Starting a new garden

[ctg492]

Would you use the method of covering the grass with plastic to kill it or the Lasagna method of paper on top then the manure and peat/dirt.
I am starting a new veggie garden for next year.

[Gregg]

To me it would depend on how thick the grass is. If its very thick I would probably use a combination. Plastic to kill it, then till it under and break up the soil, then lasagne. For thinner grass in loose soil I like the lasagne by itself.

[puglogic]

I've had good luck with grass by solarizing it to kill it (with clear plastic, see this: http://www.weekendgardener.net/organic-weed-killer/solarization-100710.htm), then removing the plastic and doing the sheet mulch route. But as Gregg says, if your grass isn't particularly aggressive, you might just do the lasagna. Though I would, myself, use cardboard and not paper. For me it tends to keep the weeds dead longer :) The book Gaia's Garden has a good plan for that.

[ctg492]

Thanks, I took the leap and bought a tiller, so I have to get a plan in order. I walked around the yard with the tarp yesterday setting it down and thinking if that was a good spot or not.

[Mrs. Hermit]

I tried solarizing an area this spring, and it worked really well in my weedy yard.

[Mrs-M]

Re: "solarizing", is weed-growth ended in it's entirety (after the fact), provided the bed/surface is properly prepared using some sort of landscape fabric/treatment?