Clearing ground

[janzbro]

Hi, after putting in a willow windbreak, fruit trees and rasps last year and this year putting in a goosegogs, red berries and blackberries, I want to make a start on some veg.

Ive cut the grass and rotavated a section of ground 10 x 10 feet, (hard work even with a rotavator, as 12 full buckets of rocks and stones from 1/2 of it testify) and plan on putting in 3 beds but the gound is full of long white roots about 3 to 4mm diameter from the grass? . I presume all these must be removed from the soil.

What should I do to prep the soil before planting, should I let the roots dry then collect up all the grass and roots I can see. then what?

[Jungle Jane]

Are the long White roots definitely not connected to a nearby shrub? I don't know if it is grass roots? You can trim the roots back & out of the way,they sound quite thickish roots to be grass,I don't know?

[Nurseygreen]

If they look like this then it's probably couch grass. I have the same issue! Get as much out as you can!

[janzbro]

yep thats looks like the stuff but mine are smaller as area has been rotavated.

leaving them dry out on surface fir a day or so then re raking to bring more to surface and do the same. Anybody have any quicker methods, Im getting a riddle this weekend so hopefully that will help with the rocks and roots.

[polc1410]

I have to say I wouldn't have rotovated it with "weed" in as now you have lots of bits of roots...

If you a riddling it that will massively help get roots too.

Be meticulous as you can. I had a weedy patch 3 years ago and this year putting potato in was the first time I felt I was winning the battle. Time and sun will tell!

Worth looking at the no dig methods. E.g cover all that in cardboard. Get some rotted manure and put 4-6" of well rotted manure on top. Possibly repeat like a lassagne. Plant through it if needed.

Others would hit it with chemicals.

What u going to grow? Big root systems & lots of foliage will help. Potato makes a huge difference. Squash / pumpkin need lots of ground and so starve weeds of light. But they prefer a very rich soil.

Neither would be too fussed with some stones they will just grow round them...

[Nurseygreen]

I had to pick every piece out by hand as I dug it over rather than used a rotavator. I have dreams/nightmares that I'm still pulling bits out...

[Mark Lottie]

Personally I would cover it with newspaper/cardboard/weed fabric and then a load of straw/hay/grass and then plant through that. Or ideally just cover it for a season. The mulch should keep the couch grass down while your new plants take root.

I dont bother hand weeding out couch grass anymore nor rotavating then picking out the strands. You are always going to miss some and it's a lot of work.

Another option is to broadcast LOTS of pre-soaked green manure seeds to try and out compete the couch grass. My understanding is that couch grass tends to grow well in poor soil structure so quick growing roots should hopefully out-compete it.

[janzbro]

Personally I would cover it with newspaper/cardboard/weed fabric and then a load of straw/hay/grass and then plant through that. Or ideally just cover it for a season. The mulch should keep the couch grass down while your new plants take root.

I dont bother hand weeding out couch grass anymore nor rotavating then picking out the strands. You are always going to miss some and it's a lot of work.

I will have to look into this as I am all for doing less back breaking work, so say I was planting potatoes I would just make a hole in the soil 8" deep and cover over but though the cardboard and grass clippings and thats it?

[Mark Lottie]

I will have to look into this as I am all for doing less back breaking work, so say I was planting potatoes I would just make a hole in the soil 8" deep and cover over but though the cardboard and grass clippings and thats it?

to be honest I am not as sure with potatoes and other things you earth up.

I think some people who sow under mulch make ridges first before covering, leaving a hole for the foliage