raised beds

[Summertime]

Hi I'm new to all this so sorry if it's been asked before.

I'm about to build some raised beds for use next year. Up until now I've only grown in pots. My soil is very poor and very much clay. I'm filling the beds with a micturition of leaves grass clippings cardboard then topsoil and compost mix so it's ready for next spring.
My beds are going on party of my existing lawn so my question is do I need to dig up the lawn first or can I just fill over it. The beds will be around 40cms high if that makes a difference.

Tia

[veggiechicken]

Hello Summertime and welcome to the forum.
Have a look at http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ase_84359.html and you'll pick up some ideas from others...............and you may like to check your predictive text as I don't think "micturition" is quite what you meant

[Penellype]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

If you put 2 or 3 layers of wet cardboard sheets at the bottom of the raised bed you don't need to dig up the grass, although if it contains couch you might like to as cardboard won't stop that.

[happyhumph]

Hi and welcome to the vine.

What Penellype says should work well. I'm going to be doing a similar thing with some raised beds I have which are neglected & full of mainly annual weeds and some grass. The only difference is I'm going to be putting rotted horse manure mixed with a bit of compost to get ready for transferring to the main veg plot later.

Don't worry about being on clay - I am as well, & so long as you put in lots of rotted organic matter like you are you can turn it into lovely rich soil.

[burnie]

I would remove the turf, turn it upside down and stack it in a corner of the garden to compost down into some lovely loam.
The soil under the grass will be compacted and could do with digging to enable your crops to put down roots, especially if you plan to grow carrots or parsnips in the future when the manure has gone.

[Jimmy]

I did a post a long time ago
See
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...tml#post606377

[JimS]

With 14" high beds, I don't think you will have any problems if you just fill in the beds with what you plan.

I built some beds on a lawn a few years back and they were only 6" high. Never had a problem with grass coming back up.

Recently been building 10" high beds on very weedy ground, Nettles and Couch grass mainly. For these I am putting thick cardboard down first, then about 2" of well-rotted wood chippings. Then Top soil and compost to fill.

Oh, and Chicken wire stapled on the bottom to keep out the moles!

[piskieinboots]

'micturition' ... Who knew well, clearly Google and predictive did!

[Noosner]

I think micturition is very good for fertilising actually...

[burnie]

I think I went to school with his brother.