Help! How to clear out old turf?

I decided in the Autumn to convert a grassy garden into a butterfly garden. Some advice on this forum said to turn over the turf so it would rot down ahead of the Spring, adding nutrients into the soil so I did this. Now I've got grass growing back in places so I decided to clear this out to allow the plants/ seeds I'm about to put in the space to grow. But the turned turf is still there in spade-sized pieces. Admittedly a bit more floppy than before but not broken down to soil texture. So trying to remove just the bits of grass visible above the surface is tricky. I'm having to lift every old lump of turf, shake it out to save the soil, then dump the residue of turf. Which is taking hours!

Is there another way? Should I be leaving the old turf in place to rot down further? Or do I just have to accept that its going to take a bit longer than planned to get going?

Thanks for any advice!
Gavin.

 

Hi Gavin

Are you after a wild life meadow ? how big is the area .

As you could combine the both or are you after a border style were you grow flowers fot butterflys

my brother has a old paddock with no horses in, he mows a path through and has planted wild flowers in also at the end of summer he cuts it all down and removes all the stuff away so it keeps the nutrients low which helps the wild flowers



Spruce

 

Hi Gavin

you will have to just go over it all and best to take out (lift out and give a good shake ) , I know it will take ages but if you do properley it will save you so much messing about in the future you have done the real hard work already so give your self some praise, the BBC garden earlier this year about the butterflys was so inspiring

its a pity you cant grow spuds on it this year as that would sort all your problems out and you will get a crop at the end of it.

My mothers "old saying" new garden new potatoes



Good luck



Spruce

 

Thanks - I had a feeling I had to just knuckle down and do it but wanted an expert to tell me that was the only good way forward!

regards
Gavin.

 

Hi Gavin

Expert no (but thanks) , cut corners yes and paid the price later on



Show us some photos if you dont mind,a look at some more late summer see how it looks



Spruce