my first bed

[neil1280]

hi peeps, i have finally got around to sorting out a place for my first bed where i want to grow lettuce leaves peas bean and courgettes but probably not enough room for them all

advice needed is i have forked up most of the weeds but the muck has lots of roots, stones and weeds in it, i was considering seiving them all out but i just wanted to ask, do i need to get every bit of root out? or like 80% of it or whatever, im not sure how fussy i need to be with it.

is it adviseable to mix in a big bag of mpc with it?

just to point out, the bed on the left i am goin to put in a couple of fruit trees and maybe a couple of little bush things, i sived all the compost in this bed and it took hours

its the one on the right that will be my veg patch, you can see my wee greenhouse on the right and my courgette plants are getting too big in th bottom of it

all advice and suggestions would be fantastic

[Two_Sheds]

You only need to get out perennial weed roots (bindweed, couch grass etc) Google these if you don't know what they look like.

Stones are fine, just take out any big rocks.

I don't know what your aspect is, but veg likes full sun, except lettuce which will appreciate some shade: grow it at the northern end of the beds where taller stuff will shade it.

[Jeanied]

The trees will be fine in the soil you have - no need to add compost but you do need to prepare the planting hole well by digging it big enough. I always add fish, blood and bonemeal as a long term fertiliser when I plant trees or shrubs - but make sure it is mixed well in. I also fill the hole with water and let it drain before planting - but I grow in quite a dry area.
Two sheds is right, if you have any of the perennial weeds like couch, ground elder, marestail or bindweed this will be the only time you can get it all out - or at least most of it - and you will regret it if you leave any bits of root in the soil.

[neil1280]

You only need to get out perennial weed roots (bindweed, couch grass etc) Google these if you don't know what they look like.

Stones are fine, just take out any big rocks.

I don't know what your aspect is, but veg likes full sun, except lettuce which will appreciate some shade: grow it at the northern end of the beds where taller stuff will shade it.

thats good help thanks, where is best for peas and beans?

the bed will have sun from around 11 then all day long

[neil1280]

i dont know from looking at the roots whats what so i think im just gonna sive it all

should i top it up with mpc?

[tamsin]

You could pop the stuff you want in now and get it growing, then if you find you get lots of perenial weeeds come up then deal with digging/sieving in autumn when it's empty again. You can deal in the meantime by taking the tops off either by hand or with a hoe. Was it just a patch of lawn before? If so then I wouldn't have thought you'd have to much if the way of weeds.

Depending how much fruit you want (and which way your garden faces), you could grow trees flat along your fence and put fruit bushes (currents, raspberries etc.) in the left bed.

[BUFFS]

as for the peas and beans,you may get a good crop from the ground as it is,for next year i would get a big plastic bin,save all the veg peelings etc,tea bags,old fruit and such,it wiill start to break down in the bin(smelly) but in the autumn you can dig out 12ins deep and put the saved stuff in,cover with at least 6 layers of newspaper,give it a soak,replace the topsoil and come next spring it will be a case of planting and standing well back,i have done this for donkeys years and always get a great crop..the worms will do the mixing for you....