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Originally Posted by Norma Briggs
I have read the advice on this wonderful group for the last 3 years and want
to say thanks for all the wonderful posts. I have learned much.
I have gained enough love of gardening and confidence now to expand from my
tiny reserved spot and want to get another space prepared, I understand that
it really may not be ready for edibles until the next growing season or
maybe fall crops.
The space I am using now never had grass on it because of trees which had
over grown on my lot- So I did not have to remove grass, once the tree was
gone there was/had been years of organic matter and the soil was filled with
earth worms. I tilled in some compost and peat moss to loosen things up a
bit, since being on the Gulf Coast of Texas just north of Galveston Island
our soil is like a patch of black concrete if not amended.
I really would like to avoid toxic chemicals if possible, especially being
so close to the bay (maybe 1/2 a mile-if that far) since I know now the
effect round up and fertilizers have on the ecosystem of Galveston bay.
I have considered doing this:
1. setting the lawnmower on stealth mode to cut the grass to the quick.
2. laying a thick layer of card board on top of the former grass
3. putting the grass clippings on top of the cardboard
4. maybe some plastic sheets, anchored down on top of all that and just
going away for a few months to let it all decompose and the rest of the
grass die
5. and because of the ascetics, maybe putting some kind of more attractive
mulch down on top of the plastic.
I could build a raised bed, but from my experience the water drains out of
them faster and since our summers are HOT and often dry (at least till it
floods-not much in between here), I am thinking it might be better to go
down not up.
Also, I have considered buying some of those plastic swimming pools and
drilling holes in the bottom for drainage and using the square foot method
until the grass is dead under the pools next spring, then using that spot.
Does anyone have a better idea or advice? Pros/cons ?
Thanks all!
Norma
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Hi Norma,
Lots of what you have done and plan to do sounds great, but I'm a little confused, so I'd like to clarify. You said:
"The space I am using now never had grass on it because of trees which had over grown on my lot- So I did not have to remove grass..."
Then you said:
"I have considered doing this:
1. setting the lawnmower on stealth mode to cut the grass to the quick.
2. laying a thick layer of card board on top of the former grass
3. putting the grass clippings on top of the cardboard"
So I'm confused as to whether you have grass where you want to prepare a bed or if this is another bed.
If you are going to shear the grass on another part of your lawn just to get grass clippings, I wouldn't recommend that if you don't have the type of grass that likes to be sheared. If you do have grass where you want to plant, then the best thing to do would be to either remove the grass with a flat shovel or sod stripper, which you can rent. You can let the grass decompose in a separate spot or turn it upside down in place. Put either cardboard or 6 to 8 layers of the black printed pages of newspaper on top. Dampen the newspaper as you go or you'll be chasing it all over the yard and entertaining your neighbors like I did! You could then put a layer of leaves, and/or grass clippings and/or compost on top of that. I wouldn't suggest using the black plastic as that will cook all those lovely worms and microbes you have worked so hard to have. You can let that decompose over the summer. This method is called Lasagna composting or sheet composting.
http://www.bconnex.net/~carolw/lasagna1.html
http://www.motherearthnews.com/menar...173-050-01.htm
As to adding peat moss, I don't recommend it. It will add some texture, but compost works better and has more nutritional value. Compost will also improve the texture of your soil. Also, peat will retain moisture, but once it dries, it's difficult to rewet. You might want to read here for info on peat moss.
http://www.ondelmarva.com/peat.html
http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ksheets/peat.html#help
Here's some sites on the soil food web and biology you should find helpful.
http://soils.usda.gov/sqi/soil_quali...gy_primer.html
http://www.soilfoodweb.com/
I don't think you need to purchase those pools. Besides, once you are done planting you will have to do something with the soil you have in them. Dumping it on top of the site will, in effect, give you the raised bed and the pools will be useless with the holes and just fill up the landfill.
So, in the end I recommend stripping the sod or covering it with several layers of cardboard and/or newspaper and doing the lasagna thing. You could add compost on top of that and either plant in it or sow a cover crop (sometimes called green manure) for the summer instead of the plastic and mulch. Then you can turn it all in come fall.
http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/covercrop.html#principle
http://www.gardenguides.com/TipsandT...reenmanure.htm
Newt