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Garden Gate:  Advice for rescuing a bit of land  |
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CherryPie
True Blue Farmgirl
935 Posts
Kimberly Ann
Puyallup
WA
USA
935 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 10 2007 : 1:39:05 PM
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I'd like to take some of my backyard, currently left wild to thistles and other such invaders, and convert it to an organic, year-round garden. I'd be starting from scratch and my gardening know-how isn't what it could be. Any advice for this would be Earth Mother?
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Oct 10 2007 : 1:47:46 PM
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Hi Kim!
Wild Thistles are evil for a gardener. I would first suggest getting a really good pair of gardening gloves with either leather finger protection or a good polymer. You are going to be doing a lot of pulling and this will make the job much easier. I would also do a hot compost over the winter. This is what I am going to do to kill my weeds. To do this, get fresh manure from a local stable and just heap it on your garden. Mix in lots of grass clippings and newspaper (make sure the newspaper is several layers down). The heat of the compost should help kill the weeds and it will make your soil very rich for spring planting. How big of a garden are we talking about?
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for typing, one hand to hold Nora!
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CherryPie
True Blue Farmgirl
935 Posts
Kimberly Ann
Puyallup
WA
USA
935 Posts |
Posted - Oct 10 2007 : 1:59:34 PM
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Hi Alee,
Not that big of a garden, probably 10 x 10 feet. Essentially, our back yard is completely overgrown and needs to be reclaimed as we have done with the front yard. We have a large Doug Fir and a Norwegian maple that frame that backyard but other than that, it is just lumpy, rocky old ground with lots of weeds, brambles, thistles and ivy. What a mess! I'm a bit overwhelmed by the prospect, to tell you the truth. But I figure I have to do something now so I can plant in the spring. I'll take your advice on the hot compost. Thanks!
Kimberly Ann
Why Reinvent the broom?
http://nostalgichomemaking.blogspot.com |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Oct 10 2007 : 3:23:08 PM
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Kim-
I would also suggest digging up the 10X10 garden and hauling away the roots and such. Try to not shake off the dirt because that is what is going to have the seeds in it. Then put down a layer of really thick newspaper to decompose and put the hot compost on top. That will re-built the layer of soil that you are taking off, but will help remove a lot of the weeds.
We need to do the same thing here, and our yard is a mess! We rent so I am not willing to put a whole lot of money into the yard, but I still want it to look nice!
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for typing, one hand to hold Nora!
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Edited by - Alee on Oct 10 2007 3:24:39 PM |
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Garden Gate: Advice for rescuing a bit of land |
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Advice for rescuing a bit of land
