Not sure if this is the correct spot or not but here it goes. I have a spot now that is 8' x 24' for my current garden. It has worked well so far for what I do, tomatoes, melons, pickles, brocholi, and radish. Now, the wife has told me that after our son graduates in 5 years, I can have 1 side of the back yard for growing. It is aprox. 75' x 35'. That made my day. Now my question is with a 5 year plan to get the soil right what would you suggest. I have started composting about a moth ago. So how can I get the soil more fertile while keeping the grass at the same time for 5 years? I have a million questions but hopefully they will be answered by the different replies. I would like it to be about 12" deep of very fluffy soil.
Thanks
Jim
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countrykat
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rainbowgardener
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Wow, tall order. Every gardener would like 12" of rich, fluffy, loose soil. 
Not easily done in any case and while leaving the lawn intact is a big problem. All I can suggest is general good maintenance of healthy lawn - keep it dethatched and well aerated* and put lots of compost on it. Spraying occasionally with AACT (aerated compost tea- there's a whole long thread about it in the compost section), will help keep a healthy micro-organism population to break down the compost into available nutrients. Use a mulching mower so the clippings go back in to the soil.
*Have you seen the spike thingies to strap on your shoes and walk around making holes in your lawn? I always wanted to try them, but never have, so I don't know if it really makes a difference.
Not easily done in any case and while leaving the lawn intact is a big problem. All I can suggest is general good maintenance of healthy lawn - keep it dethatched and well aerated* and put lots of compost on it. Spraying occasionally with AACT (aerated compost tea- there's a whole long thread about it in the compost section), will help keep a healthy micro-organism population to break down the compost into available nutrients. Use a mulching mower so the clippings go back in to the soil.*Have you seen the spike thingies to strap on your shoes and walk around making holes in your lawn? I always wanted to try them, but never have, so I don't know if it really makes a difference.
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jal_ut
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Hmmmmmm, I think I would start by finding out what the soil is under the grass? What can you tell us?
Is there a place near that can do a soil test for you? Usually it entails sending in a certain amount of soil to a lab and they test it and give you a report. From this report you can see what the soil needs for improvement.
At any rate, adding compost and organic matter will help improve the soil and leave the grass clippings on it.
Is there a place near that can do a soil test for you? Usually it entails sending in a certain amount of soil to a lab and they test it and give you a report. From this report you can see what the soil needs for improvement.
At any rate, adding compost and organic matter will help improve the soil and leave the grass clippings on it.
I would plant a cover crop the year before you are ready to use it and plow in under in the spring before you plant. I would also put round up on the grass to kill the roots. The grass is terrible in the garden!
++++ This method is lots of work but works!The hard way would be to scrap the top 4 inches of grass off and put it in a pile then dig the top soil 6 inches down and put it on a pile. Now put the layer of grass you took from the surface and spread it out. Put a layer of news paper or cardboard over the grass now put the 4 inches of top soil back over the paper and cover with a inch of compost! You can do this in sections as you go along! Leaves at the bottom over the grass also works! The 6 inches of soil below the grass is rich with very little weeds! The grass will give you the 12 inch debt of good soil you want when it composts and dies.! Besides you will get good exercise. I did a new garden this way and the first year it was great!
++++ This method is lots of work but works!The hard way would be to scrap the top 4 inches of grass off and put it in a pile then dig the top soil 6 inches down and put it on a pile. Now put the layer of grass you took from the surface and spread it out. Put a layer of news paper or cardboard over the grass now put the 4 inches of top soil back over the paper and cover with a inch of compost! You can do this in sections as you go along! Leaves at the bottom over the grass also works! The 6 inches of soil below the grass is rich with very little weeds! The grass will give you the 12 inch debt of good soil you want when it composts and dies.! Besides you will get good exercise. I did a new garden this way and the first year it was great!
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jal_ut
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Digging a plot that size with a shovel is a good workout. I would get a good tiller. Till it twice in the fall and add organic matter, then till it again in the spring. (That is in five years.) In the meantime about all you can do is add some organic matter.
Soil is made up of clay, silt, sand, organic matter, chemicals, air and water. The first three are about 80 percent, or more, of most soils. They are all heavy materials. So to say you want light fluffy soil is a dream. That is unless you want to make your own artificial soil like they do for potting plants. Don't worry, plants have the ability to grow in these natural soils just fine. They can send roots way below where we would ever work the soil. Yes, organic matter added to the soil lightens it and enriches it.
Want to learn more about roots? Check out these links:
https://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrar ... 37toc.html
https://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrar ... 39toc.html
Soil is made up of clay, silt, sand, organic matter, chemicals, air and water. The first three are about 80 percent, or more, of most soils. They are all heavy materials. So to say you want light fluffy soil is a dream. That is unless you want to make your own artificial soil like they do for potting plants. Don't worry, plants have the ability to grow in these natural soils just fine. They can send roots way below where we would ever work the soil. Yes, organic matter added to the soil lightens it and enriches it.
Want to learn more about roots? Check out these links:
https://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrar ... 37toc.html
https://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrar ... 39toc.html
You can start on a garden master plan now. Erasers are cheap.
I would feed and keep the grass as healthy as possible now and leave the clippings on as suggested. Pull out pernicious weeds.
Instead of killing the grass with weed killer, put it to work. The fall before you want to start your garden, use a sod cutter (you can probably rent one) and take out the grass. Turn it upside down. Cover it with newspaper or better yet cardboard. Wet every thing nicely and start layering browns and greens and build a lasagna bed. It should be ready for planting the next Spring.
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/lane/s ... osting.pdf
I would feed and keep the grass as healthy as possible now and leave the clippings on as suggested. Pull out pernicious weeds.
Instead of killing the grass with weed killer, put it to work. The fall before you want to start your garden, use a sod cutter (you can probably rent one) and take out the grass. Turn it upside down. Cover it with newspaper or better yet cardboard. Wet every thing nicely and start layering browns and greens and build a lasagna bed. It should be ready for planting the next Spring.
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/lane/s ... osting.pdf
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countrykat
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Be careful what you ask on this forum. You just might get what you asked for. I started asking the same questions a year ago and now my garden has grown from 8 square to 26 square. Darn those guys. My wife laughs at me every time she thinks about it.
To tell you the truth the hard part is over. I bought an old two wheel tractor. I plowed and plowed. Plowed grass under and plowed compost that I had bought from the city under. I plowed three truck loads of leaves into the garden. Moved sprinkler pipes (including my main valves), and moved rail road ties that I had around part of the garden. The rail road ties used to be around the whole small garden.
Now I am looking at 2,800 square feet of the best looking black soil you have ever seen. Just dying to plant for this year. And by the way, I lost twenty pounds in the process.
To tell you the truth the hard part is over. I bought an old two wheel tractor. I plowed and plowed. Plowed grass under and plowed compost that I had bought from the city under. I plowed three truck loads of leaves into the garden. Moved sprinkler pipes (including my main valves), and moved rail road ties that I had around part of the garden. The rail road ties used to be around the whole small garden.
Now I am looking at 2,800 square feet of the best looking black soil you have ever seen. Just dying to plant for this year. And by the way, I lost twenty pounds in the process.