Ken: Q about Your New Bed Technique

15 years ago

I remember you saying that in fall, you plan out your new beds for spring.

Tell me if this fits with what you do.

1. Define Edges of bed

2. Kill grass with Roundup

3. As leaves fall on the lawn, collect 'em, chew 'em up and spread them on the dead/dying lawn?

Is that it?

What do you do next spring? Till it? Or just plant straight away?

TIA,

Melissa

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Comments (6)

dmid
15 years ago
Melissa, I did this last year. Threw all kinds of stuff on the bed, and the next spring threw on some new mulch and planted. The hostas I put in there are doing awesome, and it was so much fun in the spring to not have to do any work before planting!

I put down some newspaper, coffee grounds I collected from work, grass clippings, leaves, a little bit of composted manure, and that was it.
thisismelissa
Original Author
15 years ago
Hmmm.
I read in the recent lasagna thread that I should use newspaper, but I'm quite sure I don't have nearly enough. Is this necessary to keeping the weed seed and or grass from coming thru?

Perhaps I should use some of the paper I have leftover from when we did laminate floors in our rental...
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esther_opal
15 years ago
"Is this necessary to keeping the weed seed and or grass from coming thru?"
melissa

Just helps, easy and cheap. Cardboard, any thing like paper that will finally breakdown yet covers the soil for at least one season works.

Here is a link that might be useful: what I did in one spot
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
15 years ago
first .... i used wood chips from tree guys ...

second .... NOT WHOLE LEAVES .... when i used to cover beds... i would, in suburbia.. take the leaves to the street.. and mow them until they were thumbnail size ... whole leaves make mats that literally stink as they go anaerobic ... swamp-like gooey stinky material .... anything that allows air and moisture to move both ways is helpful ... you can accomplish that through layers of differing material ... but in fall you seem to have lots of leaves.. and not tons of other things ...

next spring... as soon as the soil thaws ... go check it out... and see where you need to go from there ....

grass will be dead.. probably still there... you will have to pull back the mulch.... dig out grass... dig about a foot deep [ 6 inches more than you need for the hosta .... throw dead stuff in bottom upside down .... and plant hosta with removed soil .... and move mulch back to within a few inches of the hosta... do NOT cover ...

if you wanted to till it.. you could.. lots of exercise.. if you need it ....

anything else organic.... like AGED nure ... would be wonderful .... but even fresh nure.. will be aged by next spring ... JUST DO NOT USE ANYTHING THAT WILL CALL VERMIN TO YOUR GARDEN .... i know veggie scraps seems like a good idea .... but only if you want coons, rabbits, skunks.. whatever .... rooting around in there ... that is what a proper compost BIN is for ...

if you need to get rid of a load of paper.. go for it.. .. good recycling... but i dont really see a need for it.. with the loads of leaves you are putting on ... leaves are from trees which are wood.. so frankly.. IMHO.. its redundant ... wouldnt you think ... but again ... a great way to get rid of a pile of old newsprint.. not glossy adverts ...

leaves.. i would go up to a foot deep ... by late fall it will be 8 inches deep .. and by spring.. about 6 inches.. and nearly gone by next fall, when you get the next load of leaves ... in a year or three.. you will have wonderful soil ... and wonder why you spent decides burning the leaves.. or sending them to the curb ...

EVEN IF YOU ADD NOTHING .... you will be very happy with the soil in spring ... the freeze thaw alone will make it a pleasure to work in .. and you can always order some wood chips in late spring to cover it all up ...

i think i covered it all .. anything else??

ken

PS: dont tell anyone.. i used to steal bags of leaves from the neighbors.. lol ... the only problem was the volume of sticks in some bags ... free is free ... add a healthy does of labor... and you are all set ... a couple neighbors were happy to remove the sticks.. and get them to the curb for me.. and then i promised to make them disappear ASAP .... the whole leave process HAS to be timed to work with dry leaves ... to avoid gooey clumps of problems .... and to beat the city from sucking them all up ...
thisismelissa
Original Author
15 years ago
Ken, thank you for your sage advice....

I'll find out from hubby if he's willing/able to get the leaves shredded down that small. As I recall, last year, they were probably 1" square. And my next door neighbor often has a lot of leaves, so I'm sure I could beg a bag or two from them!

I need only dig up the grass at the planting hole, right? Not the entire bed?

What about the grass clippins we have for the rest of the season? Are those ok to put spread out/mix in? Hubby often waits too long to mow and he has to bag the clippins rather than mulch 'em in.

Glad to know the paper is optional. I probably won't do it, except for using up the newsprint we accumulate in the next month.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
15 years ago
mowed grass.. applied too deeply ... can make an impervious mat .... and will stink while it rots .... a sprinkling of about an inch probably wont do that... if you layer grass.. then leaves.. then grass ... that is the lasagna system ...

all i would be concerned about is full sized leaves ... that smash flat ... like maple .. [the only good use for a maple...lol] .... they become impervious to water.. both ways.. dont let it down to the soil.. dont let it out of the soil .... that is not a good situation ...

have him do some to one inch ... and if they mat up.. then he has to go smaller.. if they stay fluffy ... good enough...

gardening is an art ... not a science.. i never said this is the only way to do it.. all i usually say.. is this is how i did it ... there is a lot of grey in there.. it isnt black and white ...

THE DEAD GRASS AND THE roots ... are hard to work with .... removing it all in the planting hole .. will give you friable soil to plant in. .. if you like working with big clumps of dead grass and roots... you can use it... just make sure there arent air pockets around the plants roots ...

JUST DO IT ... ken

PS: tell him .. like i am sure he will want to hear it.. lol.. if he mowed it more often.. he could just use a mulching blade .... and avoid having to catch it.. and get rid of it .... and then.. wouldnt need to fertilize the lawn, because he is returning what the grass took out of the soil .... back into the soil ..... i am positive he would love to be lectured on such.. rotflmbo ....

Ken: Q about Your New Bed Technique

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dmid

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Ken: Q about Your New Bed Technique

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dmid

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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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