I just dug up another garden bed in a patch of existing lawn. Mostly,
I just dug down about 6 inches and turned the clump over, grass-side
down. Then, I edged the bed with boards and covered the entire bed
with coarse compost made of last years shredded leaves mixed with
grass clippings (the compost is only about half broken down).

My question is: Can I plant into such a coarse mulch, or do I need to
bring some dirt in? I know that I probably can't start seeds in it,
but could I transplant broccoli and cauliflower into that mulch? I'm
sure the entire root system of the plant would initially be entirely
surrounded by mulch, not soil.

Thanks for any replies!

IC Gardener
Iowa City, Iowa
Zone 5A