On Sat, 29 Jan 2011 16:56:10 -0000, "Bob Hobden"
wrote:



"StupidBoyPike" wrote...


Hi everyone,

Glad to have found this forum with lots of helpful advice.

Forum? FORUM? How dare you! It's a Newsgroup on Usenet. Look those up
on Wiki. :-)

We have just moved into a place with a back garden which is paved and
covered in gravel. Beneath the gravel is a liner, placed there to
prevent protrusion of weeds.

Are there any precautions of special preparations we should take before
planting this area (as lawn, or for vegetable) once we've removed the
gravel and lining?

You need to ensure the soil has not compacted over time before you
lay a lawn especially if it contains any clay or you will have constant
problems with mud and moss. Time spent now getting it right will be repaid
100 fold. You might be able to use some of the gravel, dug in to improve
drainage, if that is the case.

With veg you need to check the pH of the soil as it often turns acid under
fabric, easily remedied with Garden Lime, aim for a pH of just under pH7.

If I may tweak Bob's advice just a bit - if the underlying soil is
heavy clay, digging the gravel in will probably not really help as the
gravel will be too big. You need to intriduce something much smaller,
such as coarse grit, to provide drainage, particularly if you're going
to lay a lawn.

It's a fair bet that the soil will have compacted so hiring (and
*using* before some clever spark chips in!) a rotavator for a day
will pay dividends whether for lawn or veg.