Removing part of the lawn for veg patch

[HoofyLoo]

Hello
I'm just starting out and have no idea how I can remove part of my lawn. Part of it was just seeded a few months ago but the other part if quite established. How do I go about it?! The plan is to square off a section that will become the vegetable patch. I keep chickens so have plenty of manure!

[WendyC]

Mark off your area with sticks and string. Go round the perimeter with a spade, or even better a lawn edger if you have one. You can now take the string away. Using the spade as flat as you can push under the turf to lift it. Don't dump the turves but stack them, grass to grass, soil to soil somewhere out of your way. Next year you'll have a lovely stack of topsoil. The bare patch left will need digging over and possibly some organic matter adding to it depending on what you are going to plant. Over the years my lawn has got smaller and smaller using this method.
Don't under estimate how much growing space you'll want so make it as big as you can but don't forget to leave room to get round, perhaps with a wheelbarrow. Have fun!

[HoofyLoo]

Thank you! Will the turfs break down in the composter still?

[Bren In Pots]

This thread has some good ideas :-

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ass_53707.html

[rustylady]

Thank you! Will the turfs break down in the composter still?

What do you mean by a composter? A Dalek? Or a compost bin?

[HoofyLoo]

Bren In Pots that's so helpful - thank you!
Rustylady, a dalek, that currently has all sorts in it including chicken poo!

[rustylady]

I would make a separate stack for your turves HoofyLoo.

[Two_Sheds]

And I wouldn't.


I dug my lawn up: I just turned the grass over and planted straight into the new soil

[SP1965]

Hello
I'm just starting out and have no idea how I can remove part of my lawn. Part of it was just seeded a few months ago but the other part if quite established. How do I go about it?! The plan is to square off a section that will become the vegetable patch. I keep chickens so have plenty of manure!

Hi HoofyLoo

I have just started mine. I posted pics of my garden in a much earlier post, but due to family problems have only just got going

You show me yours and I'll show you mine! I am coming across bricks, and all sorts. Had work, but it will be worth it. I hope!

I am stacking my turf, I read lots of replies, to stack or dig in. Couldn't decide, so tossed a coin.

[Nicos]

And I wouldn't.

I dug my lawn up: I just turned the grass over and planted straight into the new soil

I'd only do that if it is obviously weed free.

We stack ours upside down for 10-12 months then dig it in.

[HoofyLoo]

Well I've made a start tonight. Glazed tiles, bricks, raw plus and marbles so far! My turf is coming up in clumps - I clearly need to work on technique and I've bunged it straight into the dalek. Here's what I'm working with. Apologies for the poor quality! I'm finding the ground extremely compacted. I'm taking it all out up to the concrete post, you can see where I've dug over earth and covered with the blue tarpaulin. This to will be part of the veg patch. Who needs a gym eh?!

[SP1965]

Are you using a lawn edger? That is what I am doing. Cutting it into squares and removing the turft with a spade. Then digging. I'm going to go take a pic.

[SP1965]

I am going to get my legs slapped. I have read that I need to stack it, turf to turf?

[HoofyLoo]

A lawn edger! Damn it that's what I need!!!! I'll add it to my list! Thank you a for your help and advice!

[taff]

I hired a turf stripper and used that, then dug mine over to start with [photos in one of my albums]
If your area is quite small, no need to do that.
I would recommend stacking your turves into a pile and covering with black plastic to rot the roots of the grass, not throwing ti in the composter otherwise nothing else you throw in there will be able ot breathe under the weight of earth. Leave them for a year and you'll have lovely fine earth good for carrots and parsnips