Renewing garden bed
- Killerbunny
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Renewing garden bed
I am digging out, sieving and amending the soil in garden bed, about 9" total. I was thinking of putting newspapers in the bottom as weed suppression. Has anyone done this? Opinions?
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- Jaye
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Re: Renewing garden bed
I haven't put it underneath the soil before, but in the past I've put it on top of soil between planting rows and put a bit of mulch or stones on top to anchor it. It worked for awhile, but it did break down/compost and need replacing a couple of times during the growing season.
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Re: Renewing garden bed
I too have used (a couple of layers of) newspapers under bark chips. It makes the bark chips last longer :)
Are you building a bed over grass? If so, it's probably not a great idea to do it over crab grass because those roots can spring up from anywhere.
I tried making a little strawberry bed in an area that had been bushes. I cut everything to ground level and hoped that weed barrier would take care of things, with soil over the top of it, but it didn't work for more than one season. Grey Twigged Dogwood grew up through it and the bed was a mess before very long.
If you really want to suppress the weeds, perhaps cardboard would be a good idea, but it would be best to kill all the vegetation first, and then dig up anything "woody" that survives. Leaving the cardboard in place, might cause drainage problems.
Linda
Are you building a bed over grass? If so, it's probably not a great idea to do it over crab grass because those roots can spring up from anywhere.
I tried making a little strawberry bed in an area that had been bushes. I cut everything to ground level and hoped that weed barrier would take care of things, with soil over the top of it, but it didn't work for more than one season. Grey Twigged Dogwood grew up through it and the bed was a mess before very long.
If you really want to suppress the weeds, perhaps cardboard would be a good idea, but it would be best to kill all the vegetation first, and then dig up anything "woody" that survives. Leaving the cardboard in place, might cause drainage problems.
Linda
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- Killerbunny
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Re: Renewing garden bed
No it's a bed that already exists and I'm removing the soil (and plastic that someone put there) and amending it before putting it back. The plastic explains why it always got waterlogged. It's next to the patio that we had to relay because of the plastic.
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Beltsville Small White turkeys.
Mutt chickens for eggs
RIP Stephen the BSW Tom and my coffee companion.
RIP Lucky the Very Brave Splash Wyandotte rooster.
RIP little Muppet the rescue cat.
Re: Renewing garden bed
Haven't tried newspaper but I think if you buy any feed in paper bags they would last much longer.
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- Ontario Chick
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Re: Renewing garden bed
Opinion? me?
I have done it about 10 years ago, they are the two beds facing the house.
Wanted to add two beds without digging, since we are on bedrock, not much to dig.
On advice of a gardening "guru" , put down 10 layers of newspapers, directly on grass, then had a small load of soil dropped in to the frames, about 8" deep.
Being a skeptic was pretty much ready for failure, worked like a charm, no grass or weeds ever came thru.
I have done it about 10 years ago, they are the two beds facing the house.
Wanted to add two beds without digging, since we are on bedrock, not much to dig.
On advice of a gardening "guru" , put down 10 layers of newspapers, directly on grass, then had a small load of soil dropped in to the frames, about 8" deep.
Being a skeptic was pretty much ready for failure, worked like a charm, no grass or weeds ever came thru.
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- Killerbunny
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Re: Renewing garden bed
It's that one directly behind the patio door. I think I'll try it hen!
0
Beltsville Small White turkeys.
Mutt chickens for eggs
RIP Stephen the BSW Tom and my coffee companion.
RIP Lucky the Very Brave Splash Wyandotte rooster.
RIP little Muppet the rescue cat.
Re: Renewing garden bed
Under our raised beds we have heavy craft paper. It has worked great at preventing the grass from growing up.
A bunch of newspaper will do the same thing.
Give'r
A bunch of newspaper will do the same thing.
Give'r
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