My garden beds are looking pretty tidy, with only a few left to seriously weed out before planting.
But there are some big areas of my veg garden that still need a lot of work. This bottom corner is one of them. This area used to be really wet until we drained the field around it, so while it was wet I put in some raised beds (2015 can you believe!). This worked a little bit but in the end they got neglected and the nettles have claimed them as their own.
So now seems the ideal time to take back control and gain a bit more growing space.
Some serious digging and pulling went into clearing this area! I had three barrows full of nettle and dock roots by the end. But with a little path down it I've now gained two more 10ft beds to grow some veggies on.
This is great news as I'm already running out of space and trying to figure out where things could go!
Have you tackled a neglected garden area lately? How did you do it? Plain elbow grease or a better way? Wish I could have got the digger in here to deal with this instead of my spade!
The Charles Dowding You Tube videos of his No Dig gardening are worth watching. I like to dig things over. But I can see the benefits of cardboard and composting.
ReplyDeleteNo dig is almost like a cult at the moment. Cant do any gardening without someone saying it's the way I should be doing. Trouble is with 50 plus beds it would be more money spent on compost than I could possibly hope to save on veg. I do some beds no dog, but dig when I have to, that way i have to import less stuff into the garden.
DeleteThis is why my grandparents and their families used to dig the gardens. as they only had the compost that they made themselves. And believe it or not, they just used to dig holes and throw the stuff into an area that they had to leave fallow. So essentially they were trenches. All the kitchen waste went in them and they threw a bit of dirt on top and then would dig another trench etc just constantly rolling across the garden. They never had raised beds. They just grew where everyone else had... straight into the soil. I cant do that here. There is absolutely no nutrients in the ground and some areas turn into ponds. Got to use what you have right!
DeleteCant wait to see what you get out of the veggie plot this year. Mine will be small fry but will help in the kitchen and to the finances.
I have used the cardboard and copost method in some areas for starting a growing area from scratch. It worked quite well for most things, but not for asparagus beds. Initially it worked even for them for 14 years, but long term, the couch grass has won the battle, due to its root system. having started a new bed of asparagus, I shall now dig out the old one and plant something out. I find spun ground cover very useful to suppress most weeds and easy to cut holes to plant through.
ReplyDeleteI am starting the process again in our new tunnel. A new asparagus bed in there will help me extend the season. I shall definitely dig the grass out first for this.
Kathy
i'm trying to get my woods in shape for the fall wedding. the weeds!!! i am digging and pulling and planting. sweat and muscle is the only way to do it. i hope to have it in near perfect shape by october!
ReplyDeleteLooking good Kev. We've been cleaning up the herb garden the same way - elbow grease! With perennials, though, I use the shovel to loosen the soil and try to pull the weeds out and not the herbs. Then more mulch and hopefully, we're good for another year.
ReplyDeleteLots of nettles - yum. We have just had nettle soup for lunch and it was lovely : )
ReplyDeleteReally good effort there Kev. I have an area a bit like that which I'd love to get cleared soon, ready for next year really I think. Lots of nettles and long grass that can't be strimmed as it is a bit trick; the mess that needs to go is sort of bordered by a planter that currently has peas in it, 2 blackcurrant bushes, 3 raspberry bushes and further over more out of the way a bed which is waiting for compost top up! Think I will get rid of the long stuff with a bit of digging then try the cardboard method and Strulch for now until I decide what to do with the area. (I'm waffling here!) I might move my compost bins down there or get Jon to build me some pallet bays instead. Happy gardening.
ReplyDeleteGood on ya! It's looking quite a bit tidier.
ReplyDeleteYesterday I tackled some serious weed pulling through my cattle panel arches. I had been storing trellises and stakes and such in there through the winter, but just couldn't stand to look at it anymore! It feels so good to have things tidied, don't you think? ;0D