[notinabox]

newby Hi!

not sure if we have chosen the correct forum topic but lets hope!

we are making our second (small) patch. first time we dug the plot over by hand after removing lawn ( more like just grass area!) anyway, thinking of using a rotovator this time, will we need to remove top layer of grass first again please? first lot of veg has been Fab!

thank you  :roll:  

p.s. we have bought the book!!!!!!!

[Gwiz]

That's one of those questions that you'll get several different answers to!
I'd spray the grass with round-up first, then wait a couple of weeks to see if it's all died off. If not I'd spray it again, wait a bit more, and then rotovate it
Any large clods could then be raked off.

 

[notinabox]

thank you! only reply

will see how we get on........... cheers  

[Gwiz]

Just go's to show you.
"always expect the un-expected"
Good luck! and happy growing.

[DD.]

I'd do the same.

Without the rotavator.

I've not got one.

[Trillium]

I'd either remove the grass or let Roundup work on it for a while before rotovating. Grass is just too hard for the rotovator to chew right into; the roots are so compacted that it strains the engine. It's one thing to nibble off a bit of grass as you rotovate a mostly clear strip, it's another to try to do a whole grassy piece. Tried it once and it was a disaster. And if you're borrowing someone's machine.......

[cray0752]

i always slice the top of the grass off with a spade and chuck the old grass on the compost bin and then just run my rotavator over it. make sure the tines are sharp as the soil will be abit compacted as grass has been on it.

but that's what i do anyway
 hope it was of some help

[SalJ1980]

That's a useful question notinabox, as I'll be extending both of my beds soon. Only I don't have a rotovator, and I don't want to use Glycosphate (or similar)...so it'll be lots of digging for me!