Where to start?

I am new here and need some advice about how to sort my grass

Now my grass is completely ruined. I will get some pictures up once I get in the next couple of days to help.

I would love to have some fruit and veg and herbs to grow and also some flowers as well!

Obviously before I even consider that I need to get my grass fixed up....what sort of things can I do to get it healthy again

Thanks for all help

 

Picture would help.

When you saw ruined is it just shaggy and neglected, or full of bare patches ... or something else?

 

yeh probably best to get pictures up as Im not really sure myself! Will do that as soon as I can

 

Or don't bother with grass-it only needs cutting all the time in summer and takes up valuable gardening space. Of course, you might have an enormous estate!

 

Yeah...but think of the size of the broders !! (Tongue flops out...drool approaching!)

Steve...

 

Def dont have a large estate, i live in a flat and have a small wee garden lol

 

Even more reason to dig up the grass and turn it into veg or flower beds

 

Ok Id be happy doing that i can see why that would be a better idea

how would I go about that? is it as simple as digging it all up and just tossing all the weeds and grass?

Sorry if Im asking stupid question I am completly new to this and want to make sure I understand what I need to do?

 

How much space is currently grass?

 

"how would I go about that? is it as simple as digging it all up and just tossing all the weeds and grass?"

You can just "bury" the top crud, or put it on a compost heap. You would do well to dig out any pernicious weeds, but if its just grass (and some odds & sods,and NOT Brambles, Docks, Nettles, Thistles, Bindweed, Ground elder and Marestails, then I would just bury it)

Single digging:

Divide the area down the middle. Dig a trench one spade's depth (known as a "spit") and one spade width and place that soil at the end of the other half. You then dig the next "trench" and throw that soil into the trench you just made. Keep going until you get to the end, then work back along the second half, and then put the soil that you piled up, from your very first trench, back into the last trench you made.

Into each trench s****e off the top inch or two of turf and weeds, and put them at the bottom so they are burried. It would help a lot to also put [well rotted] muck / compost into the bottom of the trench.

Probably better to have a search on the internet for something with pictures - that will explain it better than my words ...

Double dig:

Similar to the above, but your start off carting TWO trenches' worth of the top spit and stacking at the end point, and also one trench of the next spit down (the "sub soil") - so you are digging two spits depth in total. You then throw the second spit trench's subsoil into the first trench, and the top spit (from what will be the Third trench) on top of that (don't mix up the top spit with the lower spit / sub soil; keep the sub-soil underneath the good top-spit / top-soil)

Again put compost etc. in the bottom.

You'll be fit, or aching!, when you've done that!

You could just rotavate it ...

In my opinion it is essential that you then make raised beds. You'll never have to dig it again. You'll need some sort of material to create the edge to the bed (boards or railway sleeper [without creosote]), then take all the good top-soil from the "paths" and put it on the beds, to raise them (they will also be raised, over time, by adding compost on top). The beds need to be about 4' wide - so you can reach from either side, and you should NEVER walk on them. Thus the never get compacted, and the worms etc. feeding on the compost will keep the soil light and airy.

That's what I would do anyway ...

 

I wish I'd though about doing raised beds when I was creating borders. It would make them a lot less damp-now all I can do it gradually raise the height of the soil by adding more compost over time.

 

right heres the pics, not the best as its a bit dark but hopefully you have an idea

 

Looks like your washing lines could do with some TLC!:lollol: