Baffled on how to reclaim garden

[Sarahsota]

Hello! I'm trying to start a veg garden and am a bit baffled on how is best to start. My garden space that I've played with in the past is horridly overgrown. I tried weeding out a bit today but it's this crazy, stringy, tough grassy stuff that doesn't pull and I didn't make much headway. My gardening time almost always includes the assistance of a 3yr old & a 1yr old, so intensive digging just isn't happening.

I've read of a no-dig kind of method, and have considered a raised bed, but I'm confused as to what's best. I really just want part of it, maybe something 4x4, to do with the kids this year. The space was a nice garden with a truckload of compost added a couple years back, but basically untouched the last three years. In digging around there are lots of lovely worms.

My dilemma...do I newspaper/compost/straw lasagna style to try to resolve weed issue and just accept the loss of soil & worms, which I guess would be a raised bed of sorts? Or do I dig just that 4x4 to death and go from there? That keeps soil & worms in the picture but is a bandaid on weeds, yeah? I was thinking I need to create a box or something for maintenance purposes, these weeds just come back so quickly when I've dug out in the past.
Any tips would be appreciated! ~Sarah

[Greenleaves]

A lot depends on the type of weeds you have, where are you based?

You can chop the weeds and cover them with cardboard, no light equals no weeds plus the worms enjoy it.

Photo's always help too

[marchogaeth]

If it was me, I think I'd be tempted to get the thickest cardboard I could and cover the area you eventually want to use. You can weight it down with old drinks or milk bottles (better because they have flat sides and won't roll). Then invest in one or two grow bags. Slit the bottoms really well and open up the top, then plant something that will grow really quickly or even go mad an buy some plugs - instant garden for any child who is interested. Then use some wood or get a big tub and fill it with soil, buy some small tools and some plastic flowers/plants and stick that on the cardboard, get some plastic diggers etc. That's the kids sorted. Even a sand pit (covered).

Then you can buy more grow bags or get some Morrison's buckets (see other threads) to create some containers and do container gardening for this year as much or as little of the area as you can. Top up any bare areas of cardboard it it rots too quickly. You can go nuts and collect stones to paint and put out as extra weights garden ornaments (but please don't destroy any ancient monuments.)

At the end of the season, empty all the grow bags and containers onto the now rotted cardboard.. Pile on any other compost etc you have and cover with another layer of cardboard.

By next year you can have decided what you want to do. Over this year you have time to read and think - look at the square foot gardening thread for instance and in the meantime just enjoy the times when you do get to eat something you and the kids have grown.

[Guest]

I like marchogaeth approach. It is a nice way to ease yourself into it. I have a 3yr and 2yr old and the only way I have got the patch into any sort of shape is leaving the girls with hubby at the weekend whilst I do hard graft which I don't recommend especially if it is just a bit of space for everyone to enjoy - my patch is very much 'my patch' even though the girls are welcome in

Sorry, enough waffling I just wanted to say Hi and welcome to the vine

[Florence Fennel]

Can't expand on March's excellent advice Sarah, but a very warm welcome to the Vine

[muddled]

yep...I think we're all going to be in agreement with March's excellent advice!

I only wanted to add that Lidls currently have fantastic brightly coloured pots in a very useful size (just over knee high) and shops like wilkos still have cheap onion sets and potatoes that are easy for little kids to plant. My two always loved harvesting potatoes best of all....very satisfying work, like digging for treasure!

Strawberry plants are another joyful harvest for small children. Courgettes are easy to grow and often reccomended for young families but can be spiteful with hidden prickles. Dwarf french beans are lovely, easy to grow, easy to pick and come in lots of colours.

Welcome to the vine, I hope you have a wonderful little veggie patch for your children to mess about in all summer!

[Sarahsota]

Thank you all for the warm welcome and great advice!

I am actually in the USA... didn't realize this was a UK forum initially. Oops! That's what happens when you're googling for garden help at 2am, I suppose! But you all are so lovely and kind I may just stick around. Although I guess finding some regional help for soil/weather/weed issues specific to my area might be a good idea... We actually are visiting the UK this summer for the first time, so are excited about that!

I think it's some sort of crab/Bermuda grass. Something incredibly strong and fast, like a super hero plant. Or super villain more like.

I guess I need to cool my jets...the weather here is Gorgeous right now and we're just past our last freeze date and I didn't want to miss my window to get it in shape and do something this year. But more planning is needed! I have a rare afternoon to myself today so wanted to decide what to do and knock it out so we could enjoy the space and not be stuck in prep mode when the heat hits. But I think rushing it would be a mistake!

I will try to post pics later on today. I'd love to have four zones in my fenced area, one a sandpit, one for me to grow food, one for my daughter to grow flowers, and one for just digging and playing in the dirt. Realistically, my almost-1-yr-old will destroy anything she can reach, so I need to just have fun this year. I am just sick of the weeds, right now we can't hardly find a patch to dig, but if I work hard to clear a space I think it'll just come back so quickly.

Anyway, I love the ideas so far and will take more time to plan rather than steaming ahead. Hopefully I can find a shop here with good, affordable containers.

Thanks again!

[Kirk]

If the main problem is tough grass then I suspect the most direct approach is to use a weedkiller like Glyphosphate. Get it on the leaves and then they should die, may take a couple of weeks to fully have effect.

All depends on what you want. It is that or dig as the roots need to be got at one way or another, as I would expect then to just grow back again if not sorted.

I would get 3 lengths of decking, length like 2.4 meter, get one cut fairly accurately in half. Then use these as 2 long sides and the top+bottom of a small raised bed. Expect you would need 4 bits of 2x2 to be at each corner.

Idea is kill the grass, nail up the raised bed edging and put it in place. Rake over the surface or lightly dig - want to break the surface, then fill with compost, topsoil, manure. Then plant a few assorted veg in it.

Decking is convenient, not costly, assorted lengths, about the right width/height for a shallow raised bed.

[Bigmallly]

Hello Sarah & welcome to the Jungle, I guess like all kids, yours will love colouring so while you concentrate on your bed, why not get the kids to colour some cool plant labels for you, obviously you or someone will have to make them first:

[Bex2012]

Hi and welcome to the forum!
If you dont want to use chemicals to kill the weeds, how about boiling water (obviously keep the kids well away!). It would allow you to clear a patch fairly quickly - it works wonders on my patio!
I would also try growing in pots this year, it would give you time to really work out what you want from your garden.

[gringo]

I don't have kids but reeeaaallly want some of those bigmally!

[Bigmallly]

I don't have kids but reeeaaallly want some of those bigmally!

Here's a few from my collection:

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ml#post1401175