Preping the veg patch
Discussion
Last year I dug out an old overgrown flowerbed and turned it in to a veg patch.
I've now removed the remaining veg from one part where I intend to plant garlic in a few weeks, but there's a hell of lot of weeds and what looks to be shrubs that were there originally comming through again. Do I just rip everything I see out by hand again or is it worth giving it a spray of roundup or similar to kill everything off before I dig it over?
I've now removed the remaining veg from one part where I intend to plant garlic in a few weeks, but there's a hell of lot of weeds and what looks to be shrubs that were there originally comming through again. Do I just rip everything I see out by hand again or is it worth giving it a spray of roundup or similar to kill everything off before I dig it over?
For hardier plants like shrubs, it's probably best to dig through and lift them. This will take care of the weeds as well.
As a new bed, it would be smart to get some manure down now to rot down over the Winter. As well as improving the soil, it will mulch down small weeds (preventing them from growing). The garlic won't mind being under that manure. If you need to lime (to reduce acidity - a soil testing kit will tell you), wait until the Spring when the manure has rotted down - never mix lime and fresh manure.
As a new bed, it would be smart to get some manure down now to rot down over the Winter. As well as improving the soil, it will mulch down small weeds (preventing them from growing). The garlic won't mind being under that manure. If you need to lime (to reduce acidity - a soil testing kit will tell you), wait until the Spring when the manure has rotted down - never mix lime and fresh manure.
Just literally turn the ground upside down with a fork and to a forks depth, removing any old roots in the process.Weeds will be a foot down.If the weeds are dandelions, bind weed or couch grass etc, remove as much as poss and and a little hand weeding over the next few months if they regrow will sort it out.Roundup is a good idea for couch grass though.
HiRich said:
For hardier plants like shrubs, it's probably best to dig through and lift them. This will take care of the weeds as well.
As a new bed, it would be smart to get some manure down now to rot down over the Winter. As well as improving the soil, it will mulch down small weeds (preventing them from growing). The garlic won't mind being under that manure. If you need to lime (to reduce acidity - a soil testing kit will tell you), wait until the Spring when the manure has rotted down - never mix lime and fresh manure.
+1 agree,and then if you have any old carpet or thick gauge black polythene cover the grown with that, both stopping any new weeds growing. Then about January dig the ground over in order for the nightly frost to further breakdown the ground, then February try and buy some used mushroom compost or manure, the same warming up the ground and providing goodness. As a new bed, it would be smart to get some manure down now to rot down over the Winter. As well as improving the soil, it will mulch down small weeds (preventing them from growing). The garlic won't mind being under that manure. If you need to lime (to reduce acidity - a soil testing kit will tell you), wait until the Spring when the manure has rotted down - never mix lime and fresh manure.
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