On 29 Jan 2003 04:58:03 -0800, (will) wrote:

We've moved into a house with a large garden that hasn't been
maintained for some years. The grass is in poor condition, and full of
weeds and couch grass. Part of our plan is to create some raised beds
and grow vegetables.

The plan is to strip the grass and import some top soil and manure to
build up the beds. Would it be OK to just invert the stripped grass ie
turn it upside down and put it back, and then dump the new topsoil on
top? Would the weeds just grow up through the new soil again, or would
this layer of old grass a few inches below the surface in any way
restrict the future growth of new plants?

Or would it be better just to dispose of the weedy old grass?

Thanks for any advice. Will.

Our lawn was mainly couch grass and when I cut some out to make a
border I stacked it in a large pile (about 4ft x 4ft x 4ft) hoping it
would rot down into loam. Unfortunately we ended up with a large pile
of couch grass. The roots go right through the heap and long grass
grows wherever it gets light. We covered it completely with an old
carpet last year and the green grass has disappeared but it's still
full of viable couch grass roots so I can't put it anywhere. I should
get rid of it if I was you.

Joan in Bramhall (Cheshire)