On Tue, 17 May 2011 15:14:43 -0700, Billy
wrote:

In article ,
hazella wrote:

I have recently moved and have now got a large garden 150ft long and
30ft wide. The problem is the soil, the garden was neglected before we
moved in, it is full of small hills which we have tried to flatten and
the lawn has lots of patches with no grass and the soil is full of
stones and a sort of cement mixture in it too, the only thing that seems
to grow in this soil are weeds.
I would love some advice on how to solve the soil problem, thank you

Cheap or quick? Cheap takes time. Quick takes money.

Cheap: After pulling out all the debris that you want to, hopefully you
could rototill the soil. You might as well work in some manure, rock
phosphate, and some wood ashes, if you have them, while your at it. Then
plant a cover crop like rye, or buckwheat. They make amazing amounts of
roots, and will improve the soil. Make sure that none of the soil is
bare of mulch. Mulch and manure (carbon and Nitrogen) feed the soil
biome (the flora and fauna of the soil). When you can get a half dozen
earthworms out of a garden shovel of dirt, the soil is ready to do what
you want.

Quick: David's Oz may be overflowing with premium quality topsoil that
can be purchased for a song,

It isn't. I wonder where I said that.....

but here in the "States", it is a precious
commodity, and rarely found for sale. Buying top soil is a double edge
sword. There is no legal definition for top soil. Farmers, and some
academicians know what it is, but for landscaping companies, it is a
license to steal.

You do need to make some judgment about the quality versus the price
before you buy - like anything.



D