New/Old Garden with weeds-help

[HuskyRunnner]

I'm looking for some advice on what to do with my veggie garden.

I moved into a house last year in the middle to end of summer. As I see snow as early as October I didn't really pay much attention to the garden area last year. Other than mow it as it was full of weeds.

This year I'm trying to clear it of all it's weeds and crab grass so I can plan some fruit and veggie plants. I've come to the conclusion that it'll be easiest to dig everything up and full the area with new dirt and sheep manure... However I'm not sure what I can do with the left over dirt and weeds, and grass that I'll dig up. I've read that I can compost it- though I don't have a compost yet. However I've also read that it's not a good idea as the weeds will just seen in the compost and spread to where every I use it in the future.

What should I do with the left overs?

[jal_ut]

How large is your plot? Do you use a tiller? Do you hand till the area with a fork or shovel? My advice is till the area. You may pick up grass roots and put them in the garbage can. Let the garbage man take them outa here.

[imafan26]

I have a similar problem. The only place here to take it is to the landfill. I actually was able to save some of it by sifting the soil and using it as fill for low spots. My grass is already full of the same kinds of weeds anyway. I could put more of the weeds in the trash that way.

[gumbo2176]

I'll second what jal_ut said and either rent a tiller or do it by hand if you don't already own a tiller. When I did my back yard garden many years ago I had St. Augustine grass over the entire area and that stuff if super thick. I tilled it several times and each time I removed as much of the grass and roots as I could find. And I threw all of it away and not into the compost pile I had started.

I see no point in digging up soil and replacing it with other soil and manure as that is an expense you probably don't need to incur. Now, once you have the ground tilled and rowed----or however you plan to plant things, head to a supermarket and get all the cardboard boxes you need to completely cover the ground not used for planting, then top that with grass clippings and leaves to hold the cardboard down. This serves a few purposes. It conserves water, helps keep weeds at bay and it all breaks down over the time the things are growing in your garden, you simply turn it under when getting ready to replant and repeat the process.