How do I turn a rocky area full of weeds into a decent garden area?
Question:I have a small area outside my apartment door that's got a few legitimate plants and a tall shrub but the rest is weeds. It's a pretty rocky area with lots of tiny pebbles and the soil just doesn't look good. And somehow the weeds managed to overtake the area this spring.
I don't know anything about gardening but I'd like to make the area look half-way decent! What the best way to go about getting rid of all those weeds, keeping them away, and then somehow planting things in that rocky soil?
Answers:
First thing you need to do is get rid of the dirt with the rocks and the pebbles; don't try to clean it up - sounds like that would be a waste of time. If you can dump it in a hole, that would work perfectly. Then, cover the area with topsoil, but the top layer should be GOOD QUALITY potting soil or worm castings a.k.a. vermicast. Both of these soils are loaded with nutrients and time-release water and nutrients to your plants to make sure they get what they need when they need it without drying up or drowning. Worm castings are better than potting soil, but DO NOT use worm castings if you're planting vegetables. This stuff may attract worms that could eat your veggies. Good luck!
The best way is to dig a hole somewhere else where there is good soil.
Take the pebbles and stones away from the area you described and put them in the hole you dug.
Now take the soil you have and make a flower bed and plants you like to look at. Then use the rest of the dirt you have leftover to finish filling the original hole you dug.
It really depends on how much work you want to put into it. Personally I would either pull the weeds or kill them with Round-Up spray. Give it a day or two to kill the weeds. If the ground is hard soak it with a hose. When it is soft enough dig up the top 5 inches of dirt removing the rocks as you find them. If you have a lot pea size pebbles, sift the dirt with a screen. It is a lot of work, I know, but I think it is worth the effort. If digging with a shovel is too hard, rent a small rototiller. We did this for our front yard in a new neighborhood that is full of rocks. My neighbors all took a short cut and just grew grass over the rocks. Their lawns are not very good looking. They watched us work on that lawn for weeks raking out rocks. Now they comment on how nice our lawn looks and wonder why theirs looks bad. When you get the dirt free of most of the rocks you can grow grass or maybe a flowering ground cover.
More Related Questions & Answers...