Help me please

Hi all,

I just joined this forum and I am glad there is a site dedicated to gardening. I am a newbie and recently I decided to clear up my garden and prepare it for growing food. I have posted a picture. It looks like a mess and I have no idea how to clear it up. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I am willing to put all the work in but I just need to know what to do.

Thank you
ic

 

I did a garden just like this about a week ago, but imagine your garden being 42ft long of just weeds.

I used my spade to get right under the weeds and just threw it all out. It would probably take you a few hours to get it all up! And then I pulled out and weeds that were left and turned over the soil!

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner ic_md

 

Good evening ic_md and welcome to the site. Firstly I would cut the grass short then I would turf the area, that is. skim the grass off in sections and stack upside down.

 

Got to be careful with rocks which might be buried if you're going to cut it with a lawnmower, though..

 

Why should there be buried rocks Kyle? You know something I don`t?:D

 

You can never be sure! Just like you should never put your hand into a cement mixer probably the same effect...

 

Kyle, just watch and learn. Whoever laid the lawn would have removed as many stones as possible. Trust me, I have laid/removed more lawns than you have spent years on this planet.

 

ic_md, if you find any stones, report them back to this thread

 

Please do, But weren`t you talking about ROCKS Kyle?. As I said watch and learn. You know nothing yet, mouth shut, ears open, then you just MAYlearn something.:D

 

Kyle, just watch and learn. Whoever laid the lawn would have removed as many stones as possible. Trust me, I have laid/removed more lawns than you have spent years on this planet.

Please do, But weren`t you talking about ROCKS Kyle?. As I said watch and learn. You know nothing yet, mouth shut, ears open, then you just MAYlearn something.

--

Weren't me that changed it to 'stones', old soldier.

 

Hire your self a petrol strimmer that has a nylon cord attached. Start by trying to cut the grass in an anti clockwise direction. By going in an anti clockwise direction you are not likely to throw any debris towards the house, or neighbours. If in doubt, just try to keep the house and any vulnerable windows to the right hand side of you. This may require you to cut it in short rows. Once this is done, scrap or pull up the weeds and grass from between the paving slabs, and you should then be left with clean slabs, and a very scalped looking lawn. Over time and with work, the lawn should survive without too much drama.

 

Just because you're 60 doesn't mean you can talk down to me.

 

....Anyway..

Ic_md, I'm guessing you've just taken it on, and so don't know what you'll find under all that long grass?

Examples of the things I found under the mess that was my back garden when I moved in are as follows:

* A selection of broken paving slabs
* A rolled up half rotten carpet
* A fine selection of assorted rubbish
* A live mains cable sticking up out the ground

Based on that, I'd say wearing good boots, I'd take a strimmer to it in the first instance so you can see what's under there. I'm sure there'll be no live mains cables sticking out of the ground. I feel confident that people as dumb as those that left one in my garden before moving out are very rare, but just take sensible precautions against the more typical rubbish items like busted bottles and anything else sharp that might either stick in you or bust a mower.

Once its tidy, you'll be in a better position to decide what further action is needed. I wouldn't go charging straight in with the spade. Being on my second bindweed war, I would always check for its presence before upsetting the ground too much. Some weeds are best treated with RoundUp without damaging their roots. Others are less of a problem and can just be turned under (mainy will disagree, but having been turned under a few times I find most just use up their energy reserves and then die).

 

Thank you so much for helping me guys. I am going to give it a shot. Also how would I get rid of all the vegetation and only grow what I wanted. I know it would still require weeding but I have seen so many people with a garden that is soil based with just selected plants growing in them. It just looks all clean.