new garden

[stephen2504]

my back garden is full of weeds and the ground is to hard to dig over ive sprayed it all with round up clinic can i now cover it with fresh top soil and seed it or can i do something else please help

[Thunderbird+]

This is often the problem with a new garden. The contractor moves in to clear the site and the top soil is usualy the first thing to go, then the footings are dug out for the house and this sub soil ends upon the surfice and your left with a building site that is a haven for collonising weeds.

Once you are saticfide that you have thoroughly killed off all the weeds, which can take up to a month, I really think it's worth while breaking up the surfice, if it's hard and compacted otherwise you could end up with poor drainage later on, rough digging or rotorvating should do the trick.

Choose some good quality top soil from a reputable dealer and cover the new plot evenly and rake it out until it's level and ready for seeding and planting.
Good Luck. Tbird+

[WendyS]

I echo thurnderbird's sentiments, although this is probably not what you want to hear! A thick hard crust of soil which has not been broken up will give you long-term problems if you want to do any effective gardening, especially if your base soil is clay. You will have poor drainage, parts of your garden or lawn will continually become flooded or boggy after heavy rain, and any deep rooting trees or shrubs will eventually die because their roots cannot penetrate deep enough. Even if you have to dig a small patch at a time, it really is worth deep digging to break up the hard crust of soil. Once done well, you shouldn't have to do it again and the last thing you want to be doing is having to dig up your garden to rectify problems once shrubs and plants have been put in. Just regard it as a good calorie reduction exercise, and think of all the fresh air you'll be enjoying !