they might be, but pea straw et al aren't bad, and are considerably
cheaper, I would imagine.

spotted these large mulch bricks. You add water and get 30lt of mulch I
think. Anyone had any experience with these? I don't have access to a

Sounds suspiciously like peat moss, which wouldn't be a good choice for mulch
as it becomes water-repellent quite easily.

trailer or large car so paying for things to be delivered adds considerably
to my costs. What is economical but effective? Is it worth contacting a tree
felling company? They would chip their cuttings I assume. Are they usually
cheap?

Try that, and also your local council loppers. Mine are happy to drop a
truckload of chipped loppings on the driveway for free, bcause it saves them
having to take it to the depot.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Life is like a cigarette -- smoke it to the butt." -- Harvie Krumpet