I live on a double lot. The empty lot gets a ton of sunlight and I would like to turn this area into a viable vegetable garden. I’m looking for pro tips on how to turn this lawn of grass and weeds into a clean vegetable garden. I have built small gardens before and am willing to rent equipment for ease.
I’m looking for specific steps or resources to turn to make this process as efficient as possible.
by Wisdomdreamer44
25 Comments
Personally I woudl take at least half of it and turn it into an orchard.
Step 1: cover the whole thing in cardboard and mulch. Do it now! Then a whole bunch of magic can happen while you plan step two…
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Start off small and work out what you actually want to grow
Step 1: Plant veggies, step 2: profit
Figure out how much area you actually want to make into a veggie garden. Dig it over. By hand that means just plant your shovel all the way in and flip the turf upside down, grass underneath, dirt on top. Continue until finished. Alternatively hire a decent sized tiller and turn it over with that. You can get great machines that will produce a nicely tilled 4 foot garden bed as long as you want. For a very large garden that’s what I’d be doing. If this is a long term project that you will be using for years to come if then plant a green manure crop. Peas, beans , lupins, lentils chickpeas basically anything nitrogen fixing. Fertilise it. Just before your green manure flowers, get your tiller again and plough it all in. Let it sit for a bit and then plant! Good preparation is the key. Good luck with your patch and enjoy!
1. Place cardboard over the area you want to plant and weigh it down with something.
2. After a month remove cardboard and till the soil. Remove any large roots or rocks.
3. Put cardboard back until a week before you plant.
4. Sprinkle garden tone fertilizer over area.
5. Till the soil again and remove any clumps of dead grass or roots that may remain.
How to Start a Small Farm | A Step-by-Step Guide: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heTxEsrPVdQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heTxEsrPVdQ)
From Pasture to Production: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm4cM6ZOe-w](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm4cM6ZOe-w)
How to Start a No-Till Garden from Scratch: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdmqbhQo-yw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdmqbhQo-yw)
How to Start a Farm on Church Land: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBZMwshaebw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBZMwshaebw)
Dig up grass
Add a lot of the right soil for your purpose
Till
Plant whatever you want
Maintain & feed & water
Eat
Step 1. Have lots of money. You are not going to believe how much money starting a garden can absorb. I suggest rather than doing the whole thing at once, start small like a 8ft x 8ft plot just to see if you like gardening before taking the deep plunge.
Cardboard! Also used billboards sold as tarps will cover a lot of area, depending on how big you want your garden you might only need one. Smother the grass over winter and early spring and you will have good garden space. The rotted grass helps feed your plants. I’m currently on my second year of grass into garden space and so far so good. Like others have said maybe do it in stages, get a feel for what you want to grow long term. If you use cardboard you can weigh it down with rocks and big branches as well as mulch if you have some. Good luck!
Set me free in a lot like this. I wish I was “allowed” to turn our backyard into a full on veggie garden. It’s apparently not “aesthetically pleasing” but I’m happy with my garden beds!
I wish you the best of luck and I hope to see progress pics as you grow.
Have a think about what you want to actually grow first and foremost. Think about how much space each crop will need. Think about how far away a water source is. Will you get a greenhouse? where can you put a compost bin/pile?
If there’s a community garden near by maybe visit and see what grows well. Draw a map of what you hope for it to look like. But don’t rush. Now the weather is turning colder use that time to have a clear plan and when the weather allows then start with the physical work and hopefully be ready to start growing next spring.
First you need to get rid of the grass. The easiest organic way to do this is to water heavy in the summer then cover it with clear plastic to kill everything including the seeds that will sprout. Then clear the dead stuff and repeat. Then now that everything is dead test the soil to find out what you need to add or change. Then add amendments on top and till in with lots compost and some extra nitrogen and a microrizal fertilizer like Dr earth because the compost will suck up nitrogen and tilling is going to kill of bacteria and fungi by disturbing the soil. Then your ready to plant
So
Clear
Amend
Till
Grow.
If you do it right you’ll way less weed load and can mostly go no till after that. just clear the weeds from the top inch or so and amend the top few inches add lots of mulch.
Start with your fruit and nut trees now. Maybe a mini orchard. Or go full permaculture.
I like one yard revolution and parkrose permaculture.
1.) Spread a non light penetrating tarp on the area you want and leave it there for 20 days
2.) Remove the tarp and let the soil breathe and allow all the seed bank to germinate
3.) Let them all grow for 10 days
4.) Repeat Steps 1 to 3 at least 2 more times
5.) Spread manure, fertilizer and any amendments on the sterilized area and grow what you want
YouTube Charles dowding no dig
Step one: fruit trees!
@OP You ever considered a permaculture food Forest?
How many people are you going to feed? What foods will they eat? What is your growing zone? How many hours everyday are you available to work the garden? Do you have water restrictions?
As you age bending over and being on your knees pulling weeds not as viable.
Start on paper and rework your ideas just like carpenters Measure twice cut once.
Do you want to just till under the grass and farm in long rows? You definitely need to have 4 different designated areas to rotate the crops each year you grow to help prevent diseases. Do you want raised bed gardens? Wicking beds?
Are you going to work towards organic?
Do you want fruit trees?
What are the dimensions of this plot available for gardening
Step zero: call your local diggers hotline to identify any buried gas, power, power or phone lines before you start digging up your lot.
1. till the grass
2. plant vegetable seeds
I would start with trees and shrubs that grow fruit – way less work in the long run, for plenty of food.
Then choose a plot close to home for herbs – you’ll want to harvest bits and pieces for cooking, so it’s best if they’re super convenient. A compost should also be very handy.
A little farther than the herbs is where you want your veggies. You need 4 feet of reach in order to not be stepping on anything, so smaller beds are better.
Start with the trees and shrubs, though. They take longer to get going, and it’s good to plan around them. Check out where your longest and brightest sun is, and plant the taller stuff where it won’t block out the sunlight from the rest of your plants.
Reiterating other posts here to lay down some cardboard and cover it with a mix of black earth, compost manure, mulch. The cardboard will break down and you will be able to work the soil. Start small and build it out gradually. Also the pitchfork is your best tool for prepping the garden: loosening and tilling, at the same time harrowing the large clumps, plus wrangling wheelbarrow loads of leaves and weed cuttings into the compost pile, turning the compost pile. Did I mention compost piles? Wood pallets are great to build 2 or 3 of these.