No dig / suppressing grass

[Bad Boy Club]

Already thinking ahead to next year. I have a large area that I intend to use for vegetables next year that is currently grassed.

What's the best no dig method to kill the grass without affecting the soil negatively? Also when is the best time to do this?

[bario1]

I would lift the grass in squares with a spade, and just flip it over. Then cover the area with cardboard to block out the light, and if possible, cover the cardboard with 6-8" of manure.

[Bad Boy Club]

Thanks for your reply, but I'm after a NO DIG method

[bario1]

Fair enough, but you'll get better results long term if you break up the underlying ground to start with. Ground that's been grassed could potentially be quite compacted.

[Baldy]

Charles Downding's way might suit...

https://youtu.be/OIojWdJz0RE

but from speaking to someone who went on one of his courses he has access to an amazing amount of compost material from his composting sheds. I've done a vairiation over a mixed weed area that I did quickly ho and pull out docks - its using a lot less compost on top of cardboard - its working pretty well and I've now got 5 daleks so hoping to up the amount of mulching compost next year.

[Jay-ell]

Alot of no dig gardeners start off with an initial dig - as Bario said this loosens up the soil, lets air in and allows water the permeate easier. What's your soil type?

[veggiechicken]

Is it just grass or, dare I say it, do you have weeds in there too

Even Charles Dowding, the No-dig expert, will use a spade to dig out perennial weeds like dock and bramble.

[Penellype]

If you are not able to dig and don't want to use the area this year, cover it with black plastic or weed suppressant matting (the heavy duty sort). That will kill most things including most of the grass, but you will be left with a few "problem" weeds - potentially couch grass, horsetail, bindweed, ground elder plus maybe docks, dandelions and thistles. What this will do is identify where the problems are and how much of it you have and you can then act accordingly.

[Bad Boy Club]

Thanks all for your replies.

Unfortunately I am not physically able to dig over the area (aprox 8m x 4m) but I can happliy hoe the area & take out weeds etc bit by bit as I go along. I'm happy to perform ongoing 'maintenance' as I can sit & do this.

The soil is a little 'claggy' & clay like but nothing extreme

[veggiechicken]

Have a look at Charles Dowding's website https://www.charlesdowding.co.uk/no-...g-preparation/
He gives plenty of advice on starting up but, as Baldy says, you need a lot of mulch to start with.

Good luck and welcome to the forum.

[mrsbusy]

Hi Bad Boy Club. We have followed Charles Dowding method and made raised beds just by putting 8 inches of organic cow manure on top of the grass without any cardboard. This is the second year and it is fine - the only problem was the strips of grass we left as paths have sent shoots up the sides of the wood a bit - it's not much tho. It depends on the depth of the compost whether you get away with no cardboard - Charles gives good info - it's something like cardboard and 2-3 inches compost , no cardboard 7 - 8 inches compost. We have also made paths on the allotment over very weedy ground using cardboard first then wood chips about 4 inches deep. Thistles have managed to get through the cardboard and we put spot weed killer on those to save digging up the paths. In terms of digging the only veg that do better on dug ground is potatoes - according to Charles Dowding. He explains nicely about how digging damages the soil structure and also has done trials of growing the same veg in no dig or dig ground. It's worth going on his website and reading for yourself - he is also very helpful if you ask questions on his forum. as someone else alluded to - the problem is getting enough useable compost to make the beds.

[Baldy]

So - I've got cardboard down and maybe 2 inches of bought/home made compost + some 'cleaned' soil and its doing well for lettuce, beetroot, carrots, parsnips - peas less so but that is probably water levels, cucumbers so far so good. I reckon next year if I can raise the level another couple of inches it will be very good. My problem is that I work away a lot - every other week - so weeds tended to get on top of things - this style of raised bed has certainly helped that for me.

[elsie-scot]

On a new bed I made last year, I took out any troublesome weeds, laid cardboard, then used lasagne method, https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-mak...garden-2539877 . I also put compost bin on top until end of summer, then grew green manure overwinter.

Doing it with another bed this year. It is slow going, but we have lousy ground, so it'll be worth it in the long run. The best garden in my neighbourhood has been improving the soil for almost 50 years!

[rary]

I would cover the grass with cardboard and newspaper, the more layers the better, then cover with compost or manure etc. as deep as you can make it with the minimum of , 4ins. I have done something similar this year, where I cleared out some perennial plants but didn't weed,covered it with some layers of cardboard and now I get some ground elder, grass and the biggest problem to me, crocosmia popping up, but they all pull out quite easily, but an area that size I would consider making two or three beds on it

[veggiechicken]

..........crocodiles piping up

You should have left it, rary, best laugh I've had all day