Topic: Removing Turf

[Shuffles]

After this seasons successes with my veg garden I decided to strip off a load more of my lawn for some more veg beds. Trouble is, I’ve patched all the bits of lawn that needed to be patched (and some that really didn’t) so I’m going to have a load of turf left over. I really don’t have the facilities to compost that much of it, and no other use for it, and it’s also quite weedy, but just dandelions & clover.

What I’d like to do is dig up strips, flip them over, then cover the whole strip with a good pile of well rotted manure from the stables to keep it all dark and wet and hopefully rot the grass down into a nice bed for spring?

Is this likely to work so I can start using it in spring? Will I spend all of next year weeding it?  Only advice I’ve had so far is spray it all off and dig it, which just sounds like a waste of good green stuff to me. Any pointers appreciated…

[Beer_Belly]

The "flip-over and cover with muck" method sounds to me like the way to go Dan !

[rdak]

I think turf can be used to make useful loam- perhaps someone here knows how...?

[Beer_Belly]

Oops sorry Shuffles - I called you Dan because you confused me (not hard) by using the same picture as he does.

[merv]

IMHO BB. the "green bit " isn't much use anyway.  You must get rid of the dandilion and any other perennial weed.

If you are going to cut it in strips; why not cut a strip and lay your turf on it (green down), then a layer of manure then more turf from another strip on top of that, then another layer of muck, etc.  When complete, cover with old carpet etc. The layers will generate heat and the carpet will help to keep it in over winter.

[Hugh_Jones]

Following on what rdak says, rotted turf is the basic ingredient of the loam used for John Innes Composts. The turf is built into a stack, with the turves placed green side down, and, for preference, a layer of strawy manure every two or three layers of turf.  The stack is then kept for 6 months or so, the edges shaved off, and the rest is ready for turning into J.I.Compost.  The J.I. specification actually requires pH and phosphate adjustment to the turf before stacking, but to the amateur gardener this is purely `fine tuning`.

Before the advent of standardised composts no large garden was without such a stack.

[gavin]

Hi Shuffles - I haven't tried it, but your method seems to be much the same as the old Irish lazy beds I've only read about.  Should work!

All best - Gavin

[Shuffles]

Thanks for the info everyone, I have found the recipe for making John Innes no.2 from hugh's advice and with my Essex clay it looks like I have the bulk of some very good potting compost out  there with some added grit and peat.

I think I know the answer to this, but is there a genuine alternative to using the peat to make the compost?

Oh and when you mention strawy manure, do you mean the fresher stuff?

Thanks again...

[campanula]

Just this week somewhere, I have seen Bob Flowerdew demonstrating making loam. He stacked the turves on PVC and wrapped them up after plonking a bit of lime on the top. Reckoned on taking 6 months to turn into fab loam. There y'go, neat little package. Hire a turf cutter for real neat lengths. We also had a fair bit of turf left over and actually relaid the paths between my lottie beds - we got some funny looks.

[Hugh_Jones]

No, Shuffles, the strawy manure doesn`t have to be fresh. What you`ve got will almost certainly do.

With regard to the peat, the J.I. formula was, after several years of trials, based on using peat, and if you use anything else it won`t strictly be J.I.  Having said which I have often substituted leaf mould, but it must be VERY well decomposed and sufficiently well crumbled to go through a 1/2 inch sieve - I always add just a little extra as it has not quite the body and `staying power` of peat.