yard help!!!!!

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sunflower3

Member
Last summer we had our yard torn up to get a new septic and 2 dry wells. We didn't do anything with it after they where done because we got a new roof as well. But the yard is a mess, there is crab grass, lambs wool and more weeds coming up. Should I put weed killer on it now live in NY, and then add the top soil, or will the top soil kill the weeds for me?? Not sure what to do any help would be great.. then I can plant vegs and flowers again.. Thanks sunflower3.
 
If you put weed killer you can't plant your vegetable garden there this year at least. Do you have a tiller you can til the land then add the topsoil and compost matter, etc. to build the soil. Then plant your vegetable garden. Just my thoughts.
 
I agree with that too, but if you want to get rid of them in the future, plant a cover crop over the winter (rye is the usual,) and when you till that in, the following spring, it will help keep the weeds at bay. It will also add a lot of good organic matter and beneficial nutrients to your soil. Honestly though, I wouldn't want to consume food that was grown in a place where weed killer had been applied. You should be able to keep the weeds at bay during the gardening season by applying mulch and by continuing to layer it as the old layers get batted down.
 
I would not plant rye grass. It is almost impossible to get rid of and the worse to try and till! We planted it for horses to eat then wanted to plant a garden there. The tractor and disc would not disc in the rye grass!! It's one tough grass!
For now.. till your weeds, etc. Rake out all the roots you can and dispose of them. Bring in your top soil and plant your garden but you will need to keep weeding during the spring if needed. After your garden is done, till again in the fall and again in early spring. That will turn up weed roots and they die.
My experience is that after the first year, weeds are more under control.
 
Sunflowers why not save your back. Just put down a layer of cardboard or newspaper then spread your top soil over that. The cardboard will smother the weeds and eventually brake down. I would advise you cover the entire area with cardboard paths included.

This is a great opportunity to try lasagna gardening. On top of the cardboard layer grass clippings, leaves, household scraps (no meats or milk products) egg shells, coffee grounds, compost and your top soil. You'll never regret it. This link may help.
http://organicgardening.about.com/od/startinganorganicgarden/a/lasagnagarden.htm
 
thanks everyone for your ideas, I will talk with my hubby and see what he wants to do, I like all the ideas and each seems easy, we both have bad backs so easy is the best for us, but I'll see what he wants, he may want to till it and then do the lasagna gardening. just a guy thing, gets to use a machine have LOL at him, he likes his machines and tools.
 
I'll bet he tills. LOL Boys and their toys, you know he'll want to use it. I do hope you will agree you don't need to use chemicals though, it cheaper and healthier if you don't.

Yes please do keep us posted.
 
I'll let you all know and may post pic's as we go, It will be a while snow forecasted for this week. Thanks again for all your help. Karen
 
Karen we aren't suppose to get snow but tomorrow night it may be 30!!!! Now that is cold herer in SC. Everything is budding out here so that is not going to be good.
 
If you use Roundup to kill your unwanteds you can still plant this year. It's active agent becomes benign as soon as is it dry. Round up is a very safe herbicide.
 
We have a new yard, I am in the 5 or 6 year developement stage. I am going to Round Up our Northeast side yard this week and hope to get an Annabelle Hydrangea and a couple of peonies and maybe a Nootka false cypress planted this spring.
 
talked a little with hubby last night. He is all for tilling it, and raking off the stones and weeds. I also think I talked him into making me a couple of stainless steal planters so i can do lasagna gardening, one may be for my lilies and one for vegs. and then just grass seed on the rest. will make the iris garden bigger as I have 100 bulbs given to me and redo the herb garden has gotten out of hand and some stuff has died. the top soil we are getting has everything in it we need, right down to the manure so we won't have to do anything with that. soon as the weather warms up we will get at it.
 
I just read the first post so if I reapeat someting already said just ignore me.
Solarizing your soil is easy and the most environmentally friendly. All you need is some dark or clear heavy plastic and something to hold down the plastic. First water the ground well. Then streach out the plastic, and let the sun do the rest. Two things happen, if you use black plastic the lack of light under the plastic combined with the heat created buy the sun actually cook and kill weeds. If you use clear the sun magnifys the water drops and again cooks and kills the weeds and seeds. How long it takes depends on what time of year it is, how warm it is and how much sun the area gets. Here in Fl in the summer it can be as little as a matter of days.
 


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