Grass to growbed. What should be done?

Scuba_Steve

Scuba_Steve

Unfortunately, I have to move.  I have used raised beds and wally bags up until this point.  In my new backyard I want to make a 2ft wide space across long fence line to be my pepper garden.  I haven't actually measured it yet, but I am thinking it should be about 2x100.  I plan on putting about 30 plants in.
 
I am on a very tight budget.  I also do not have an easy way to be hauling off a bunch of dug up sod and dirt.  I had read that I could just basically dig up the grass and turn it upside down.  Let it decay and turn into fertilizer in the process.
 
I was going to cut out all the grass.  I was going to take a sizable portion and make it into a compost pile for next year.  The remaining grass I was going to turn over and place back down.  Then I was going to bring in as much compost as I can get my hands on and mix it in.
 
I am most concerned about drainage though.  I can not afford to bring in 20cf or so of perlite.  Also, I am a shitty fertilizer.  I think my garden did good last year because of the amount I amended it prior to planting.  What should I amend with this time to keep things cheap and happy?
 
Any other suggestions?
 
I made my garden bigger the past two years buy turning the sod.  It works just fine. Rent or borrow a rototiller to make your life easier.  See if you can find a mushroom farm nearby, they tend to throw out their mulch after they use it.  The one I have local to me gives it away free I have to just carry it away.  I can't help with the drainage, I'm pretty lucky in that regard my yard drains really well naturally.
 
Scuba_Steve said:
Unfortunately, I have to move.  I have used raised beds and wally bags up until this point.  In my new backyard I want to make a 2ft wide space across long fence line to be my pepper garden.  I haven't actually measured it yet, but I am thinking it should be about 2x100.  I plan on putting about 30 plants in.
 
I am on a very tight budget.  I also do not have an easy way to be hauling off a bunch of dug up sod and dirt.  I had read that I could just basically dig up the grass and turn it upside down.  Let it decay and turn into fertilizer in the process.
 
I was going to cut out all the grass.  I was going to take a sizable portion and make it into a compost pile for next year.  The remaining grass I was going to turn over and place back down.  Then I was going to bring in as much compost as I can get my hands on and mix it in.
 
I am most concerned about drainage though.  I can not afford to bring in 20cf or so of perlite.  Also, I am a shitty fertilizer.  I think my garden did good last year because of the amount I amended it prior to planting.  What should I amend with this time to keep things cheap and happy?
 
Any other suggestions?
Click to expand...
 
i use horse manure , get all i want free ! works great .          :onfire:
 
I was lazy had got tired of moving sod pretty quick so I just put down heavy weed fabric and put my raised beds ontop of it. I scored a dump truck load of garden soil for around $150 to fill the raised beds.
 
I hate pulling up sod. One my least favorite things about making gardens. 
 
I have seen pics of people's peppers just planted directly in the lawn using the lawn as a living mulch. Might be worth a try?
 
can put 50 plants if its 200sqft. 4sqff per plant is fine. 2x2x2 is lots of room for roots. 
 
some people think lining bottom with 3-6 inches of gravel is best for drainage also deters digging animals from getting up in your beds damaging your roots.
 
Then yeah just source whatever topsoil and amend with compost. Perlite is really easy to get 3cuft bags for 20$ at a nursery (may have to ask) / wholesaler. doesn't weigh a lot is easy to haul.. 120$ isn't that bad (maybe it is for you idk).
 
You are fine to till the sod into the ground - agree with the rototiller advice - because doing so by hand and shovel is a chore and won't mix things near as well.  
 
From there your new dirt will dictate what amendments need to be made.  Compost/manure/etc are all great and can be had cheap if you've access to nearby farmers and a truck.  
 
Think about the lay of the lawn and placement of the fence; you might want to put the peppers there but if the fence shades it and/or the lawn slopes in that direction it might not be the best place.  Peppers love sun and hate wet feet.  
 
Good luck!  :)
 
Turning sod is the most beneficial for the soil  but if you have time, you can put boards where you want your garden, it will kill the grass and make it turning over a lot easier.
 
If you have leaves, preferably Oak and Maple but most will be fine, mix those in.  As much as you can possibly put in the ground and till well.  you will be golden.
 
millworkman said:
If you have leaves, preferably Oak and Maple but most will be fine, mix those in.  As much as you can possibly put in the ground and till well.  you will be golden.
Click to expand...
Those leaves are amazing for any topping! This year I plan to walk across the street and harvest from the forrest hahaha, have about 100 pounds of maple right now mulching down but the tree was diseased and had to be cut down. 
 
I recently turned a few square meters of garden / grass on my section into a garden..did it all by hand. (with the help of a few beers)
Its turned into my best growing space...things grow much better in there then in any of my pots or raised beds...(volcanic soil)
 
I dug it up, then smashed up the clumps of dirt with the back of a heavy machete to break it up and remove the top layer of grass / roots..
 
I then dug in a couple bags of coarse pumice (its much cheaper than perlite, does the same thing). A few cups of blood & bone & some slow release fertilizer..
I took a few pictures while I was making it..
pic after some digging & breaking up of soil
IMG_2549_zpsoplniuv3.jpg

IMG_2550_zpsmjedemnz.jpg

IMG_2554_zpsqfusaud2.jpg

finished..
IMG_2558_zpsvg528nli.jpg

and about a month later...!
image_zps8gciepwm.jpeg
 
All good suggestions. Thing about a new garden is though is all the weeds that are gonna come up with it. I'd try to kill off the grass first and the weeds in the area or they will eventually take over.

Know what kinda grass is growing?
 
Jase4224 said:
I have seen pics of people's peppers just planted directly in the lawn using the lawn as a living mulch. Might be worth a try?
Click to expand...
 
Interesting concept.  Although how would I keep the grass mowed around the plants?  I just imagine 2ft tall grass along peppers popping out here and there.
 
millworkman said:
If you have leaves, preferably Oak and Maple but most will be fine, mix those in.  As much as you can possibly put in the ground and till well.  you will be golden.
Click to expand...
 
Unfortunately, the only thing I have is long pine straw.  But I have shit tons of it!  Literally, the entire backyard is covered so much that I can barely see the lawn underneath...
 
nzchili said:
I recently turned a few square meters of garden / grass on my section into a garden..did it all by hand. (with the help of a few beers)
Its turned into my best growing space...things grow much better in there then in any of my pots or raised beds...(volcanic soil)
 
I dug it up, then smashed up the clumps of dirt with the back of a heavy machete to break it up and remove the top layer of grass / roots..
 
I then dug in a couple bags of coarse pumice (its much cheaper than perlite, does the same thing). A few cups of blood & bone & some slow release fertilizer..
Click to expand...
 
That is about what I plan to do I think.  I am not going to outline it with boards however.  Where is a source for pumice?  Not a lot of volcanoes around here...
 
Jamison said:
All good suggestions. Thing about a new garden is though is all the weeds that are gonna come up with it. I'd try to kill off the grass first and the weeds in the area or they will eventually take over.

Know what kinda grass is growing?
Click to expand...
 
The issue is, how to kill them without tainting the soil in the process.  I can not even start messing with it until Feb 1st.  Then, here in Savannah, GA, my plant out date is as early as 1 Apr.  Doesnt leave a whole lot of time to lay down newspaper to kill it off, and then give it time to mend and meld.
 
Also, no idea on the grass type.  I eally know nothing about grass.  I see mostly Bermuda at the big box stores around here though I think.  I know it is definitely not my good old St Augustine I have at my old house in TX!
 
Scuba_Steve said:
 
Interesting concept.  Although how would I keep the grass mowed around the plants?  I just imagine 2ft tall grass along peppers popping out here and there.
Click to expand...
 
My suggestion is to mulch heavily, several inches if you can. You might even be able to add a few sheets of newspaper in between the soil and mulch. It's not perfect, but it will make your job of weeding much easier.
 
Wouldn't the grass grow back and in turn eat and drink up all the nutrients? 
 
I would say rent a sod cutter, those things make this type of project that much easier. They aren't to expensive, but if you want to save money, then better put on some elbow grease!
 
[SIZE=9.5pt]At least once you have dug it up, and broken up all the soil, the weeds are generally easy to pull as the ground has been broken up and the weeds/grass is young without big strong root structure.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.5pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.5pt]The roots of grass generally don't go down too deep. It may steal some nutrients from the surface, but not to the point where the pepper plants will be deficient, unless the soil is already deficient anyway.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.5pt]Personally, I would only worry about the weeds / grass smothering the pepper plants while they are young / preventing them from getting much light and so being overgrown by weeds.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.5pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.5pt]If the top of the pepper plants are above the grass /weed canopy then I wouldn't worry.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.5pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.5pt]For what it’s worth, my plants that are left to get "overgrown" amongst everything generally have less pest problems. Natural companion plants?[/SIZE]
 
theres a lot to cover Ill do my best to be succinct.  raise beds are really only good if an area is wet, and you want the roots raised so dont worry about building up the area unless drainage is an issue.  can be really bad if drought is an issue.  Rototillers dont like grass very much and it turns into a huge pain to constantly untangle the blades.  your best bet is to cover the area with wet cardboard or newspaper laid 6-10 sheets thick then cover with mulch. pine straw works fine as long as you dont till it in, it will lower the ph of the soil of you do.  tilling is really outdated anyway, and deep tilling is a big no no! the sooner you can do this the better, but you can just use a shovel to cut planting holes through the cardboard if needed. this will kill any weeds in the yard and mulch will help prevent new ones.   grass is incredibly water greedy and i wouldn't recommend letting it get within a foot of the plants drip line (peppers have shallow roots and like constant moisture).  as far as adding compost, soil only needs about 4% organic material this equates to about an 1/8in. covering. look into "sheet mulching"
 
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