Advice on starting from scratch

[snowbunny]

So, having just bought a new house (which needs completely renovating, you'll see from the pictures!), I need to make a start on a vegetable patch and herb garden. The field I will end up using in years to come isn't appropriate for the short term, so I'm going to make small areas next to the house. They are very overgrown at the moment, though. So, how to turn this into a blank canvas without heavy (any) machinery? I have forks, spades, rakes etc. No rotavator. Is it just a case of simply pulling up what I can to deposit on the (yet to be made) compost heap, then turning under the rest and stone picking? Mixing in compost where appropriate? Or do I need to completely remove the top layer of soil along with the green, to ensure I get rid of everything?

This will be my herb garden:


And this will be my veg patch (it goes on for miles, so although it's only 3-4m wide, I can make it as long as I want).


Thanks!

[Containergardener]

That's some project you've got there, well done.

[snowbunny]

That's some project you've got there, well done.

Oh, you don't know the half of it. The place is (and always will be) completely off-grid. We need to install solar power, a septic tank, water tanks, fit a kitchen, bathroom, new staircase, doors and windows. Before we even think about furnishing. We have 7 hectares of almond and olive trees that need coaxing back to production. But, priorities are priorities and I need to make a start on my veg

[WendyC]

No need to remove your topsoil. Digging by hand is slow and hard work, but thorough. Look out for perennial roots and get out as much as you can. Incorporate compost as you go. Can I ask where you are, doesn't look like the UK.

[snowbunny]

Thanks, Wendy, very helpful. I like a bit of hard work. I sit on my bum in front of a computer all week, so spending the weekend digging is my kind of fun

The house is in southern Catalonia, Spain. We live in Andorra but will be spending summers there once we've got it up together. The growing season is so short here that it's difficult to grow much at all, so I'm excited to have the chance to do a whole lot more!

[Containergardener]

Oh, you don't know the half of it. The place is (and always will be) completely off-grid. We need to install solar power, a septic tank, water tanks, fit a kitchen, bathroom, new staircase, doors and windows. Before we even think about furnishing. We have 7 hectares of almond and olive trees that need coaxing back to production. But, priorities are priorities and I need to make a start on my veg

Good for you, would love that .
Think you need to draw a big plan , designate an area to start with rather than trying to tackle too many jobs . How about the herb area first?

[SusieG]

Yes, looks a great area to play with snowbunny!
Of course if you're in no rush for the bigger area (veggies) - sort your herb bit out and adopt the 'no dig' option - covering with layers of cardboard or black plastic for a season. That way the underlying weeds will be killed off and ready for you to cultivate your 'patch'. Get your compost heap on the go too, which can be incorporated into your newly cleared patch.

Good luck with all your projects, you're going to be busy.

[Stan79]

Best bit of advice I can give is to get a couple of other willing bodies to help dig by hand and get all the weeds/grass/unwanted plants out... It was hard work when we started a couple of years ago but it has really paid off. The weed levels in the plot are better than in our lawn! As has been said on here many times, clear what you need, get it cultivated and then clear the next bit... That means you get the benefit of seeing crops growing whilst you dig the next bit.

[jonny the plant pot]

Looks a fantastic project have fun and good luck.

[1Bee]

Sounds and looks fantastic, congrats!

If in the longer term you're going to use a different field for the veggies, how much time and effort do you want to spend on 'temporary' beds? Might some raised beds cut down on the hard graft?

[snowbunny]

Sage advice from you all, thank you

If in the longer term you're going to use a different field for the veggies, how much time and effort do you want to spend on 'temporary' beds? Might some raised beds cut down on the hard graft?

Well, maybe, but the reason we had considered the other field previously was because it's been cultivated fairly recently and so the initial hard graft has already been done. The downside is that it's a lot farther from the house (about 500m) - this section is right next to it. So it's a lot easier to just pop out and potter where we're going to have it for now. If it's a success where it is, I can see it staying there and the field will turn into a training field for my two Labs

[1Bee]

Ahhh, I get you.

[Bigmallly]

Get a couple of goats to munch through the grass & let them reward you with some milk............................or, Chickens would soon clear it..............

[teakdesk]

Get a couple of goats to munch through the grass & let them reward you with some milk............................or, Chickens would soon clear it..............

I've heard pigs do an excellent job! They dig down for all the roots and turn the soil over as well as providing manure - after 3 months fattening up they are off to "the other place" but the plot is perfect.

Sounds like you may have a setup capable?

[snowbunny]

I would love to have goats! Chickens scare the bejeebers out of me (OK, maybe a slight exaggeration, but they have evil faces). A pig or two would be cool, although I have no idea of the husbandry involved. Sadly, though, we're only going to be in the house for half the year; the winter months we work in the ski industry so will be up in Andorra. We don't have any contacts down there (yet) who would be able to look after any livestock, but who knows what will happen in the future?