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Home > Archive > Austin Gardening > July 2005 > Choke out Grass/Veggie Garden
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Choke out Grass/Veggie Garden
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| superstar_etta@yahoo.com 2005-07-19, 6:26 pm |
| Hello,
I have a few raised planter beds in my garden and the St. Augustine is
growing through 12 inches of soil and messing up everything.
I garden without chemicals and have given up this season....(so sick of
pulling at those long roots).
I need more room so I want to choke out all the grass, take out the
planter beds, amend the soil, and have the whole side of the house be a
veggie garden.
So...when/how should I start? I don't know how to kill off the grass,
or when should I should start messing with soil testing and adding
stuff.
Any help would be great!
Etta
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| Elliot Richmond 2005-07-19, 11:26 pm |
| On 19 Jul 2005 10:07:06 -0700, superstar_etta@yahoo.com wrote:
quote:
>
>So...when/how should I start? I don't know how to kill off the grass,
>or when should I should start messing with soil testing and adding
>stuff.
>
>Any help would be great!
If it were me, I would cover the area I wanted to convert to garden
with thick, clear plastic. Now. The heat will kill the grass and most
weeds. It will even kill most weed seeds (except maybe nut grass).
Leave it about a month.
Then roll up the plastic and work in lots of organic stuff, manure,
compost, etc. A layer of about 2 to 4 inches of manure and compost
would not be too much. Till the organic material in to a depth of
about 8 inches. Cover the whole area with a thick layer of mulch. I
like hay as mulch, but any good mulch would do.
Elliot Richmond, Ph.D.
Freelance Science Writer and Editor
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"Elliot Richmond" <xmrichmond@xaustin.xrr.xcom> wrote in message
news:bmoqd1p1j89v984gvea2u9phaqsn7stksr@4ax.com...
quote:
> On 19 Jul 2005 10:07:06 -0700, superstar_etta@yahoo.com wrote:
>
> If it were me, I would cover the area I wanted to convert to garden
> with thick, clear plastic. Now. The heat will kill the grass and most
> weeds. It will even kill most weed seeds (except maybe nut grass).
> Leave it about a month.
>
> Then roll up the plastic and work in lots of organic stuff, manure,
> compost, etc. A layer of about 2 to 4 inches of manure and compost
> would not be too much. Till the organic material in to a depth of
> about 8 inches. Cover the whole area with a thick layer of mulch. I
> like hay as mulch, but any good mulch would do.
>
>
> Elliot Richmond, Ph.D.
> Freelance Science Writer and Editor
You guys are sure going to be mad when you get as old as I am and only then
discover www.squarefootgardening.com
--
Make it just one gnat to email.
J.C.
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| Elliot Richmond 2005-07-19, 11:26 pm |
| On Tue, 19 Jul 2005 21:24:24 GMT, "J.C." <gnatsflat@hotmail.com>
wrote:
quote:
>You guys are sure going to be mad when you get as old as I am and only then
>discover www.squarefootgardening.com
Well, how old are you? (I want to give myself plenty of time to get
mad.)
The poster asked how to kill grass safely and organically, then how
to prepare the soil. So that's what I answered.
Elliot Richmond, Ph.D.
Freelance Science Writer and Editor
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| superstar_etta@yahoo.com 2005-07-24, 9:12 pm |
| Thanks Elliot,
Where would I get 2-4 inches of Manure & Compost & Hay. I have my own
compost for the kitchen scraps...but not that much. I live in
Buda...maybe a feed store for Hay....but manure and compost?
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| superstar_etta@yahoo.com 2005-07-24, 9:12 pm |
| Thanks Elliot,
Where would I get 2-4 inches of Manure & Compost & Hay. I have my own
compost for the kitchen scraps...but not that much. I live in
Buda...maybe a feed store for Hay....but manure and compost?
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| In article <1121962132.893719.8850@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com>,
superstar_etta@yahoo.com wrote:
> Thanks Elliot,
>
> Where would I get 2-4 inches of Manure & Compost & Hay. I have my own
> compost for the kitchen scraps...but not that much. I live in
> Buda...maybe a feed store for Hay....but manure and compost?
>
Come to my house in San Marcos. ;-)
You can have all the composted (emu and poultry) manure you can
shovel...... for free! In fact, the henhouse could use shoveling and
that is going to be fantastic composted manure/shavings mix. Come and
get it. Bring bags.
A couple of bales of hay would make fine mulch and would compost down
also.
Pick up the free bags of raked leaves you see all over the place every
fall. Fantastic compost!
--
K.
Sprout the MungBean to reply
"I don't like to commit myself about heaven and hell‹you
see, I have friends in both places." --Mark Twain
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| Elliot Richmond 2005-07-24, 9:12 pm |
| On 21 Jul 2005 09:08:52 -0700, superstar_etta@yahoo.com wrote:
>Thanks Elliot,
>
>Where would I get 2-4 inches of Manure & Compost & Hay. I have my own
>compost for the kitchen scraps...but not that much. I live in
>Buda...maybe a feed store for Hay....but manure and compost?
We get hay at a feed store in Dripping Springs. I cannot remember the
name. Manure and compost can be purchased at some place like Home
Depot -- probably around $1 for a 40 pound bag.
Hope this helps.
Elliot Richmond, Ph.D.
Freelance Science Writer and Editor
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| I set up raised beds a couple of years ago and used weedblock fabric, then
edged with bricks and filled with my "mixture". The weedblock killed the
grass and my beds have done well for three seasons now.
Good luck!
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| Treedweller 2005-07-24, 9:12 pm |
| On 21 Jul 2005 09:09:34 -0700, superstar_etta@yahoo.com wrote:
>Thanks Elliot,
>
>Where would I get 2-4 inches of Manure & Compost & Hay. I have my own
>compost for the kitchen scraps...but not that much. I live in
>Buda...maybe a feed store for Hay....but manure and compost?
You're not really that far from the Natural Gardener in Oak Hill.
THey sell nice manure compost for about 35 bux a yard, or you can bag
it up yourself and buy smaller quantities. I imagine they deliver,
too, but I've never asked.
k
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