New Garden

kylith

So, i’ve just moved in here and would love to grow some veg in the back garden. Have only ever had a patio with 2 beds before so have no idea where to start.

There’s plenty of grass and horsetail, so that’ll need to go. The soil seems to be a mix of clay and sand, which would make sense as am near the coast. There’s also a previously gravelled path which has a layer of what looks like felt under it. If that was meant to suppress weeds it’s Had the complete opposite effect.

I’ve also inherited a compost bin full of grass clippings. It’s been covered for years and nothing has rotted, presumably because it’s so dry. I’ve been putting my own kitchen waste in and have let the top off to get some rain in. Is there anything else to do there?

My current thinking is: cut grass back hard. Put down lime to counteract acidity that the horsetail likes, cardboard over the top and put raised beds on top of that. Will be cutting back an ivy hedge in the boundary hard so could put a layer of that in the bottom of the raised beds for drainage, and future soil improvement once they’ve rotted down.

kylith

Photos

kylith

Garden at noon

magicbastarder

there's what looks like ash from a fire in there too - i'd take that out. if it's not yours, it could contain coal ash so shouldn't be used at all. if it is yours, and is wood ash, it'll clump and get claggy. more something you'd sprinkle in rather than pour in.

magicbastarder

also worth mentioning that wood ash is alkaline, so sprinkling it on the lawn will have a similar, if lesser, effect than sprinkling lime.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=621

kylith

Good to know. It’s from briquettes as far as I know. There was half a bale here when me moved in.

magicbastarder

briquettes would be fine, ash-wise.

looksee

If everything underneath is just grass clippings it is unlikely to turn into compost, just nasty smelly slime. You really need a second bin beside it which you fill with more suitable stuff then add in a layer of grass clippings as you go. No harm to have two bins, the first one will have to stand after its full before you can use it so you will need the second one to fill in the meantime.

Otherwise you seem to have a good idea of what needs to be done.

kylith

What would be the best way to cut the grass, it’s not tall, but it’s very thick. I had a go with a strimmer earlier and it hardly made a dent.