Starting off...

[Fungus]

Hello!

This is my first post on the site but have heard wonderful things about how helpful you all are and Im very new to veg growing (apart from what my fantastic parents taught me when I was little and wasnt so interested..) so here I go...

We have recently got hold of an area approx 15m x 4m. It was covered in brambles about 3m high and has a retaining wall below it.

We started the bramble clearance yesterday through brushcutting/ strimming and chainsawing (!). We then spent hours digging and pulling up the bramble root carefully and clearing the area to get a better picture of what space we have.

So now we can see the area and ground nicely
The soil is bright red and quite clay-like. The soil is very deep towards the wall but as it gets higher I think it hits bedrock...we cant get the fork in more than half its depth. The higer area slopes down steeply at one side too.

So my question to you all is what to do next?! Raised beds? Soil testing? test the drainage?

Thank you!
Fungus. x

[Sanjo]

Welcome to the vine Fungus. Any chance of a photo to show what you mean? Is it possible that the "bedrock" are the footings for the wall?

[WendyC]

Sounds like you've been working really hard. You've probably done it already but don'r forget to cover any ground you've cleared as if you've turned the soil and loosened it nicely the weed roots and seeds inevitably left in will romp away. Deprive them of light and they'll struggle.
Could you test the soil depth by pushing a marked stick across the plot? As Sanjo suggested a photo would be good - it's quite hard to picture.

[Two_Sheds]

First step is to make a list of what you want to grow ~ and grow what you like to eat

[taff]

probably raised beds where the soil is less deep [or grow something shallow rooted there, like lettuce/radish/spring onions type thing] and just edged or something where it's deep. try not to walk on the area you want to grow in, to avoid compacting the soil so much if it is clay.
go to a garden center or look at websites online and go mental, but not too mental. Think about the final size of the plant and how much room you need before you start planting 30 artichokes
grow some easies [lettuce, runners, courgettes, frenchies] to cheer you along....

[veggiechicken]

Hello and welcome! I have a sloping garden too -it makes planting more interesting Is yours a sunny spot or is it shaded by the slope and wall?

[di]

From your pics, VC, I'd say you have more of a hill than a slope.....one which looks great.

It might be worth checking there's not just an obstruction in the shallow bit. I once dug up a huge piece of metal at the lottie (as tall as a door and almost half as wide).

Most importantly, get it how you want it,look through lots of mags etc and turn it into your little haven.

[Fungus]

Thank you for all your encouraging comments. I have tried...(taken me an age to work out how!) to upload before and after pics... and the slope as best as I can show. Its only sloping on one side and I think it has bedrock no so far down under it.

We have been advised to dig in some well rotten muck (but not for the space we are putting in carrots/ parsnips etc) because it is so clay-like.

Let me know what you think!
Fungus.x

[Two_Sheds]

We have been advised to dig in some well rotten muck ...because it is so clay-like.

We are all aiming for good loam

I have too much drainage, you don't have enough. We both add "stuff" to improve our soil

That can be

- animal manure
- garden compost
- grit
- various mulches eg. coffee grinds
- green manures





- humanure (see, I got it in there)

[WendyC]

Gosh you have been working hard. I think some kind of edging/ raised beds/ sleepers to terrace the site would make things easier.

[di]

I'd suggest going and having a snoop at Veggie Chicken's album.....it's made me want to grow on a slope.

[veggiechicken]

Since Di keeps on about my sloping garden here's a couple of photos to show the terraces that I've put in


Because my garden is on an old sea cliff, the bedrock is very close to the surface, protruding in some places. The tree roots are an added problem, which you, luckily, don't have! The mini terraces are just a few horizontal planks, with the soil scraped down behind to level it off. The rear part of each terrace has very little soil but makes a "path" to work from for the upper terrace behind.
Hope this makes sense!!

[Nicos]

Hi there fungus- and welcome to the Vine!

Looks like you've both been really busy- well done getting the bramble out- the rest will be easier!

Your soil looks amazingly red!!!

slopes and drainage come to mind...might be worth saving water bottles and tin cans to set into the soil surface so you can eventually water your plants down through them.

Have you thought of some trellis along the back to allow climbing beans/courgette/etc to climb up to save ground pace? You can easily build those from thin branches if you are a dab hand with a drill and some crews!

Looks like you may have a bit of a suntrap there?...which way is S/W????

[Fungus]

Morning!

Well...last night was a beautiful evening so as soon as we got home we got to work. Blimy I feel it in my back this morning though! The far side of the plot in the photo is the steepest and has shallow bed rock higher up. My husband has managed to finish off the dry stone retaining wall (an amazing job!) and we set to work pulling the shallow top soil off the limestone bed rock to make the lower part of it flatter. Two hours later we had a flat-ish narrow area! Woohoo!

The closer end of the plot wasnt as steep so will keep it how it is, and I love the look of veggiechicken's plot! I shall definatly have a go at doing that at the closer end. So now we can actually see where we will be growing which is rather exciting - instead of staring at a mass of brambles!

Another question for you - (you all seem very helpful!)... where we have scraped away the topsoil on the steep bit of the slope to flatten it lower down...we now need some kind of path for us to get to it - as the bottom is a huge dry stone wall now! Any ideas?

Nicos/ mom (yes...Ill give the game away!)- I like the idea of a trellis for the beans - shall get to work with the willow I have stored in the garden. Any pics on here of home-made examples?

Thank you all! Pics to follow!

[taff]

got any spare stones to build up a path?