I have taken some grass out and want to put in a flower garden. I will till it and need to put some good dirt back in. What should I use? It is very sunny and water is available. Should I also put in some mushroom compost? What will be planted is iris, dayliles, allium, and anything else that will take the sun. Help please. Elaine
garden bed advice
Have you taken a soil sample to your local extension office. I find that this step is the most important. They can tell you if any lime or other nutrients are needed. Just have a list of the plants that you want to grow. Are you going to use a weed barrier? This is another very important step unless you want to be weeding all the time. Hope this helps. Sharon (Broxton, GA)
Sharon & Elaine, I thought I'd put in my experience with weed barrier. After using it for years, I now never do in beds, only for underlayment of paths. I found these problems (1) it keeps you from enriching the soil with mulch as it decays (2) it compacts the soil somehow, perhaps the rain beating on it, and (3) the worst, it provided for me a perfect vole habitat. They could roam freely under the cloth, free from worry about predators. And roam and multiply they did, munching on plant roots gaily. (4) weeds eventually -- and it doesn't take too long, grow in the mulch on the barrier anyway.
So now I just use several thicknesses of newspaper, wetting it well before putting mulch on top. It keeps down the weeds initially and and then decomposes. Just my 2 cents. :)
Pam
Thank you for your replies and yes I have had my soil checked. I will be using newspapers and I will mulch. I do not compost so I don't have that to add. I'm afraid that adding top soil will not be good so maybe I best just stick to adding a lot of mushroom compost. Elaine
Weed barrier/landscape fabric is a menace. DH put it down in a huge area in the front yard and covered it with pine straw. That was about 6 years ago. 2 years ago, he covered the same places with layers of wet newspaper and bark mulch. I thought he got rid of the fabric before putting the newspaper down, but no... Now when I want to add plants to the area, I have to remove all 4 layers to get the plants in the dirt. Drives me crazy. I would rather weed. I think the newspaper won't decompose fast enough because of the fabric under it. Places where he put only newspaper and bark, the paper is almost gone. And it has kept the weeds down.
We got topsoil from a reputable place about 8 years ago to top dress the lawn. We now have sand burs and other weeds to get rid of we didn't have then. I won't buy top soil again.
Just my grumblings for today... Good luck with your bed.
Becky
Got done today and watered it real good. Will start to plant on MOnday. Thanks for all the advise. Elaine
Thanks for the info concerning weed barrier. I will use newspaper next time. (cheaper also, or maybe I should have stated free)