Feeling a little overwhelmed

[keenbean]

I'm new to the site so first wanted to say hello to everyone

This is my second year of growing vegetables so I'm a very new gardener. Last year I only grew things in tubs on the patio like carrots & pak choi which came out great (my spring onions were a bit of a failure though!). I've got plenty of things on the go this year and some are nearly ready for potting on but that's where I'm starting to think I should have planned things a little better.. I live with my mum (I'm almost 25) and we have a massive garden but our veg patch went to ruin years ago and has been growing over with weeds for about 4 years. My mum doesnt have the time to garden but says that I can do what I like with the area and when I move out (I'll soon be looking for a flat or apartment) I can use her garden as my own allotment as I wont have my own garden. I started double digging a 2m x 2m patch of it yesterday and the soil is good and moist but has quite a bit of clay. I put down weed killer this morning and dug it into the soil - as per the instructions on the box - but now I'm looking at it and thinking is this doing it any good? Will my veg grow in it?

If anyone could give me any advice on how to treat the soil I would be ever so grateful. I just dont want to carry on with the rest of the veg patch (it's massive) if I'm doing this bit wrong!

[sowitgrowit]

I'm not the best one to give advice but wanted to say welcome - I'm also new to this but everyone on here is very helpful; also don't be afraid to abuse the search feature - most things have been answered thoroughly before so this is a goldmine of information.

[keenbean]

Thank you, I never thought of that. Will have a good search around now

[Two_Sheds]

weedkiller that you dig into the soil? What was it called?

[singleseeder]

Hi Keenbean, welcome to the 'Vine'. You will find all the help you need here. Use the search function as has been mentioned, but don't be afraid to ask.

Lucky you to have been given use of your mum's garden. To get it dug and ready for the season, everyone probably say 'little and often'.......... and get stuff in as soon as you have free space. You can 'hold the weeds back' by covering with black plastic or cardboard, uncovering bit by bit as you dig. This at least stops anything flowering .

Most of all. Enjoy it.

[piskieinboots]

Welcome keenbean - good to have you on board and to see that you are planning and moving along so well.

I do have to ask the same as Two Sheds (above) ....weedkiller?

[Potstubsdustbins]

Welcome to the mad house keenbean and I am going to ask the same question as above 'a weed killer you dig into the soil' is a new one on me.

I think we need to know the answer to that one before we can go further.

What I would say is don't do any more with the weed killer until you have been advised.

Colin

[chris]

Welcome to the forum keenbean

I'd just clear the weeds, get out the perennial weeds (dock, dandelion, etc) as best you can and plant up in the ground that you have this year. If you know the areas you're going to grow on in the future, cover them with cardboard, or similar (check out the various no dig threads) to stop weeds growing, you could even plant through cardboard/cover it with compost.

Clay is a great at holding onto nutrients, but obviously can get water logged. The trick is to open it up, by digging in organic matter. Good luck!

[Newton]

Hi keen bean. Welcome to the vine.

I think that the other grapes are alluding to an organic way of clearing the weeds without the use of weed killer. You might decide to do it either way. Most weeds can be cleared either way but there are some serious claims that certain weed killers have side effects on the soil n veg.

Good luck with which ever route you decide. There is lots of help to be had here. Enjoy your growing and prepare to become ever so slightly addicted to this wonderful hobby!

[taff]

As far as the weeds go, you could chop down the top growth, it shouldnt be in seed now anyway, except for maybe the odd dandelion. Keep this stuff to one side.
Dig a patch over, removing all the bigger roots, from say dandelion, or couch grass. Before you turn the top spit back in, throw into the hole some of the top growth you've chopped down, it'll decompose after a bit, but will put some organic matter back in without you having to buy any.

If the soil hasn't been used for years, there's probably quite a bit of goodness in there thanks to the normal cycle of grow/die/feed, so don't worry too much about that this year. I'd only really worry about feeding it if it was completely barren and nothing was growing on it.

You will need to add organic matter to it next year or the end of this one, so plan a compost bin now, for next year. If you think that your plants may need feeding, blood fish and bone is a viable option until you have enough organic matter...be warned though, you will probably not make enough from your garden for youre garden so you'll either have to buy in, or think about using green manures over the end of summer/autumn...
And don't go digging in any more weedkiller until you know exactly what it is, and what it does.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Newton I am not worried about using weed killer if done correctly but it does raise the question exactly what it is the is being dug into the ground.

If it is a none selective weed killer (and we don't know) then there ain't much going to grow there later.

Colin

[Newton]

Neither am I. Just clarifying what seemed to be happening with some oblique references....trying to be helpful.

[rustylady]

I don't think they were oblique references Newton. I for one haven't heard of a weedkiller that is dug into the soil and although I didn't post earlier on this thread I was concerned that it might be one of those "stops everything growing for years" products, in which case it would render the land useless for growing veg.

[Two_Sheds]

I think that the other grapes are alluding to an organic way of clearing the weeds without the use of weed killer.

No I wasn't.

I am seriously wondering what weedkiller you dig in, and how it works.

[Two_Sheds]

Just clarifying what seemed to be happening with some oblique references....trying to be helpful.

You could have mentioned organic methods without your remark about other grapes "alluding to".

But thank you for trying to clarify my replies.