Where to start growing on a plot of land...

[Penellype]

Grass turves can be used to create loam by stacking them in a heap and they rot down - I have done this myself when I created some beds in a garden that was almost all lawn and it does work, although you do get some grass growing back. I suspect if you turn the grass over some of it will rot and some will regrow, but it does depend on the type of grass (there are lots of different types). Annual grasses such as rye and meadow grass will rot down, perennials such as creeping fescue and couch will regrow from bits of root. If you turn a few bits you will see what the roots look like - anything that is long, straight and white is couch (or similar) and needs removing. Even so, turning or covering the grass will kill off the top growth and any annual plants and you will be able to make a better judgement of what is left.

I would agree with the suggestion of raised beds, even if you make them without sides (for an area your size making raised beds out of any edging material is going to be expensive). My allotment is very wet at the bottom end and my plants would have been under water for months if I had not used raised beds. If you have a very wet area it might be an idea to dig a wildlife pond, which will help attract beneficial creatures to your plot, and you can use the soil from the pond area to raise the level a bit elsewhere.

If the soil is poor and waterlogged, add as much compost and organic matter such as leaves as you can find. It may also help to add some sand to your beds to help open up the soil structure a bit, but I would concentrate on getting rid of the grass and planning your layout first.

[ameno]

I've found even couch will die as long as you bury it deep enough. It likes to be near the surface.
So if he has couch, I would recommend digging out turves and stacking them upside down as tall and narrow as possible, then covering with black plastic or tarpaulin (basically anything completely opaque and weather resistant). After a year or so the couch should all be dead, and the soil can be dug out and used again.

[gardenhistory2]

when you finally get it dugout and drained which spacing method do you plan on using.

[greenthumbbeginner]

when you finally get it dugout and drained which spacing method do you plan on using.

No idea as I don't know what spacing methods are. Just familiar with putting them in vague rows?

[Snoop Puss]

If you don't have any books on growing veg, you might find the Grow Your Own magazine growing guides useful, greenthumbbeginner:
https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/guides/fruit
https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/guides/vegetables
But if you prefer books, you might find this thread of interest: https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...ardening-books

In general, plants like certain distances from each other to thrive, but that said gardeners enjoy a fair bit of flexibility, so long as we do things within reason. No growing caulis as close together as radishes, for example. What I really want to say is don't feel constrained to follow a prescriptive traditional system. Books like Grow Your Own Vegetables by Joy Larkham will give you details of the range of spacings that you can grow a particular plant type at. That's my preferred book, but lots of others will do exactly the same.

As for rows and blocks, sweetcorn does better in blocks as it's wind pollinated, but most plants are traditionally grown in rows, though this isn't an absolute rule in all cases. The spacings between each plant depend on the type of plant, your growing method (in rows or in blocks, meaning side-by-side spacings versus distances in all directions) and in some cases will even depend on how big you want your plant to grow. Cabbages, for example, will grow smaller if grown closer together than conventional spacings, which might suit a small household or family. And some people, me among them, like to grow certain types of plants in clusters rather than individually, say leeks and onions in my case, and clusters need different spacings to individual plants.

There are lots of people on here with practical experience of growing, as you'll have seen from the replies to your post. Plus we're a friendly bunch. So if you've got questions once you've started sorting out patches of ground for cultivation and you've got an idea what you want to grow, feel free to ask.

[Nicos]

^^^ brill advice there!

My favourite book is by Dr D G Hessayon . He died recently but his veggie growing book is absolutely basic info.
I still refer to it for planting distances.
There are all sorts of layouts for spacing, but if space isn’t a problem, you can’t go wrong with his advice.

Also- look into companion plants…important to know what grows well together and what are detrimental together.

With those in mind, and a 3or 4 year rotation…that's enough to be thinking about as far as planting is concerned.

Soil improvement and drainage should be your priority though as it will affect your crops for years to come.

Exciting times!