Cooking A Site Overgrown With Turf

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

How to develop a new site

Many gardeners who have acquired a new plot of land are concerned about one question: "What to do with such a plot that is all overgrown with sod?" … Most experienced gardeners, without a moment's hesitation, will answer this question unequivocally - to dig. And they will also advise: whoever has a lot of land - use the technique in the form of a walk-behind tractor, and if it is not enough, take a shovel in hand and dig by hand.

Perhaps 10-15 years ago I would have done the same and agreed with them. Now I look at this problem differently. I try to apply methods and tillage techniques that allow me to put in the least effort and get the most out of it. And today I want to tell you about these simple techniques that are successfully used by the gardeners of the West, and now I, in my personal plot.

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So, we have a piece of land that is covered with turf. Where to start? Of course, you first need to decide what you want to create on it. There may be a place for a garden, a vegetable garden, flower beds, an alpine slide or rockery, a reservoir … Therefore, first make a rough plan of your site on paper (or right on the site). On it, you must indicate all the buildings, as well as outline the places for the proposed planting of trees, berry and ornamental shrubs, vegetable beds (if you want to have them), a lawn, a rock garden, etc.

After that, you should outline paths-paths along which it will be convenient to approach and care for your plants. Depending on your budget, you can make the paths grassy or tile them, but in either case, you need to not lose the fertile soil that is in the top layer of the earth.

In this case, it is necessary to remove a five-centimeter layer of soil along with the grass. It will be located in places where the paths will pass. To do this, with a sharp knife, or better with a sickle, you outline the contours of the paths from both sides (along the width of the path), and then with the same sharp knife, lifting the edges of the top layer of soil, roll your grass mat into a roll. Then, in the same place, from the paths, shovel another 15 centimeters of soil.

You remove this layer, put it in the places where it is needed (this very fertile soil is suitable for preparing beds, and for creating rockeries or rock gardens).

If your paths are grassy, then you can now put the path you cut in its original place. If you have a low area, then first add sand to the place of the excavated earth.

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And now we begin to prepare places for your garden and vegetable garden. Where trees will grow, cut out circles of turf with a diameter of 50 centimeters to one meter, as on paths. The size depends on how old your seedling is. The older the plant - the larger its root system - the larger the circle should be cut out. Use the sod from the circle to prepare the beds, as we described earlier (see "How to prepare a garden for vegetable crops").

Loosen the soil inside the diameter with a pitchfork, remove excess roots (there should be few of them, here you will understand how long the sickle needs to be buried so that there are fewer roots). Now make a small hole, add the fertilizer you are applying to the soil and plant a tree or bush. I use only organic matter, replace nitrogen with leguminous crops, which I sow around the bush, the rest of the seedling is provided by AVA, which contains all the necessary nutrients and, moreover, is applied once every 2-3 years. I think you have already figured out how to plant trees, bushes, and turf beds.

Now about the colors. And it's even easier with them. For perennials, you also cut the turf. You choose the shape yourself (round, oval, triangle …). By loosening the ground, you plant your flowers and, just like under trees and shrubs, fold grass or other organic material, thereby mulching the soil. Sowing seeds of summer plants or planting their seedlings, you do the same as with perennials.

I hope that many people will like this approach to processing the site more than the traditional one. I wish you success. And let the work on the site be a rest for you!