Converting lawn to veg/flower bed
 

Hi,

ISTR during a discussion earlier in the year about how to get rid of grass
cuttings there was a method proposed for turning lawn into border.

This involved just covering the lawn with compost etc. and leaving it for a
while.

I am considering converting some lawn to beds, and have this years patio
pots of used potting compost to dispose of.

Is now a suitable time to spread this on part of the lawn to convert it into
a bed?

I presume that there is also digging involved eventually to loosen up the
compacted earth (probably in the spring when the soil is a bit dryer :-)

Any other pointers for this strategy?

TIA

Dave R

--

David W.E. Roberts wrote:
Hi,

ISTR during a discussion earlier in the year about how to get rid
of
grass cuttings there was a method proposed for turning lawn into
border.

This involved just covering the lawn with compost etc. and leaving
it
for a while.

I am considering converting some lawn to beds, and have this years
patio pots of used potting compost to dispose of.

Is now a suitable time to spread this on part of the lawn to
convert
it into a bed?

I presume that there is also digging involved eventually to loosen
up
the compacted earth (probably in the spring when the soil is a bit
dryer :-)

Any other pointers for this strategy?

I'd suggest digging it now, preferably burying the turf upside down
at least a spade's depth under. (But you'll probably end up with
subsoil on the surface, which isn't very good news in the short
term.) You'd need a very thick layer of compost to kill the grass if
you just spread it on top of the turf, though heavy black plastic
pegged down over it for six months or more would help.

Mike.

In article , David W.E. Roberts
writes
Hi,

ISTR during a discussion earlier in the year about how to get rid of grass
cuttings there was a method proposed for turning lawn into border.

This involved just covering the lawn with compost etc. and leaving it for a
while.

I am considering converting some lawn to beds, and have this years patio
pots of used potting compost to dispose of.

Is now a suitable time to spread this on part of the lawn to convert it into
a bed?

I think you'd need it at least 6 inches deep.

When I've converted lawn to borders, I've stripped the turf and buried
it face down a spade depth deep.

I presume that there is also digging involved eventually to loosen up the
compacted earth (probably in the spring when the soil is a bit dryer :-)

No need. Once the grass is dead, the roots will rot and the roots of
whatever you're growing there will push though happily. Worms will help
too.


--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

"Kay" wrote in message
...

[snip]

When I've converted lawn to borders, I've stripped the turf and
buried
it face down a spade depth deep.

Mine was not a lawn, but a strip of meadow grass. However, I did it
the lazy way. I just covered it with black polythene, weighted down
with stones, for a year. It worked a dream.

[snip]

Franz

On 11/21/04 7:00 AM, in article , "David W.E.
Roberts" wrote:

Hi,

ISTR during a discussion earlier in the year about how to get rid of grass
cuttings there was a method proposed for turning lawn into border.

This involved just covering the lawn with compost etc. and leaving it for a
while.

I am considering converting some lawn to beds, and have this years patio
pots of used potting compost to dispose of.

Is now a suitable time to spread this on part of the lawn to convert it into
a bed?

I presume that there is also digging involved eventually to loosen up the
compacted earth (probably in the spring when the soil is a bit dryer :-)

Any other pointers for this strategy?

TIA

Dave R
Hi Dave,
At this time of year (Nov)...turning the grass over (roots up) would be
a good way to go. No sun, lots of rain will turn the grass/weeds into green
manure....and that's good for the worms. If it were summer, I would have a
different approach.
So my suggestion is to turn it over now. I would dig as deep as possible
in the process. Put the poor soil on top if that's what is down there. Then
add compost, manure etc. to the top...you could even add raw manure at this
time of year and the rains will wash it into the soil. Feeding the worms of
course-sustainability is the name of the game.
It does take work to turn it all over but remember it is only one shovel
full at a time...'inch by inch anything's a cinch'! One shovel full at a
time...wet or not.
Bill